Reasons To Be Cheerful ... Parts Two

This picture was on the BBC web site ……

Four Ladies Eating Fast ... And Living It Large.

It was posted in relation to the worlds fast food and dietary issues.

Turnips and Wet Gunpowder Prize

It appears that for every genuine award given out, there is often a spoof version.

The 'Razzie' Is A Well Established Award.

So for The Oscars, there's the The Golden Raspberry Awards, which mock the Oscars. For the Nobel Science prizes for scientific excellence, there is the Ig Nobel Prize for useless scientific achievements, or lastly The Turnip Prize, which parodies the Turner Awards for modern art.

Slow Death

The BBC was running a story about how a centenarian, who is on death row in Nigeria with his forty one year old son, was being considered for a pardon from death row and release, simply because of his age.

Death Row Nigeria .... Crowded Place With Long Wait.

He has been in prison for murder and conspiracy to murder over a land dispute for 18 years, with his youngest son. But they have been on death row together for the last four years (such is the speed of Nigerian justice).

Fearing For Our Cultures Future

I truly fear the worst for our cultures future, as the influx of immigrants whose values are not ours, continues.

Migrants Are Not Sharing European Values

There is simply no compromise nor no concession by the immigrants when they get here. This was best summed up by the two Syrian refugee boys who told the Swiss media (in German) that "nobody could make them" shake hands with a woman, and that they "could not just delete their culture as if it were a hard drive" ... No, but they fully expect us to delete ours instead.

Banksy Pranksy

This was probably British street artist Banksy's most well known work .....

Girl With Balloon ~ Iconic Image

....... Girl With Balloon. The image that really cemented his place in popular culture.

Naked Squatter And Naked Walker

In May 2017, it was reported that a nude squatter named Feliciamae Farrington was arrested in Big Pine Key, Florida, by Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Richard 'Dick' Wang, when she refused to leave the property.

The Naked Squatter ... Arrested After Struggle

Ms Farrington, who was from Harvey, Louisiana, had moved into an empty house listed for sale, and had been there for six days before her arrest. The estate agent had called the police after people showed up for a viewing of the for-sale house, and found it to be occupied by the naked Ms Farrington, and accompanied by her large pit bull.

It Was Time For Tea

Tea has been drunk in England for hundreds of years. It even retained its ancient Chinese Mandarin name in the UK right up until the mid 20th century.

Chá Drinking Goes Back A Long Way ....

Any WWII British war film is likely to have a reference to 'a cup of Cha' (pronounced Char), which comes from the Mandarin Chinese term for tea 'Chá'.

Canada Goes To Pot

So another country has joined Uruguay in making Pot, Cannabis, Mary Jane, Marijuana, Weed, legal.

Canada  - The New Flag Bearer Of Drug Reforms

Like most people, I have my concerns and would hope that Canada makes it a state monopoly, to not only keep the price competitive, but to reap at least as much tax as cigarettes generate. It couldn't possibly fair for it to undercut legal cigarettes at price and tax.

Driving A Wedge

Budget insurance ran a poll which found that seven in ten married couples argue about each others driving during a car journey.

28 Minutes Before Rows Break Out .....

The average time before the rows commence is 28 minutes.

Whats In A Name?

In Peru and across Latin America, names based on well-known historical figures are very popular. In neighbouring Ecuador, for example, the president's name is Lenin Moreno.

Lenin Moreno Not Alone There Are 18,464 More ...

That country alone has over 18,000 people named Lenin registered since 1950, comparatively the United States, with 20 times the population of Ecuador, has fewer than 1,700 Lenin's.

Losing The Will To Live

How often have you joked that some situation (usually repetitive, or boring, or both), has caused you to 'lose the will to live'?

Giving Up Is Not An Option ... For Some.

Quite often I would guess. Its a common term, and said with little thought as to any basis in truth.

Only The Lawyers Win

I recall that the cake dispute posting I made several years ago, caused some discussion, but I have to confess that I had to revisit it to recall what my stance was .....

Legal Rights Over Freedom Of Conscience?

.... which was with the idea that freedom of conscience, should weigh over legal rights, in general.

Welcome To The Dark Side Of The Moon

This is the Far Side of the Moon ...

Far Side Of The Moon - Apollo 16 (April 1972).

..... which is the correct term for the hemisphere of the Moon that always faces away from Earth. This iconic image was taken by Apollo 16. Of course we no longer go to the Moon, so the next best images come from satellites ....

De Big Dig Find

Archaeologists dig in the strangest places and they seek things we might not consider to be antique or ancient history .....

Sphinx Head .... Found In The Sands.

But of course if the Victorian era is now worthy of archaeological digs - particularly industrial sites as the birth of the industrial revolution becomes something to uncover - then more recent eras are as well.

New Barbarism - Old Methods

Skin Flaying, and face flaying has been a punishment or torture since early times ....

The Assyrians Flayed Prisoners Alive

.... Recently, such is the new barbarity of the 21st century, that it seems to once again have become used to torture people, or take mementos of murdered victims.

We Don't Make Them Like This Any More

Nearly all Victoria Cross winners have a tale to tell, if they survive, and if not, then someone else will tell it for them.

Victoria Cross - Only The Bravest.

Take Royal Navy Flying Officer John Cruickshank, who flew Catalina seaplanes during World War Two.