This Life

Mutton Dressed as Mutton

Friday, 12 November 2004

I’m not usually a big fan of the ideas of the Prince of Wales which tend to wander into the foothills of loopy, but I’m right behind his campaign to make mutton popular again.

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Mark A’s post on smoking at My Corduroyed Life reminded me of something I meant to mention on my thoughts on banning smoking. The apparent up-side of the smoking ban in New York — romance. The snout-casts outside the bars etc get talking, and before you know it — bingo! — they’re an item.

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Diplomacy

Tuesday, 9 November 2004

It has been a grim, grey, gloomy afternoon oop north and I think it was that which reminded me of a story told to me by a bloke I once worked with.

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“First reckon, then risk” — von Moltke

Monday, 8 November 2004

News that a nine year old girl and her mother were among those killed in the Berkshire rail tragedy on Saturday make it all the more poignant. Already there are calls to scrap unmanned level-crossings in favour of either building bridges or tunnels over or under the lines or by manning them again.

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Legal Bombs

Monday, 8 November 2004

Some pretty horrible things happened over the weekend, but the 20 year old who had his right hand blown off by a firework was among the worst. Okay, so it doesn’t compare with what is going on in Falluja at the moment, but the thing is that patently powerful explosive was sold quite legally. Yes, the legislation brought in to curb the sale of fireworks to youngsters has apparently worked with a marked absence of whizzes and bangs that we’ve endured during previous Octobers, but here was a 20 year [...]

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Oversensitive?

Sunday, 7 November 2004

The news overnight that a Paddington to Plymouth train had crashed killing six people and injuring many more after hitting a car on a level-crossing was awful to hear. But I do wonder if the powers-that-be are sometimes too sensitive. I just heard on ITV that they will not now be showing The Railway Children, replacing it with Robin Hood instead. Mind boggles.

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Chat-up

Sunday, 7 November 2004

Who says romance is dead? A bunch of psychiatrists have come up with what they reckon is the world’s best chat-up line to get the country’s lads and lasses together in a bid to stem the falling birthrate. And it is? “This time next year, let’s be laughing together.” The first bit signals commitment while ‘laughter’ implies freshness. I suppose it beats, “grab your coat — you’ve pulled” or “you don’t sweat much for a fat lass.”

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It could be you

Saturday, 6 November 2004

It’s the tenth anniversary of the National Lottery today and to ‘celebrate’ they are allowing free entry to all those things it has paid for with our money over the years. Gosh, thanks.

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Unhealthy Obsession

Friday, 5 November 2004

I’m in danger of being accused of having an unhealthy obsession with all things American with this and recent posts. It isn’t true, honest. It’s just the way things work out sometimes.

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