The View from the Hill on Saturday 30th January
A very chilly morning, but inside I am warm with excitement - going to see James Earl Jones on stage in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof!
Last evening was joyous, eight of us at the carvery, disrupting the whole place with inappropriate humour and raucous laughter - for example one of our party declaring in a loud voice that their cystitis was back again when they actually meant sinusitis!
Not much difference but I'm not going to loan them my Vicks inhaler!
I see the fickle British public has voted for the cross dressing cage boxer to win CBB, probably just to stick it to the silicone mountain, no doubt she will be all over him like a sexually transmitted disease now, until she spots another man with a pulse.
And will the miserable Scot win the Australian Open - no, of course not, but we can fool ourselves that he might and fool ourselves that Federer is an outsider who never won anything.
But this is all so much window dressing today - I'm going to see James Earl Jones! Hope he doesn't get delayed by shooting a president or something like that!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On this day in 1649, Charles I was executed, he famously wore an extra vest so tat he didn't shiver in the cold weather, he didn't want people to think he was scared to die. Exactly 12 years later Oliver Cromwell was executed, the only thing was he had been dead two year so he didn't need an extra vest but the executioner did wear a clothes peg on his nose.
The trouble was that as he raised his chopper high above his head, Cromwell's head fell into the basket of it's own accord and according to the rules that meant he didn't get his wages - you see waving your chopper above your head without following through is not recommended.
And that's a fact!
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Saturday, 30 January 2010
Friday, 29 January 2010
The delayed View from the Hill for Friday 29th January
Just back home after a weary making day but I have saved enough energy to write a little before falling over.
Have managed to avoid Tony Bliar giving evidence all day and no doubt the news will be full of what he said or didn't say or what he meant when he said this that or the other - don't care, it won't change a bloody thing.
He's still sitting pretty, millions rolling into the piggy bank to keep him and the wide mouthed frog wife in the luxury they don't deserve.
And now we want to send money to the Taliban to pay them to join us and leave the baddies! Why not give the money to our boys so they can blast the shit out of the Taliban?
I'm not a military logistician but more money for equipment would surely go down well with the troops?
Off to London in the morning, to see Cat on a Hot Tin Roof so the View will be a bit thin on the moro too, but come Sunday I will try and catch you up with all that's important.
Now, back to a house full of guests before a spree to the Toby carvery.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On this day in 1880, the great W C Fields was born. His real name was Lavatory Meadows but he changed it because there was already a Lavatory Meadows in Actors Equity.
Fields was famous for being a drunk, he even spiked the milk of child actors appearing with him, he was a character!
He had some great sayings like:
'Ah, the patter of little feet around the house. There's nothing like having a midget for a butler'
or
'I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food'.
The latter adorns a fridge magnet in our own house and now every time I look at I will think of Fields, do a bad impression of him and say - On the whole, I'd rather be in Philadelphia!
And that's a fact!
Just back home after a weary making day but I have saved enough energy to write a little before falling over.
Have managed to avoid Tony Bliar giving evidence all day and no doubt the news will be full of what he said or didn't say or what he meant when he said this that or the other - don't care, it won't change a bloody thing.
He's still sitting pretty, millions rolling into the piggy bank to keep him and the wide mouthed frog wife in the luxury they don't deserve.
And now we want to send money to the Taliban to pay them to join us and leave the baddies! Why not give the money to our boys so they can blast the shit out of the Taliban?
I'm not a military logistician but more money for equipment would surely go down well with the troops?
Off to London in the morning, to see Cat on a Hot Tin Roof so the View will be a bit thin on the moro too, but come Sunday I will try and catch you up with all that's important.
Now, back to a house full of guests before a spree to the Toby carvery.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On this day in 1880, the great W C Fields was born. His real name was Lavatory Meadows but he changed it because there was already a Lavatory Meadows in Actors Equity.
Fields was famous for being a drunk, he even spiked the milk of child actors appearing with him, he was a character!
He had some great sayings like:
'Ah, the patter of little feet around the house. There's nothing like having a midget for a butler'
or
'I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food'.
The latter adorns a fridge magnet in our own house and now every time I look at I will think of Fields, do a bad impression of him and say - On the whole, I'd rather be in Philadelphia!
And that's a fact!
Thursday, 28 January 2010
The View from the Hill on Thursday 28th January
A mixed bag today - awoke to the sad news that Zelda Rubenstein had died, she had been ill for some time. Her first major film role was Poltergeist, a firm favourite in this house even though it scares the bejesus out of Mrs B. We also loved her as Ginny Weedon in Picket Fences where her characters death was used to point out how we sometimes treat 'little people'.
She always bought great dignity to the roles she portrayed, not scared to play up to her diminutive height and always big enough to look the audience in the eye so you could see the truth of what she was doing.
Exciting news about the i-pad, might I really live long enough to have a computerised wall in my house?
I have promised Mrs B I won't hanker for an i-pad, actually I'm still really learning how wonderful the Mac is, finding new things every day.
Now, the misunderstanding about having no friends - I have decided that in future when I am writing with my tongue firmly in my cheek I will indicate this by inserting a picture of me with my tongue in my cheek. It might take me a while to get one, because every time I try and do it with the built in camera, the result looks like something from a scary porn film.
I suppose I could always just write TIC after passages that could be taken either way...and I don't want any of you reading this to think I'm having a go at you, it was my fault, I take full responsibility for not thinking it through...but then again, most of what I write is drivel so to be taken seriously perhaps I should take a picture of me with a frown and a wagging finger just to indicate that this is serious and not to be confused with drivel?
Hey, I've just had an idea for catching peadophiles - set up cameras near the sweet stand in every shop so you can see who buys the Werthers Originals!
Sorry I got distracted, where was I?
Oh bugger it, this is too much like hard work - how about you disregard everything I say, treat it all as lies and falsehoods because invariably it will be, in fact if you want to know the truth listen to the podcasts - You Might Regret It. We should be recording a new one tonight and I will try and always speak the truth during the podcast - only the purest and most honest words will pass my lips! (TIC)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On this day in 1910 actor John Banner was born, he played Sgt Shultz in Hogan's Heroes. He died on this day in 1973 aged 63 along with his twin brother, Bruce. They were both hulking great men!
Willy Russell used this coincidence as the starting point for Blood Brothers but he set the story in Liverpool because he thought a musical about two Nazi prison guards wouldn't sell well.
Shultz had a wonderful catchphrase that I still use to this day when Mrs B has a go about how something did or did not go as planned - I simply shrug and say "I know nothing!"
Which is usually true - I do seem to notice only the unimportant and would have made a terrible prison guard as well as an awful Nazi, I don't suit those high collars.
I would have been best suited to be Sgt Wilson in the Home Guard, or better still I could have been Swiss.
I couldn't have been Japanese because I have a low pain threshold and they do seem to love abusing themselves as well as living on raw fish.
The more I think about it, yes I should have been Swiss, all that gold and chocolate, the lovely art work and Julie Andrews singing in the mountains, what more could you want from a war?
And that's a fact!
A mixed bag today - awoke to the sad news that Zelda Rubenstein had died, she had been ill for some time. Her first major film role was Poltergeist, a firm favourite in this house even though it scares the bejesus out of Mrs B. We also loved her as Ginny Weedon in Picket Fences where her characters death was used to point out how we sometimes treat 'little people'.
She always bought great dignity to the roles she portrayed, not scared to play up to her diminutive height and always big enough to look the audience in the eye so you could see the truth of what she was doing.
Exciting news about the i-pad, might I really live long enough to have a computerised wall in my house?
I have promised Mrs B I won't hanker for an i-pad, actually I'm still really learning how wonderful the Mac is, finding new things every day.
Now, the misunderstanding about having no friends - I have decided that in future when I am writing with my tongue firmly in my cheek I will indicate this by inserting a picture of me with my tongue in my cheek. It might take me a while to get one, because every time I try and do it with the built in camera, the result looks like something from a scary porn film.
I suppose I could always just write TIC after passages that could be taken either way...and I don't want any of you reading this to think I'm having a go at you, it was my fault, I take full responsibility for not thinking it through...but then again, most of what I write is drivel so to be taken seriously perhaps I should take a picture of me with a frown and a wagging finger just to indicate that this is serious and not to be confused with drivel?
Hey, I've just had an idea for catching peadophiles - set up cameras near the sweet stand in every shop so you can see who buys the Werthers Originals!
Sorry I got distracted, where was I?
Oh bugger it, this is too much like hard work - how about you disregard everything I say, treat it all as lies and falsehoods because invariably it will be, in fact if you want to know the truth listen to the podcasts - You Might Regret It. We should be recording a new one tonight and I will try and always speak the truth during the podcast - only the purest and most honest words will pass my lips! (TIC)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On this day in 1910 actor John Banner was born, he played Sgt Shultz in Hogan's Heroes. He died on this day in 1973 aged 63 along with his twin brother, Bruce. They were both hulking great men!
Willy Russell used this coincidence as the starting point for Blood Brothers but he set the story in Liverpool because he thought a musical about two Nazi prison guards wouldn't sell well.
Shultz had a wonderful catchphrase that I still use to this day when Mrs B has a go about how something did or did not go as planned - I simply shrug and say "I know nothing!"
Which is usually true - I do seem to notice only the unimportant and would have made a terrible prison guard as well as an awful Nazi, I don't suit those high collars.
I would have been best suited to be Sgt Wilson in the Home Guard, or better still I could have been Swiss.
I couldn't have been Japanese because I have a low pain threshold and they do seem to love abusing themselves as well as living on raw fish.
The more I think about it, yes I should have been Swiss, all that gold and chocolate, the lovely art work and Julie Andrews singing in the mountains, what more could you want from a war?
And that's a fact!
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
An apology:
A couple of days ago I made some points about Facebook and friends and I stated I had no real friends - I am happy to report that my real friends have contacted me about this matter and are threatening to do physical harm to me if I do not put the record straight, so....
I have some very good friends indeed!
A couple of days ago I made some points about Facebook and friends and I stated I had no real friends - I am happy to report that my real friends have contacted me about this matter and are threatening to do physical harm to me if I do not put the record straight, so....
I have some very good friends indeed!
The View from the Hill on Wednesday 27th January
A chilly and early start to the day, but it's another busy day so an early start isn't too bad I suppose.
Went to bed early last night, watched an episode of Paul Merton in Europe, he was in Germany and I have to tell you that the last thing you want to see before you close your eyes to sleep, is a load of slightly overweight Germans 10 Pin Bowling in the nude! The rear view as they release the ball is very scary indeed.
It was an interesting day, two funerals - one with a feuding family and another for a relatively young man who had committed suicide. He left no note and the incident came out of the blue and totally against his character.
He was loved by his family and obviously well respected at work because his work mates collected £9,000 which they donated to the charity chosen in his memory - the RSPCA.
The mother of the deceased was amazed by this generosity as were we all - but it highlights the tragedy of suicide, so popular and yet so desperate you take your life.
It is always difficult, the funeral of a suicide, because people come looking for answers - they want to know why it has happened, of course there is no answer to be found, not in a religious ceremony nor a non religious ceremony.
Hopefully we can offer some comfort at a difficult time but as I might have mentioned before, clergymen have told me that a non religious ceremony doesn't offer hope. Hope of an afterlife and forgiveness from God for the sins and for the worst sin of all, taking your own life.
I think £9,000 shows there might be hope in the here and now, bugger the afterlife.
That grieving mother didn't want hope, she wanted her boy back, and her grief was partly based in knowing there was no hope - so why lie to her?
The truth is supposed to be a good thing, we search for the truth in all things except, it would appear, religion.
Religious hope is like fool's gold, easier to find that the real thing and it looks good for a while but ultimately we come to see it is worthless because it cannot buy us what we really want.
Suicide haunts a family for a very long time, and the only hope that one mother really might start to forgiver her son and herself is to be found in the impossible - why did he do it?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On this date in 1945, the concentration camp at Auschwitz was liberated by the Russian Army, and slowly the horror of what had been happening to the Jewish people came to light.
We now use this date as Holocaust Memorial Day and its value is obvious, as outlined by the UN:
"We will continue to encourage Holocaust remembrance by holding an annual Holocaust Memorial Day. We condemn the evils of prejudice, discrimination and racism. We value a free, tolerant, and democratic society."
We have the Beth Shalom Holocaust Centre at Laxton, not far from Mansfield and I suggest that if you live nearby you go and visit - it is aimed at primary school students I suppose but the story is clearly told and it really does remind us of how we should never forget the lessons of history.
And that's a fact!
A chilly and early start to the day, but it's another busy day so an early start isn't too bad I suppose.
Went to bed early last night, watched an episode of Paul Merton in Europe, he was in Germany and I have to tell you that the last thing you want to see before you close your eyes to sleep, is a load of slightly overweight Germans 10 Pin Bowling in the nude! The rear view as they release the ball is very scary indeed.
It was an interesting day, two funerals - one with a feuding family and another for a relatively young man who had committed suicide. He left no note and the incident came out of the blue and totally against his character.
He was loved by his family and obviously well respected at work because his work mates collected £9,000 which they donated to the charity chosen in his memory - the RSPCA.
The mother of the deceased was amazed by this generosity as were we all - but it highlights the tragedy of suicide, so popular and yet so desperate you take your life.
It is always difficult, the funeral of a suicide, because people come looking for answers - they want to know why it has happened, of course there is no answer to be found, not in a religious ceremony nor a non religious ceremony.
Hopefully we can offer some comfort at a difficult time but as I might have mentioned before, clergymen have told me that a non religious ceremony doesn't offer hope. Hope of an afterlife and forgiveness from God for the sins and for the worst sin of all, taking your own life.
I think £9,000 shows there might be hope in the here and now, bugger the afterlife.
That grieving mother didn't want hope, she wanted her boy back, and her grief was partly based in knowing there was no hope - so why lie to her?
The truth is supposed to be a good thing, we search for the truth in all things except, it would appear, religion.
Religious hope is like fool's gold, easier to find that the real thing and it looks good for a while but ultimately we come to see it is worthless because it cannot buy us what we really want.
Suicide haunts a family for a very long time, and the only hope that one mother really might start to forgiver her son and herself is to be found in the impossible - why did he do it?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On this date in 1945, the concentration camp at Auschwitz was liberated by the Russian Army, and slowly the horror of what had been happening to the Jewish people came to light.
We now use this date as Holocaust Memorial Day and its value is obvious, as outlined by the UN:
"We will continue to encourage Holocaust remembrance by holding an annual Holocaust Memorial Day. We condemn the evils of prejudice, discrimination and racism. We value a free, tolerant, and democratic society."
We have the Beth Shalom Holocaust Centre at Laxton, not far from Mansfield and I suggest that if you live nearby you go and visit - it is aimed at primary school students I suppose but the story is clearly told and it really does remind us of how we should never forget the lessons of history.
And that's a fact!
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
The View from the Hill on Tuesday 26th January
How do you manage to fall through a Picasso? Stupid cow!
I see that Avatar is still ploughing ahead at the cinema and may soon overtake Titanic as the most successful film at the box office ever, with more than $1.8 billion in the till. Don't get me wrong, Titanic wasn't perfect but at least it was a film with a story - I still think Avatar is pretty to look at but it is stinky in most other departments.
When you compare box office with long term popularity, you soon begin to see what a really good film should be like, The Shawshank Redemption tops many lists of"best film ever" followed by The Godfather, The Good The Bad and The Ugly, and Avatar stands about number 40. The Star Wars series and Lord of the Rings all ahead in the majority of lists you care to look at - but still Avatar is being touted as the best film ever. What a shit film by a lazy director who is so far up his own arse he can see out of his own nostrils!
I have my grumpy head on this morning,did you notice? A disturbed night is to blame and I feel like being contrary and so having a moan about Avatar might stop me doing what I really want to do which is rip into Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, The McCanns, Esther Rantzen, Jeremy Kyle, my next door neighbours, that idiot in the Astra who overtook me yesterday on a blind bend, the parcel of twats Mrs B used to work for, family (especially family) and the list could go on and on and I might say something I regret so......
Avatar = a steaming pile of shit, slightly runny and without real form, with just a hint of yellow jelly like stuff around the edge.
There, that feels better - now breakfast, poached eggs or bacon?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
G'day sport! Tie me up with a kangaroo and throw another swagman on the barbie!
It's Australia Day, the day we celebrate the arrival of our invading fleet down under and the day the Aboriginal tribes men all shake their heads and tut very loudly.
Considering that many criminals were sent to Australia, it does seem that bit dafter that their descendants are planning a law requiring people to keep at least 200 meters away from dead whales?
Of course there is sense at the heart of the law because dead whales decompose, fill with gas and explode and the Australian Government doesn't want the beach littered with dead whales and dead people, it spoils the access to the sea for the surfers and then the sharks would go hungry.
I suppose the equivalent law here would be, keep away from dead condoms - well there always seems to plenty of them on the beach!
Why don't they make them biodegradable? Condoms not whales - a biodegradable whale wouldn't have much fun would it?
But biodegradable condoms, seems a good idea. I know you would have to use them pretty quickly before they started to dissolve but you could try? And if you made the flavoured ones dissolve and they had a sherbert tingle, think of the extra thrill you could impart to a loved one.
How many calories in a flavoured condom?
Anyway, I'm straying from whatever point I might have had and there is only one way to finish this blog and that is to say that Avatar is crap, and if those blue fluffy aliens lived in Australia, we would have hunted them down and thrown them on the bbq, because that's all they are good for.
And that's a grumpy fact!
How do you manage to fall through a Picasso? Stupid cow!
I see that Avatar is still ploughing ahead at the cinema and may soon overtake Titanic as the most successful film at the box office ever, with more than $1.8 billion in the till. Don't get me wrong, Titanic wasn't perfect but at least it was a film with a story - I still think Avatar is pretty to look at but it is stinky in most other departments.
When you compare box office with long term popularity, you soon begin to see what a really good film should be like, The Shawshank Redemption tops many lists of"best film ever" followed by The Godfather, The Good The Bad and The Ugly, and Avatar stands about number 40. The Star Wars series and Lord of the Rings all ahead in the majority of lists you care to look at - but still Avatar is being touted as the best film ever. What a shit film by a lazy director who is so far up his own arse he can see out of his own nostrils!
I have my grumpy head on this morning,did you notice? A disturbed night is to blame and I feel like being contrary and so having a moan about Avatar might stop me doing what I really want to do which is rip into Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, The McCanns, Esther Rantzen, Jeremy Kyle, my next door neighbours, that idiot in the Astra who overtook me yesterday on a blind bend, the parcel of twats Mrs B used to work for, family (especially family) and the list could go on and on and I might say something I regret so......
Avatar = a steaming pile of shit, slightly runny and without real form, with just a hint of yellow jelly like stuff around the edge.
There, that feels better - now breakfast, poached eggs or bacon?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
G'day sport! Tie me up with a kangaroo and throw another swagman on the barbie!
It's Australia Day, the day we celebrate the arrival of our invading fleet down under and the day the Aboriginal tribes men all shake their heads and tut very loudly.
Considering that many criminals were sent to Australia, it does seem that bit dafter that their descendants are planning a law requiring people to keep at least 200 meters away from dead whales?
Of course there is sense at the heart of the law because dead whales decompose, fill with gas and explode and the Australian Government doesn't want the beach littered with dead whales and dead people, it spoils the access to the sea for the surfers and then the sharks would go hungry.
I suppose the equivalent law here would be, keep away from dead condoms - well there always seems to plenty of them on the beach!
Why don't they make them biodegradable? Condoms not whales - a biodegradable whale wouldn't have much fun would it?
But biodegradable condoms, seems a good idea. I know you would have to use them pretty quickly before they started to dissolve but you could try? And if you made the flavoured ones dissolve and they had a sherbert tingle, think of the extra thrill you could impart to a loved one.
How many calories in a flavoured condom?
Anyway, I'm straying from whatever point I might have had and there is only one way to finish this blog and that is to say that Avatar is crap, and if those blue fluffy aliens lived in Australia, we would have hunted them down and thrown them on the bbq, because that's all they are good for.
And that's a grumpy fact!
Monday, 25 January 2010
The View from the Hill on Monday 25th January
Lang may yer lum reek!
We have two men in the garden, they are here to rip the roof off the conservatory (yes, I know, very middle class to have a conservatory but it was already attached to the house when we bought it!).
The roof has several leeks, no wait, I think that should be leaks, anyway, the water gets in. Actually, as I have not been able to clear the gutters there could be some leeks up there too.
Well, as you may have noticed in recent weeks I have been trimming my Facebook friends list, trying to bring it down to under 100 - at the moment it stands at 112 although it was 111 this time yesterday. I have reconnected with a ex work colleague who has, since I last saw him in 1991, led a very interesting life and has achieved many of the things he used to dream about. It was nice to catch up and so my friends list expanded by one, but to counteract that, I have hidden one persons feed, because they were irritating me. I didn't have the heart to eradicate them altogether, but it's on the cards...so 111 may well become the number once again.
There is a nice feel to 111, I might keep that as the ideal number of friends - although using the word friends to describe the relationships we have via Facebook is a little like calling the person who lives on the next street a neighbour...it's stretching it a bit!
Now I don't want to upset anyone, but let's be honest, Facebook isn't about friends at all, it's about people we are friendly with, there is a difference. I would challenge anyone to say that they are real true friends with the hundreds of people they have on their lists.
Real true friends are few and far between, I should know, I don't have any.
There is the junior partner of course, he almost passes muster but then last night he didn't eat his jacket potato jacket - and I gave him the best one, as a friend would.
There is Mrs B, but I pay her to be my friend.
No, I find myself coming to the conclusion that after all these years, and even being without doubt the nicest person I could ever be, I have no real true friends - even the dogs only really want me because they can't open a box of Winalot.
But I'm not sad, I am quite happy in this situation, because I know that although I have no really true friends, I do have my blog.
I wonder if the men fixing the roof want to be my friends?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It's Burns Night, so a bit of poetry:
Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty
Wi bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murdering pattle.
I think Burns was a habitual user of something that altered his perception - perhaps he smoked too much haggis because talking to mice is a little sad - there again, this was before Facebook and perhaps he had no friends?
Anyway, the best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men gang aft agley an' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
for promis'd joy!
You said it Robbie.
And that's a fact!
Lang may yer lum reek!
We have two men in the garden, they are here to rip the roof off the conservatory (yes, I know, very middle class to have a conservatory but it was already attached to the house when we bought it!).
The roof has several leeks, no wait, I think that should be leaks, anyway, the water gets in. Actually, as I have not been able to clear the gutters there could be some leeks up there too.
Well, as you may have noticed in recent weeks I have been trimming my Facebook friends list, trying to bring it down to under 100 - at the moment it stands at 112 although it was 111 this time yesterday. I have reconnected with a ex work colleague who has, since I last saw him in 1991, led a very interesting life and has achieved many of the things he used to dream about. It was nice to catch up and so my friends list expanded by one, but to counteract that, I have hidden one persons feed, because they were irritating me. I didn't have the heart to eradicate them altogether, but it's on the cards...so 111 may well become the number once again.
There is a nice feel to 111, I might keep that as the ideal number of friends - although using the word friends to describe the relationships we have via Facebook is a little like calling the person who lives on the next street a neighbour...it's stretching it a bit!
Now I don't want to upset anyone, but let's be honest, Facebook isn't about friends at all, it's about people we are friendly with, there is a difference. I would challenge anyone to say that they are real true friends with the hundreds of people they have on their lists.
Real true friends are few and far between, I should know, I don't have any.
There is the junior partner of course, he almost passes muster but then last night he didn't eat his jacket potato jacket - and I gave him the best one, as a friend would.
There is Mrs B, but I pay her to be my friend.
No, I find myself coming to the conclusion that after all these years, and even being without doubt the nicest person I could ever be, I have no real true friends - even the dogs only really want me because they can't open a box of Winalot.
But I'm not sad, I am quite happy in this situation, because I know that although I have no really true friends, I do have my blog.
I wonder if the men fixing the roof want to be my friends?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It's Burns Night, so a bit of poetry:
Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty
Wi bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murdering pattle.
I think Burns was a habitual user of something that altered his perception - perhaps he smoked too much haggis because talking to mice is a little sad - there again, this was before Facebook and perhaps he had no friends?
Anyway, the best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men gang aft agley an' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
for promis'd joy!
You said it Robbie.
And that's a fact!
Sunday, 24 January 2010
Manners from Heaven?
The View from the Hill on Sunday 24th January
Jake decided he needed to have an early morning pee, 6.30am...well better out than in I suppose.
Between then and now I have blatted through the SAG Awards which I Sky+ed and the Bullock woman won again! Inglorious Basterds is picking up momentum heading towards the Oscars and it was nice that Glee won.
Now the best thing about the SAG Awards is it is just actors voting for actors, so when they gave the nod to Jeff Bridges he was rightly pleased and he got a standing ovation as did the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Betty White. She's 88 and has been in showbiz for 77 years and still twinkles.
She made a very funny speech hinting at who she may have slept with over the course of her career - George Clooney was relieved that his name didn't come up.
They also had an 'In Memorium' section and although Michael Jackson got a good response, the loudest applause was for Bea Arthur, Karl Malden and James Whitmore - you see actors recognise true class.
Talking of class, let me change tack, and tell you about Mrs B and I taking a little trip to town yesterday.
We were amazed at the talent that is to be found right here in Mansfield, such a quiet little town but hiding such amazing quality and class. We met several people yesterday, people of all sexes and ages, and the multi tasking skills we unprecedented....all of them were able to be ignorant as hell and smoke at the same time! I mean we should have an awards ceremony for that, Mansfield would win hands down.
We even met one young woman who could walk, be pig ignorant, smoke AND listen to her ipod! We just thought she must be visiting from Sheffield or Doncaster because who would believe such talent could be found in our own little town?
Just when we thought how lucky are we to live in such a talented town we were bought down to earth with a real bang! I will tell you what happened but I doubt you will believe it.
We were walking along a narrow path, both of us laden down with many bags from Wilko's and by now we had been quite used to being pushed into the road by the multi tasking stars I have mentioned when all of a sudden we spotted coming towards us a very severe looking youth with an equally severe looking girl at his side. As we neared him I automatically stepped into the road thinking he would just be another superstar, but no!
"Stay on the path mate, you've got all those bags" he said with a polite smile.
Well, what a let down - I think if he wants to make a life for himself in Mansfield he needs a total reappraisal of his attitude!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On this day in 1895 Lord Randolph Churchill, the father of Winston Churchill died. On this day in 1965, Winston Churchill, the son of Lord Randolph Churchill died.
On this day in 1986, L Ron Hubbard died - or did he?
The founder of Scientology, that very strangest of strange religions, may not be dead at all but living in a volcano somewhere, counting his money and texting Tom Cruise.
The concept of Scientology and Thetans and the like is not easy to get your head round, and I must be careful what I say because of the litigious nature of the beast so rather than talk about scientology let me talk about something that is not connected to it in any way whatsoever at all and no inferences should be drawn in any way that I might be having a laugh at that fine august body of men and women.
"You are all a bunch of raving lunatics!" (1)
"You should be locked up and the key thrown away" (2)
"You are stupid, stupid stupid" (3)
"You pray on the weak minded and should be ashamed of yourself!" (4)
"I curse you - may your socks always slip down inside your shoes! (5)
So there we go, some comments taken at random and in no way meant to offend those fine upstanding members of the Church of Scientology who I have absolute respect and admiration for
And that's NOT a fact!
(1)The above sentence was one used to describe the cast of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's nest
(2) Used during the trial of Harold Shipman who was actually too mad to be allowed membership of the Church of Scientology
(3) from The Client by John Grisham
(4) an attack on McDonalds.
(5) The Golden Girls - The Mangacavallo Curse
Jake decided he needed to have an early morning pee, 6.30am...well better out than in I suppose.
Between then and now I have blatted through the SAG Awards which I Sky+ed and the Bullock woman won again! Inglorious Basterds is picking up momentum heading towards the Oscars and it was nice that Glee won.
Now the best thing about the SAG Awards is it is just actors voting for actors, so when they gave the nod to Jeff Bridges he was rightly pleased and he got a standing ovation as did the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Betty White. She's 88 and has been in showbiz for 77 years and still twinkles.
She made a very funny speech hinting at who she may have slept with over the course of her career - George Clooney was relieved that his name didn't come up.
They also had an 'In Memorium' section and although Michael Jackson got a good response, the loudest applause was for Bea Arthur, Karl Malden and James Whitmore - you see actors recognise true class.
Talking of class, let me change tack, and tell you about Mrs B and I taking a little trip to town yesterday.
We were amazed at the talent that is to be found right here in Mansfield, such a quiet little town but hiding such amazing quality and class. We met several people yesterday, people of all sexes and ages, and the multi tasking skills we unprecedented....all of them were able to be ignorant as hell and smoke at the same time! I mean we should have an awards ceremony for that, Mansfield would win hands down.
We even met one young woman who could walk, be pig ignorant, smoke AND listen to her ipod! We just thought she must be visiting from Sheffield or Doncaster because who would believe such talent could be found in our own little town?
Just when we thought how lucky are we to live in such a talented town we were bought down to earth with a real bang! I will tell you what happened but I doubt you will believe it.
We were walking along a narrow path, both of us laden down with many bags from Wilko's and by now we had been quite used to being pushed into the road by the multi tasking stars I have mentioned when all of a sudden we spotted coming towards us a very severe looking youth with an equally severe looking girl at his side. As we neared him I automatically stepped into the road thinking he would just be another superstar, but no!
"Stay on the path mate, you've got all those bags" he said with a polite smile.
Well, what a let down - I think if he wants to make a life for himself in Mansfield he needs a total reappraisal of his attitude!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On this day in 1895 Lord Randolph Churchill, the father of Winston Churchill died. On this day in 1965, Winston Churchill, the son of Lord Randolph Churchill died.
On this day in 1986, L Ron Hubbard died - or did he?
The founder of Scientology, that very strangest of strange religions, may not be dead at all but living in a volcano somewhere, counting his money and texting Tom Cruise.
The concept of Scientology and Thetans and the like is not easy to get your head round, and I must be careful what I say because of the litigious nature of the beast so rather than talk about scientology let me talk about something that is not connected to it in any way whatsoever at all and no inferences should be drawn in any way that I might be having a laugh at that fine august body of men and women.
"You are all a bunch of raving lunatics!" (1)
"You should be locked up and the key thrown away" (2)
"You are stupid, stupid stupid" (3)
"You pray on the weak minded and should be ashamed of yourself!" (4)
"I curse you - may your socks always slip down inside your shoes! (5)
So there we go, some comments taken at random and in no way meant to offend those fine upstanding members of the Church of Scientology who I have absolute respect and admiration for
And that's NOT a fact!
(1)The above sentence was one used to describe the cast of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's nest
(2) Used during the trial of Harold Shipman who was actually too mad to be allowed membership of the Church of Scientology
(3) from The Client by John Grisham
(4) an attack on McDonalds.
(5) The Golden Girls - The Mangacavallo Curse
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