Spoke to the vet today and she is going to re-catheterise Goldie as he seems to have re-blocked. We just want him home now but obviously in his condition he's in the best place.
Pav isn't coping too well either and has resorted to sleeping in the cupboard for the majority of the day ... I think she hopes that when she wakes, it will all have been a bad dream and Goldie will be back in his usual place on the couch.
Ditto ...
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Crystal Clear?
Sorry ... I've been away a while ... been busy ... Goldie has been experiencing problems. He spent Thursday morning trying to pee on anything that sat still long enough for him to squat on. (Zoo was perfectly safe in this aspect .. he is suffering from antsinmypantseitus at the moment.)
We took him to the vets and they told us that he was suffering from crystal buildup in his bladder. She told us it was good that we caught it early as it can sometimes prove fatal if missed. Poor Goldie ... this meant putting him under, inserting a catheter and trying to flush out all the crystals. Of course the vet won't release him until he is peeing to his hearts content and she is sure that all the crystals have been removed or dissolved.
Only one problem ... in protest about being stuck with this plastic thing up his willie, in a cage, with a wailing neighbour below him, he has gone on a hunger strike. Of course until he eats and drinks something, he's unable to pee and poo so the vet won't let him come home ... two stubborn buggers ... interesting fight here.
Round One to the vet ~ she knocks him out cold and sticks a catheter in
Round Two to Goldie ~ he refuses to eat and drink
Round Three to the vet ~ she gives him an injection to stimulate his appetite
Round Four to Goldie ~ he pulls out the catheter
Round Five to Goldie ~ the vet can't get it back in, and can't get him to eat, she throws in the towel and asks us to come and see him Saturday morning.
Although the victor in this bout, Goldie was sitting in his litter tray looking miserable. I gave him a cuddle and he cheered up and started to eat his new prescription diet with a little encouragement, but as soon as the vet entered his eyeline, he just clamped his mouth tight and stared at her. To be honest, I would probably do the same if someone had spent the last three days trying to stick things into every orifice I had.
Although he had a good pee while I was there, she insists that she wants to keep him a little longer and he should be alright to return on Monday, fingers crossed. We are missing him about the house and Pav, his partner in crime, is constantly on the window sill, and miaowing at the back door, reprimanding us for leaving him out all night.
We took him to the vets and they told us that he was suffering from crystal buildup in his bladder. She told us it was good that we caught it early as it can sometimes prove fatal if missed. Poor Goldie ... this meant putting him under, inserting a catheter and trying to flush out all the crystals. Of course the vet won't release him until he is peeing to his hearts content and she is sure that all the crystals have been removed or dissolved.
Only one problem ... in protest about being stuck with this plastic thing up his willie, in a cage, with a wailing neighbour below him, he has gone on a hunger strike. Of course until he eats and drinks something, he's unable to pee and poo so the vet won't let him come home ... two stubborn buggers ... interesting fight here.
Round One to the vet ~ she knocks him out cold and sticks a catheter in
Round Two to Goldie ~ he refuses to eat and drink
Round Three to the vet ~ she gives him an injection to stimulate his appetite
Round Four to Goldie ~ he pulls out the catheter
Round Five to Goldie ~ the vet can't get it back in, and can't get him to eat, she throws in the towel and asks us to come and see him Saturday morning.
Although the victor in this bout, Goldie was sitting in his litter tray looking miserable. I gave him a cuddle and he cheered up and started to eat his new prescription diet with a little encouragement, but as soon as the vet entered his eyeline, he just clamped his mouth tight and stared at her. To be honest, I would probably do the same if someone had spent the last three days trying to stick things into every orifice I had.
Although he had a good pee while I was there, she insists that she wants to keep him a little longer and he should be alright to return on Monday, fingers crossed. We are missing him about the house and Pav, his partner in crime, is constantly on the window sill, and miaowing at the back door, reprimanding us for leaving him out all night.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Just when you thought it was safe ...
Came home tonight to what seemed like an empty house ... queue scary music ...
"Hello" ... Apart from the TV still on in the front room ... all is suspiciously quiet ... I walk past the bedroom ... the cats are lying peacefully asleep on the bed ... empty nappy changing area ...
"Cream? ... Zoo?" ... I check in the bathroom ... no-one ... no screaming kid ... no shouting father ...I can see that the back door is unlocked ... oh my God ... no surely not ... I grab the handle, take a deep breath and open the door apprehensively ... to find Cream weeding the gravel garden and Zoo plodding around in his wellies and carrying a stick which he periodically prods at various plants.
"I see you decided to get some help this time to identify the weeds"
"Hello" ... Apart from the TV still on in the front room ... all is suspiciously quiet ... I walk past the bedroom ... the cats are lying peacefully asleep on the bed ... empty nappy changing area ...
"Cream? ... Zoo?" ... I check in the bathroom ... no-one ... no screaming kid ... no shouting father ...I can see that the back door is unlocked ... oh my God ... no surely not ... I grab the handle, take a deep breath and open the door apprehensively ... to find Cream weeding the gravel garden and Zoo plodding around in his wellies and carrying a stick which he periodically prods at various plants.
"I see you decided to get some help this time to identify the weeds"
Monday, April 23, 2007
Chamelon Plant
Cream has a week off work and promised me he'd sort out the mess in the garden ... it has been sorely neglected since the birth of Zoo but last month I did start on weeding around the pond and managed to put a layer of cocoa shell mulch down and last weekend I mowed the large expanse of lawn.Came home to see what had been done ... perhaps he had started on the unorganised shed, perhaps he had got rid of the pile of junk which he had evicted from the shed into the rockery, perhaps he had cleared out his neglected vegetable patch, perhaps he had cleared the obviously overgrown gravelled area ... No ... he decided to start in the area that I had already weeded a month ago and managed to pull up a fern, an astilbe and a huge area of chameleon plant!
After taking a couple of deep breaths I pointed this out to him ... "I spent three hours on my hands and knees digging all that up" "Well if you weren't sure what it was, what did you dig it up for?" ... but this simply threw him over the edge ... "Thats it .. I'm never going to do anything in this garden ever again!" he shouts.
Well thank God for that ... it will save me trying to replace what he pulled up!!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Four and a half G...? Two and a half hours ...?
Ok .. It's almost over .. I am a year older and wiser today ... Never take your child shoe shopping on a weekend.
Decided to get Zoo a new pair of shoes so we got to Brent Cross very early, in time for the doors opening and then spent the next hour walking past shop windows full of assistants clearing up and sorting stock before letting any customers in. Cream spent a couple of minutes looking at some poor girl hoovering a shop display and then with a grin on his face, knocked on the glass and mouthed "You've missed a spot!"
Waited around outside Clarks, no other parents hanging around (although Russell & Bromley already had a queue leading outside the building by this point) so we decided to take a walk around and come back in 5 minutes when it opened. Big mistake ... came back to a hoard of parents and kids and when we took our ticket we realised that we had at least 13 parents in front of us in the queue and all of them seemed to have a least three kids each! I overheard the manager telling a staff member off ... "don't tell them half an hour ... no .. even if it is going to be an hour .. tell them 15 mins!" After a long (45 mins) and unproductive wait ("no, they're not in stock, no we can't order them, yes we get stock every day, no we don't know what stock"), we decided to go to Russell & Bromley instead.
Cream approached the manageress there and she passed him ticket number 00. I asked how long we were likely to wait seeing as they were on number 87! Only about 10 or 15 minutes she replied ... Yeah right I'm thinking ... But low and behold she was right ... "88" .. the staff assistant calls, no answer ... "89, 90, 91, 92" she yells in quick succession ... a mother raises her arm and the staff assistant totters off to attend to a screaming toddler. Next assistant calls "93", no answer, "94, 95, 96, 97" ... someone yells from a far corner.
At this point a tired looking father staggers into the shop and looks bemused at the computerised number staring back at him. "But I'm 81" ... Cream who has almost lost the will to live at this stage whispers "If he gets served before we do, I am gonna scream!"
"98, 99" ... I jump up with my 00 before anyone can respond to the first two numbers and within 15 minutes of entering the shop Zoo is the proud owner of a new pair of shoes and I feel like I have aged another 15 years!
Decided to get Zoo a new pair of shoes so we got to Brent Cross very early, in time for the doors opening and then spent the next hour walking past shop windows full of assistants clearing up and sorting stock before letting any customers in. Cream spent a couple of minutes looking at some poor girl hoovering a shop display and then with a grin on his face, knocked on the glass and mouthed "You've missed a spot!"
Waited around outside Clarks, no other parents hanging around (although Russell & Bromley already had a queue leading outside the building by this point) so we decided to take a walk around and come back in 5 minutes when it opened. Big mistake ... came back to a hoard of parents and kids and when we took our ticket we realised that we had at least 13 parents in front of us in the queue and all of them seemed to have a least three kids each! I overheard the manager telling a staff member off ... "don't tell them half an hour ... no .. even if it is going to be an hour .. tell them 15 mins!" After a long (45 mins) and unproductive wait ("no, they're not in stock, no we can't order them, yes we get stock every day, no we don't know what stock"), we decided to go to Russell & Bromley instead.
Cream approached the manageress there and she passed him ticket number 00. I asked how long we were likely to wait seeing as they were on number 87! Only about 10 or 15 minutes she replied ... Yeah right I'm thinking ... But low and behold she was right ... "88" .. the staff assistant calls, no answer ... "89, 90, 91, 92" she yells in quick succession ... a mother raises her arm and the staff assistant totters off to attend to a screaming toddler. Next assistant calls "93", no answer, "94, 95, 96, 97" ... someone yells from a far corner.
At this point a tired looking father staggers into the shop and looks bemused at the computerised number staring back at him. "But I'm 81" ... Cream who has almost lost the will to live at this stage whispers "If he gets served before we do, I am gonna scream!"
"98, 99" ... I jump up with my 00 before anyone can respond to the first two numbers and within 15 minutes of entering the shop Zoo is the proud owner of a new pair of shoes and I feel like I have aged another 15 years!
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Am I Asian in America?
Can't blog without mentioning the killings at Virginia Tech ... when news originally broke, the information was that an Asian was responsible. Dad held his head in his hands and groaned ... "Had to be us Asians, I bloody hope he's not Pakistani!" ... until it was explained that when the Americans talk of someone of Asian origin, they actually mean "China etc ..."
An absolute horror story, more so because of the video he made, reportedly after the first two killings but before the mass spree killing. He rambles on about Mercedes and necklaces, but it seems clear that he feels he has been bullied, persecuted, railroaded into this situation. He also mumbles about Jesus Christ and uses the religious analogy that he is being crucified, that his blood is going to spilt for the entertainment of others. The media reported that his video mirrored and was influenced by similar video's made by Al-Qaeda's suicide bombers. I read Raising Yousuf's blog and realised that I am not the only one concerned by comments such as these ... not for their content but in relation to the media coverage and what it would have been like had he been a "true Asian".
An absolute horror story, more so because of the video he made, reportedly after the first two killings but before the mass spree killing. He rambles on about Mercedes and necklaces, but it seems clear that he feels he has been bullied, persecuted, railroaded into this situation. He also mumbles about Jesus Christ and uses the religious analogy that he is being crucified, that his blood is going to spilt for the entertainment of others. The media reported that his video mirrored and was influenced by similar video's made by Al-Qaeda's suicide bombers. I read Raising Yousuf's blog and realised that I am not the only one concerned by comments such as these ... not for their content but in relation to the media coverage and what it would have been like had he been a "true Asian".
History repeating itself?
Lets hope not ... Duncan Fletcher today announced that he would be resigning his post as coach for the England Cricket Squad after a dismal performance ... (I say dismal but they got further than Pakistan anyhow!) I suspected as much when I heard than instead of giving his usual press interviews he had decided to play golf instead ... Do you think Visa and Vertigo have been at him??
I just hope that someone keeps an eye on Duncan now ... It's open season on coaches out there.
I just hope that someone keeps an eye on Duncan now ... It's open season on coaches out there.
Afternoon Siesta's
Zoo has been upgraded. We traded him in for the newer version that has one nap instead of two. The grandparents are loving it (as is Cream!). Zoo is no longer fighting to stay awake as they try to settle him for his morning nap and by the afternoon he is so exhausted, he puts up little or no fight and sleeps for a good two and a half hours!! Of course this means that they all get a two and a half hour break from the little terror.
I should be equally pleased ... only one problem. I have lost my morning break!! And it also means that around the time of his now non-existent morning nap he starts getting a tad ratty ... and I have to think of something new to entertain and distract him. The weather today was wonderful so that was easy ... emptied the play sand into his new sandpit/water table, filled it with water and let him go. Lost a fair amount of sand to the garden patio but he absolutely loved it.
I was especially proud of the fact that I had managed to keep him dry throughout. Until of course five minutes before Cream is due back home, when he finds a plug sort of thing in the water table and decides to see what it does. After discovering the new waterfall, he decides to try to stem the flow by crawling under the table and putting his palm against the hole.
I should be equally pleased ... only one problem. I have lost my morning break!! And it also means that around the time of his now non-existent morning nap he starts getting a tad ratty ... and I have to think of something new to entertain and distract him. The weather today was wonderful so that was easy ... emptied the play sand into his new sandpit/water table, filled it with water and let him go. Lost a fair amount of sand to the garden patio but he absolutely loved it.
I was especially proud of the fact that I had managed to keep him dry throughout. Until of course five minutes before Cream is due back home, when he finds a plug sort of thing in the water table and decides to see what it does. After discovering the new waterfall, he decides to try to stem the flow by crawling under the table and putting his palm against the hole.
Writer's block
I think there is something wrong with me ... I seem to have lost the urge to blog ... so much in the news, so many thoughts and when I settle myself down, with the background snores of Zoo for company and the occasional miaow from the cats ... nothing happens ... nothing funny pops to mind, nothing amusing, nothing noteworthy. Now there could be a couple of reasons and I shall have to investigate this further in order to figure out whether there is any pattern or reason for this.
Possible reason 1. Time of the month ... see previous posts for pre-monthly rant, so this must be the quiet period. (Pun not intended!)
Possible reason 2. I'm old. It's my birthday on Sunday and I will be old....er. Still not a big one but edging towards it. Will I suddenly feel the urge to blow all my savings on a two seater sporty car?
Possible reason 3. I've lost it ... or what little I had in the first place.
Possible reason 1. Time of the month ... see previous posts for pre-monthly rant, so this must be the quiet period. (Pun not intended!)
Possible reason 2. I'm old. It's my birthday on Sunday and I will be old....er. Still not a big one but edging towards it. Will I suddenly feel the urge to blow all my savings on a two seater sporty car?
Possible reason 3. I've lost it ... or what little I had in the first place.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Sisterly love x 2
Yes I survived Friday 13th... busy but just another normal day at the office to be honest. Now Saturday was the killer ... Got a wedding to go to in May and promised my sister I would go clothes shopping with her. Went down to Rayner's Lane, checked out one shop there and found a black salwaar chemise ... yes I know I already have enough black suits ... but I couldn't find anything else ... Vertigo managed to find two suits she liked and just as she was changing back into her own clothes I managed to find a beautiful mint embroidered langha ... and in a moment of madness I ran to the changing room and told her to try it on. It looked great so I persuaded her to buy it. At the till and despite a lot a head shaking, Auntie Fixed Price pointing at all the signs round the shop and cries of "My boss will kill me" we managed to get a discount.
Next stop Ealing Road and Vertigo managed to buy yet another suit without any discount this time and I began to get disheartened as I couldn't find anything I liked (and that fit me!) ... By this point Cream is on the phone asking us where we are and as the afternoon drags on I realise I'm not going to find anything. Bugger me for being so nice and giving that suit to Vertigo!
Vertigo promises not to buy any more suits as she now has three but still decided to try on another two for good measure. As she heads towards the cashtill I try to remind her but the eavesdropping shopowner dashes over before I can persuade her otherwise. Despite his previous good hearing he can't seem to hear us properly when we ask for a couple of quid off. It's late by now and having lost the will to live I call it quits.
Got a call from Vertigo today, who has decided that she don't like the minty number now, and offers to sell it to me ... "I suppose I get it at a discounted rate seeing as we are family and you've tried it on twice already!"
"No sorry" she replies "fixed price."
Next stop Ealing Road and Vertigo managed to buy yet another suit without any discount this time and I began to get disheartened as I couldn't find anything I liked (and that fit me!) ... By this point Cream is on the phone asking us where we are and as the afternoon drags on I realise I'm not going to find anything. Bugger me for being so nice and giving that suit to Vertigo!
Vertigo promises not to buy any more suits as she now has three but still decided to try on another two for good measure. As she heads towards the cashtill I try to remind her but the eavesdropping shopowner dashes over before I can persuade her otherwise. Despite his previous good hearing he can't seem to hear us properly when we ask for a couple of quid off. It's late by now and having lost the will to live I call it quits.
Got a call from Vertigo today, who has decided that she don't like the minty number now, and offers to sell it to me ... "I suppose I get it at a discounted rate seeing as we are family and you've tried it on twice already!"
"No sorry" she replies "fixed price."
Thursday, April 12, 2007
What are you doing tomorrow?
It's Friday 13th tomorrow ... you know the day when axe murderers rise from the depths and set upon teenagers, usually those engaging in sinful nocturnal activities.
I asked around at work to see who was superstitious and someone replied ... "Friday 13th ... every bloody day here is Friday 13th!!"
I asked around at work to see who was superstitious and someone replied ... "Friday 13th ... every bloody day here is Friday 13th!!"
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Rub it in! Or you'll get the hose again.
Mentioned the Al-Jazeera report to Dad tonight and he started reminiscing.
Apparently the local "MI5" building was very close to his home in Lahore. This was where carefully selected citizens assisted the Police with their enquiries. He said these lucky buggers were usually treated to a couple of nights free accomodation as well ... in an old empty well in the basement of the building (Silence of the Lambs style). Usually strung up from their ankles. Strangely enough, most people turned down the offer to "sleep on it" and were most forthcoming with any information that they had.
I did ask Dad how he knew of this and whether he had experienced it first hand but he just smiled and winked ...
Apparently the local "MI5" building was very close to his home in Lahore. This was where carefully selected citizens assisted the Police with their enquiries. He said these lucky buggers were usually treated to a couple of nights free accomodation as well ... in an old empty well in the basement of the building (Silence of the Lambs style). Usually strung up from their ankles. Strangely enough, most people turned down the offer to "sleep on it" and were most forthcoming with any information that they had.
I did ask Dad how he knew of this and whether he had experienced it first hand but he just smiled and winked ...
Monday, April 09, 2007
You're free .. four years later
I couldn't let this pass without a mention ... (Sorry Reg!)
It is the fourth anniversary of the symbolic toppling of the Saddam statue, the emancipation of the people in Baghdad, the arrival of democracy and freedom ... what wonderful celebrations are being held to commemorate this joyous day??!!
A curfew .... Now that's progress!!
It is the fourth anniversary of the symbolic toppling of the Saddam statue, the emancipation of the people in Baghdad, the arrival of democracy and freedom ... what wonderful celebrations are being held to commemorate this joyous day??!!
A curfew .... Now that's progress!!
The effects of watching too much TV?
Did anyone read the story of captured soldiers in the papers today ... Faye feared she was going to be raped and killed. This was based on the fact that when they realised they had a female prisoner one of the captors started shouting "woman, woman", she was asked to strip out of her military clothes and she heard sawing and hammering outside her cell and a woman came in to take her measurements. Do you really think that the mere sight of an uncovered female is going to send the Iranian men into a sexual frenzy? And come on measuring you for a coffin!! Let's be honest if they were going to torture, rape and murder you do you think they would have bothered to measure you for a coffin!! Another youngster, Arthur, said they tortured him by likenening him to Mr Bean and flicking at his neck!
The only thing that tortured them was their own vivid imagination. We do all watch too much TV ... lets think about it ... in TV land what's more likely to happen to you .. you are captured, tortured, raped, humiliated and murdered or that they are going to ask you a couple of questions, realise that you are just a bunch of young kids and then give you a new suit and send you home with a goodie bag!
But depending on what you watch sometimes TV can prepare you for reality too. Cream and I were watching a report on Al-Jazeera today about the Police in Mumbai ... they arrested three suspected kidnappers and took them back to the Police Station for interrogation. Now I know what was going to happen next ... I've seen plenty of Asian movies! Cream however stood in shock as he witnessed a couple of officers beating the guys with a leather strap and then poking at them with a cattle prod while they cowered in a corner begging for mercy. When the reporter asks whether this is a little harsh, the inspector shakes his head unconcerned and replies ... "No, we're just frightening them a bit."
"What the hell is that about" Cream says ... "That" I say " is an interrogation. Were you expecting a glaring competition across a table until the suspect broke and told the truth, CSI, NCIS, Law & Order, Cold Case style?" (I know I watch too many of these!) This is what is involved when you go down to help the Police with their inquiries in Asia which is why I know that our UK soldiers had it lucky if the worse that happened to them was being called Mr Bean and not getting his i-pod back!
The only thing that tortured them was their own vivid imagination. We do all watch too much TV ... lets think about it ... in TV land what's more likely to happen to you .. you are captured, tortured, raped, humiliated and murdered or that they are going to ask you a couple of questions, realise that you are just a bunch of young kids and then give you a new suit and send you home with a goodie bag!
But depending on what you watch sometimes TV can prepare you for reality too. Cream and I were watching a report on Al-Jazeera today about the Police in Mumbai ... they arrested three suspected kidnappers and took them back to the Police Station for interrogation. Now I know what was going to happen next ... I've seen plenty of Asian movies! Cream however stood in shock as he witnessed a couple of officers beating the guys with a leather strap and then poking at them with a cattle prod while they cowered in a corner begging for mercy. When the reporter asks whether this is a little harsh, the inspector shakes his head unconcerned and replies ... "No, we're just frightening them a bit."
"What the hell is that about" Cream says ... "That" I say " is an interrogation. Were you expecting a glaring competition across a table until the suspect broke and told the truth, CSI, NCIS, Law & Order, Cold Case style?" (I know I watch too many of these!) This is what is involved when you go down to help the Police with their inquiries in Asia which is why I know that our UK soldiers had it lucky if the worse that happened to them was being called Mr Bean and not getting his i-pod back!
Do you come here often?
You meet the strangest people on the net nowadays ... I ran into a nice enough looking girl called Caroline .. we talked for a while, she told me about her friend Russell ... she went on about him for ages .. (issues there) and told me she liked Star Trek. Then she told me she was wearing nothing and that was her favourite thing to wear!! I don't want to know these things ... I just wanted the phone number for Creams driving instructor!!
These SitePals are awesome ... if you didn't have to pay for one I'd have one set up right now!! If you want to check Caroline out, you can find her on www.abs-som.co.uk or if you have money to waste you can hire out one of her friends for a reasonable price at www.sitepal.com. Cool!
These SitePals are awesome ... if you didn't have to pay for one I'd have one set up right now!! If you want to check Caroline out, you can find her on www.abs-som.co.uk or if you have money to waste you can hire out one of her friends for a reasonable price at www.sitepal.com. Cool!
Sunday, April 08, 2007
When real life reflects art?
I was watching CSI New York (Sweet 16 episode) last night ... to be honest I prefer Vegas and Miami but they weren't on ... and I was struck by the similarity with a real life situation. I know they often base their episodes on real cases but this was spooky. A man is found dead and the cause of death was only discovered during the post-mortem when the doctor with the funky magnetic glasses tells us it was manual strangulation. Apparently someone can be strangled with something so soft that it does not leave any exterior bruising. Does this ring any bells???
Anyhow it turns out that this guy was murdered by his wife who flipped and used her hair extensions to strangle him!! I happen to have very long hair at the moment .. the real stuff not extensions and I must admit I was thinking about the chopping it off ... it's getting to the unmanagable point when it gets past your bum! Things like sitting on your hair, getting it stuck in the car door, being able to strangle your husband with it, etc is just too annoying. I was going to treat myself to a make-over on my impending birthday (on the 22nd Goliath in case you had forgotton!) but am now concerned that it may be seen as an admission of guilt.
Anyhow it turns out that this guy was murdered by his wife who flipped and used her hair extensions to strangle him!! I happen to have very long hair at the moment .. the real stuff not extensions and I must admit I was thinking about the chopping it off ... it's getting to the unmanagable point when it gets past your bum! Things like sitting on your hair, getting it stuck in the car door, being able to strangle your husband with it, etc is just too annoying. I was going to treat myself to a make-over on my impending birthday (on the 22nd Goliath in case you had forgotton!) but am now concerned that it may be seen as an admission of guilt.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Am I the only sane one?
Several annoying things that I have read today and have to comment on:
One. Please stop whining ... Yeah, so you were blindfolded wherever you went and separated from your mates ... this wasn't holiday camp, this is a war .. of course they blindfolded you ... of course they separated you, interrogated you and used mind games ... see it all the time on law and order don't you ... what did you expect!! You're soldiers!! You would have done the same or worse if it was the other way round!
Consider yourselves lucky you weren't captured by the more civilised Americans ... you would have been shackled, kept in cages, subjected to sensory deprivation, deprived of sleep and god only knows what else ... the truth only coming out years later when someone gets hold of a soldier's mobile phone.
To be fair to the UK soldiers .. I don't think they were whining so much as the media was trying to persuade us that their portrayal of Iran is still accurate. I was amused to hear that Sky had actually suppressed footage that they had confirming that part of the soldiers mission was to obtain intelligence information on Iran, for fear that it may have repercussions on the men whilst in Iran ... so there was some truth to Iran's complaints then??
Two. Suicide cricketers - apparently PJ Mir is concerned that religious extremism played a part in the Pakistani cricket team loss ... "It was beyond the limit, this religious influence, and the players were even made to offer prayers during the flights" he is quoted as saying. Well some will say .. perhaps they should have prayed a bit harder, they might have won! After the reported murder of Bob Woolmer I bet several of them were praying hard on the flight back just in case they were next on the list!
Three. Whilst the UK grieves for the soldiers killed in Iraq and the teenagers killing each other in London and the life and death matter of whose parking space it is .. here are some news items which didn't make the UK front pages:
Somalia - more than 1,000 people were reportedly killed or injured in four days of fighting recently.
Pakistan - about 40 people have been killed and more than 70 injured in violent clashes between Sunni and Shia Muslims in northern Pakistan.
Sri Lanka - seven people have been killed and 26 injured after a roadside mine hit a civilian bus.
Palestine - Israeli forces have killed a Palestinian fighter and wounded two in what is believed to be the fiercest exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters since a ceasefire agreed in November. Helicopters, reportedly, fired at least two missiles at Palestinians near the Jabalya refugee camp.
Just another normal day for the rest of the world.
One. Please stop whining ... Yeah, so you were blindfolded wherever you went and separated from your mates ... this wasn't holiday camp, this is a war .. of course they blindfolded you ... of course they separated you, interrogated you and used mind games ... see it all the time on law and order don't you ... what did you expect!! You're soldiers!! You would have done the same or worse if it was the other way round!
Consider yourselves lucky you weren't captured by the more civilised Americans ... you would have been shackled, kept in cages, subjected to sensory deprivation, deprived of sleep and god only knows what else ... the truth only coming out years later when someone gets hold of a soldier's mobile phone.
To be fair to the UK soldiers .. I don't think they were whining so much as the media was trying to persuade us that their portrayal of Iran is still accurate. I was amused to hear that Sky had actually suppressed footage that they had confirming that part of the soldiers mission was to obtain intelligence information on Iran, for fear that it may have repercussions on the men whilst in Iran ... so there was some truth to Iran's complaints then??
Two. Suicide cricketers - apparently PJ Mir is concerned that religious extremism played a part in the Pakistani cricket team loss ... "It was beyond the limit, this religious influence, and the players were even made to offer prayers during the flights" he is quoted as saying. Well some will say .. perhaps they should have prayed a bit harder, they might have won! After the reported murder of Bob Woolmer I bet several of them were praying hard on the flight back just in case they were next on the list!
Three. Whilst the UK grieves for the soldiers killed in Iraq and the teenagers killing each other in London and the life and death matter of whose parking space it is .. here are some news items which didn't make the UK front pages:
Somalia - more than 1,000 people were reportedly killed or injured in four days of fighting recently.
Pakistan - about 40 people have been killed and more than 70 injured in violent clashes between Sunni and Shia Muslims in northern Pakistan.
Sri Lanka - seven people have been killed and 26 injured after a roadside mine hit a civilian bus.
Palestine - Israeli forces have killed a Palestinian fighter and wounded two in what is believed to be the fiercest exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters since a ceasefire agreed in November. Helicopters, reportedly, fired at least two missiles at Palestinians near the Jabalya refugee camp.
Just another normal day for the rest of the world.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Iranian hospitality
I must admit to being quite impressed with the Iranians hospitality ... I know the media were reporting it as the Iranian crisis ... but having seen various pictures of the "poor hostages", eating, smoking, laughing, grinning and even winking at the camera, I failed to be concerned for their welfare to be honest.
I was even impressed by the manner in which they had been clothed ... pictures of them in their military uniforms, were soon replaced by tracksuits (more like shellsuits!) and then finally when their release was dramatically announced ... they all sat round tables, suited and booted looking for all intents and purposes like the national football team waiting for their team portrait photo to be taken. I did feel a little sorry for Faye who they obviously couldn't find a suit for and who was dressed in a denim shirt and a pair of jeans, but hell at least they didn't have her in a full veil with just her eyeballs showing!
As I watched them shaking hands with the Iranian president, I couldn't but help to compare them to other hostages taken prisoner around the world. Do you think Bush will decide to take the Guantanamo Bay prisoners down to Suits You to swap their orange boiler suits for something a little more stylish?
I was even impressed by the manner in which they had been clothed ... pictures of them in their military uniforms, were soon replaced by tracksuits (more like shellsuits!) and then finally when their release was dramatically announced ... they all sat round tables, suited and booted looking for all intents and purposes like the national football team waiting for their team portrait photo to be taken. I did feel a little sorry for Faye who they obviously couldn't find a suit for and who was dressed in a denim shirt and a pair of jeans, but hell at least they didn't have her in a full veil with just her eyeballs showing!
As I watched them shaking hands with the Iranian president, I couldn't but help to compare them to other hostages taken prisoner around the world. Do you think Bush will decide to take the Guantanamo Bay prisoners down to Suits You to swap their orange boiler suits for something a little more stylish?
Sunday, April 01, 2007
April Fools?
Did you miss me ... haven't blogged for a couple of days ... was planning a huge April Fools stunt ... then realised that I couldn't actually be bothered. Last time I remember playing an April Fools was in Primary School ... we told one of the teachers that someone had fallen into the commercial bin and couldn't get out ... how we laughed during detention afterwards ... only kidding! About the detention bit ... Anyhow kept an eye out on the TV for any pranks .. didn't notice any spagetti trees but in today's crazy world you never can tell.
Was waiting to hear the Iranians say .. "Here .. you can have your 15 sailors back; we hadn't kidnapped them .. they were just hiding round our place ... Only kidding ... hehehehe ... You British ... always harping on about GPS and co-ordinates. It was just a joke ... you always take things too seriously .. running to the UN! Saddam Hussein WMD was an April Fools joke too ... you guys fell for that one hook, line and sinker ... Geez!" But it never happened.
Did find an amazing 3D website on the theories behind building the pyramids. Blew my mind. Really cool site .. check it out ... No serious ... it is ... promise ...
Was waiting to hear the Iranians say .. "Here .. you can have your 15 sailors back; we hadn't kidnapped them .. they were just hiding round our place ... Only kidding ... hehehehe ... You British ... always harping on about GPS and co-ordinates. It was just a joke ... you always take things too seriously .. running to the UN! Saddam Hussein WMD was an April Fools joke too ... you guys fell for that one hook, line and sinker ... Geez!" But it never happened.
Did find an amazing 3D website on the theories behind building the pyramids. Blew my mind. Really cool site .. check it out ... No serious ... it is ... promise ...
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