Happy Christmas from Romania.
A truly beautiful song
Dec 24, 2007
Nov 28, 2007
Religion of Tolerance & Peace
What you can't call Mohammed, Teddy bears attacked by Islamists. You can call your horrible kid Muhammed, but not a cuddly Teddy!
Teacher faces Lash
The religion of tolerance and peace, no tolerance and no peace.
Teacher faces Lash
The religion of tolerance and peace, no tolerance and no peace.
Oct 20, 2007
Ruined Church on Inishmore
I took this photo on one of the Aran Islands Inishmore early one morning. Some people say they can se a Bishop in the picture.
Oct 2, 2007
Drunk Scots Vote
SCOTS really rate the Holyrood Parliament - though they weren't too sure of it at first.
A survey by whisky makers Grant's ranked Londoners' and Scots' impressions of the greatest Scottish innovations of the past 50 years.
Scots rated the parliament first, followed by the Forth Road Bridge and Dolly the sheep.
Glasgow art museum the Burrell Collection was fourth, followed by Harry Potter.
But Londoners ranked the Forth Road Bridge top - and even found room for the deep fried Mars Bar in sixth place.
Grant's master blender David Stewart said: "It's sad that for some, Scotland will be forever associated with deep-fried snacks. Perhaps Londoners need to get out of the capital."
TOP TEN
As voted for by Scots
1 The Scottish parliament 22%
2 The Forth Road Bridge 22%
3 Dolly the sheep 15%
4 The Burrell Collection 10%
5 Harry Potter 7%
6 Megabus 4%
7 Edinburgh International Book Festival 2%
8 Ultimo Bra 2%
9 Rab C Nesbitt 2%
10 Scottish Ballet 1%
This poll was published by a Scots whisky maker, Have another one Jimmie!!
A survey by whisky makers Grant's ranked Londoners' and Scots' impressions of the greatest Scottish innovations of the past 50 years.
Scots rated the parliament first, followed by the Forth Road Bridge and Dolly the sheep.
Glasgow art museum the Burrell Collection was fourth, followed by Harry Potter.
But Londoners ranked the Forth Road Bridge top - and even found room for the deep fried Mars Bar in sixth place.
Grant's master blender David Stewart said: "It's sad that for some, Scotland will be forever associated with deep-fried snacks. Perhaps Londoners need to get out of the capital."
TOP TEN
As voted for by Scots
1 The Scottish parliament 22%
2 The Forth Road Bridge 22%
3 Dolly the sheep 15%
4 The Burrell Collection 10%
5 Harry Potter 7%
6 Megabus 4%
7 Edinburgh International Book Festival 2%
8 Ultimo Bra 2%
9 Rab C Nesbitt 2%
10 Scottish Ballet 1%
This poll was published by a Scots whisky maker, Have another one Jimmie!!
Sep 23, 2007
Spanish Eating
In Spain recently I ordered a meal, on the menu it was called Ox.
When it arrived amidst much hilarity I discovered that I had to cook my own meat.
in fact the little stove provided was remarkably efficent and I managed to cook 2kgs of meat fairly quickly and rather well I thought. Unfortunately my daughte and one of my grandchildren sitting opposite finished covered in a fine spray of fat.
Sep 22, 2007
Gardens of Paris
A couple of years ago we visited a number of gardens in France on a tour. Interestingly the one we admired the most was Monet's. Though it was the least grand of them all. Versailles and Fontainebleau were very large and formal whereas Monet's garden was a riot of colour and shape.
Jul 13, 2007
Jun 28, 2007
A Couple of Favourite Quotes
"When I was an atheist my argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? If the whole show was bad and senseless from A to Z, so to speak, why did I, who was supposed to be part of the show, find myself in such violent reaction against it?... Thus in the very act of trying to prove that God did not exist--in other words, that the whole of reality was senseless. I found I was forced to assume that one part of reality--namely my idea of justice--was full of sense. Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning."-
C. S. Lewis.
Annie Dillard on the Church
On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of the conditions. Does any-one have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake some day and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return. (Annie Dillard, Teaching a Stone to Talk, Harper & Row, 1982)
C. S. Lewis.
Annie Dillard on the Church
On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of the conditions. Does any-one have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake some day and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return. (Annie Dillard, Teaching a Stone to Talk, Harper & Row, 1982)
May 11, 2007
The Dawkins Delusion
I came across an article on Richard Dawkins about how his lecture tours were going. He apparently had one stop in the place Jerry Falwell used to preach. Reading this I was stuck by their similarities. Both preached what they believe with 'evangelical' zeal. Both used their 'faith' to make lots of money. Check out Dawkins website, this a big money site. Two sides of the same coin, a lesson to us all on how to make money using what we believe or don't believe.
Humanism or atheism is a wonderful philosophy of life as long as you are big, strong, and between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five. But watch out if you are in a lifeboat and there are others who are younger, bigger, or smarter. William Murray
Humanism or atheism is a wonderful philosophy of life as long as you are big, strong, and between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five. But watch out if you are in a lifeboat and there are others who are younger, bigger, or smarter. William Murray
Apr 17, 2007
Ofra Haza - Eshal
Amazing woman, amazing talent, amazing ambassador through music to Arab and Israeli alike. She is greatly missed. May she rest in peace.
Apr 16, 2007
Mar 10, 2007
God & Mammon
I just thought this poor chap needed a little more publicity....
"My name is David M. Kees. I own The Buzz Café at 340 Florida St. downtown. I am unable to get a license to serve alcohol because of the 300-foot ordinance and my restaurant’s proximity to St. James Episcopal Church.
I have tried for two years to open my restaurant in the evening from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The only alternative for me is to get written permission from the church in the form of a waiver.
The church (represented by Mark Holland) declined to grant me that document! I still respect Father Holland and the church, but as of Feb. 23 I am fed up with the hypocritical statements and actions by the church.
St. James allows alcohol at receptions and its own Super Bowl parties. On Feb. 23, the church closed off the parking lane on Fourth Street to sell gumbo to the public during lunch. This is direct competition for my restaurant and customer parking.
The church now appears to be a monopoly on the restaurant, catering, education, and worship business (in that order). Thank you for your time.
David M. Kees
café owner
Baton Rouge"
Plus they have he most awful website..St James
"My name is David M. Kees. I own The Buzz Café at 340 Florida St. downtown. I am unable to get a license to serve alcohol because of the 300-foot ordinance and my restaurant’s proximity to St. James Episcopal Church.
I have tried for two years to open my restaurant in the evening from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The only alternative for me is to get written permission from the church in the form of a waiver.
The church (represented by Mark Holland) declined to grant me that document! I still respect Father Holland and the church, but as of Feb. 23 I am fed up with the hypocritical statements and actions by the church.
St. James allows alcohol at receptions and its own Super Bowl parties. On Feb. 23, the church closed off the parking lane on Fourth Street to sell gumbo to the public during lunch. This is direct competition for my restaurant and customer parking.
The church now appears to be a monopoly on the restaurant, catering, education, and worship business (in that order). Thank you for your time.
David M. Kees
café owner
Baton Rouge"
Plus they have he most awful website..St James
Jan 20, 2007
Big Brother Big News!!
I must confess I have never watched 'Big Brother' apart from the occasional glimpse whilst visiting some one watching the programme.
The whole concept does not appeal and I would have thought extremely boring. Not so I am told 'fascinating cutting edge reality TV'.
So now some person unbelievably named 'Goody' has racially abused someone else. This is now world news.
Am I the only person who does not care?!!!
The whole concept does not appeal and I would have thought extremely boring. Not so I am told 'fascinating cutting edge reality TV'.
So now some person unbelievably named 'Goody' has racially abused someone else. This is now world news.
Am I the only person who does not care?!!!
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