obGovernment
mar 4

Paulo, quoting me:
>movement of people. If there's a loophole, go for it. Expose an appropriate
>number of fingers at the ratings-obsessed intellectual proletariat that governs.
Proletariat? That seems a quite unfair accusation,
Not proletariat in the Marxist definition. Intellectual proletariat. Clever people pretending to be unintelligent in order to win votes and popularity.

I may not be impressed with The Party's leaders, but Messers Straw, Blair, Brown, Mrs Short, Ms Harman et al do have good brains. It's a crying shame that they don't actually use them.

considering how bravely has Mr. Straw fought for the freedom of the Latin American anticommunist hero that was under arrest these last months in England. Would a "real" leftist/proletariat have gone to such extremes to free such an admirable figure from the International Socialist Conspiracy?
Though this isn't really relevant to the issue at hand, Straw took no steps to free Pinochet until it became a clearly humanitarian issue. I don't know what the publicity in Spain has been, but Straw's been (at best) neutral, (at worst) actively trying to break due practice for political ends.

We've really been unfair to you, Tony.
Unfair to Saint Tony? Shome mishtake shurely (:

men in skirts
mar 10

Mark Thanks to Sara and Iain, my dress sense has come up for the occasional comment on the list... all I can say is, yes, it's true
Mark, I said don't let me think about it. It's not an image I want to think about. Still, if you must...

there is photographic evidence of moi in a rather fetching (?) red mini-skirt, white blouse, and red high-heels.
Ah, not patent red leather boots. Shame. They'd suit a lot better. And a cream blouse, dahlink, not white. Am I turning into Dale Winton all of a sudden? Can I pull ten balls out of five drums without the whole thing turning into a total disaster area? I can? Phew. Thank goodness for that.

no, this isn't open for any speculative debate regarding this particular lapse in male garmentage!
Erm, yeah, whatever.

Suffice to say that said picture will remain in its hiding place - sorry Shobi, no exceptions! :)
You mean, down the side of the bookcase in the hall? Knew there was a good reason for me to be up and about before anyone else in the house (:O

television
mar 11

With the week's television supplement in hand, here's some things that might be ON topic or vaguely interesting...

Trouble (across weekend) My So-Called Life - Episode 2, "Dancing In the Dark". The figurine has to go.

(5) Sat 1625 Zoe Duncan Jack & Jane - The gang get their belly buttons pierced. Yum.
1655 The Tribe - Ebony has a rant in Lex's direction, but does he give a monkey's? Patsy goes for the most costume changes in one show record, and KC is annoying.

[4] Sun 1030 Planet Pop - One million viewers for Lauren Laverne. Now go out and buy her record.
1245 Dawson's Creek - New series of the show that's named after a supposedly sympathetic character who everyone hates. See also: Timmy Mallett's Wacaday.

(5) Mon 1530 Get Smart, Again! - Maxwell Smart comes out of retirement to take on KAOS once more.
[4] 1800 Friends - "Smelly Cat" becomes a pop video. Check the director's credit.
2200 The Crucible - Day Lewis, Ryder in a Film Fore premier.

Tuesday: Where's the video?

TWO Wed 1800 TOTP2 - Nirvana, Toni Braxton, Curtis Mayfield and (er) Kylie Minouge.
ONE 0030 (not Wales) The People Under the Stairs - Look out for AJ Langer.

TWO Thu 1845 (Friday Scotland) Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 2 finally comes out of spoilers with the grand finale. Will Angel be worthy, or will Spike throttle him with frustration? Repeat 2320 Friday

(5) Fri 1900 WCW Worldwide; 2000 Xena Warrior Princess - Quick, what's the difference?
ONE 2130 Parkinson - Kenneth Branagh, Bob Monkhouse, old host.
itv 2230 Friday Night's All Wright - Geri Halibut, Alicia Silverstone, idiot host.

All shows subject to change, check teletext and on-screen guides for full details. Satisfaction not guaranteed.

boy bands
mar 12

Richard (hello) wasted no time on the fence.
N'sync sucks. They are a factory produced, endorsment having bunch of wusses who have no idea what music as art actually is.
One wonders... based on which?

They don't write all their own songs? Neither did Elvis. Neither did the Beatles.

They employ a choreographer to look after their stage shows? It shows that they care about their stage persona.

They have different interpretations of their art to the Velvet Underground (say)? It's a difference, not a fault.

Kudos to all N'suck haters
Hate will get you nowhere. Nothing will come out of hatred. I'm sounding like Tai-San. Aaargh!

Rachel, say something:
They aren't my fav band, but I do think they have talent, and I don't think that they should be counted out from any music scene just because they are a "boy band."
Indeed. Hanson is a band made up of boys (in the young male sense), but do not confuse them with a boy band (as in all-singin' all-dancin' chaps following on the heels of the Rollers, Bros, Take That...)

Sara
I admit I like nsync..but then I like all those boy bands, and they're all pretty much the same *smiles* oh well :)
No they're not. (Except they are. Oh good.)

nascar and f1
mar 13

Eric kinda spoils my fun
I think Dick Trickle retired - he was a bit of a fan favorite, although he never won anything.
Aw, that's a shame. Always listened out for his placings when there's NASCAR races on the AFN.

He was one of those guys who races every race, but never has any money to get a good car, so is never in the running. As the euros might say, a perpetual back marker.
Oh, the NASCAR equivalent of Jean Alesi (one win since his '89 debut) or Damon Hill '97 (the engine blowing on the formation lap before the first race was the highlight of the season:)

I really feel a bit sorry for the poor guy, because he was on the curcuit for many years, had the respect of his fellow competitors, but never managed to come out on top.
But he made a name for himself, so much so that people across the world know about what a star Dick Trickle is. His fame will linger far longer than many of the other people he raced with, like Bobby Wotsisname and Chuck Thingummy.

current favorite nascar name is 'Buckshot Jones' Buckshot is an overly aggresive driver who pisses off his fellows by driving too hard and causing wrecks. I predict he will not last too many more years in the sport.
Either that or one of the elder statesmen of the sport will come to him in a blinding rage after the race, punch his lights out, and it'll make Buck buck his ideas up. Which, more or less, is what happened to F1's Eddie Irvine.

Judy, on rollerblading
Have you ever even tried it?
Yes, and I think I still have the bruises to prove it.

Ooh, I would have loved to see that! ;)
Replays are on Paramount Comedy every night, I hear.

We would have been downtown in Brighton in no minute! ;)
Murray Walker takes up commentary:

"Just look at that! Mark and Paulo, left standing at the bus stop, held up by the red lights. And there goes Judy! Neeyowm. Coming into the coffee pits, stops at the counter for tyres and fuel.
[Don't you mean doughnuts and coffee?, asks Martin Brundle.]
A great pit stop for the Austrian. And there goes Weaver, down the hill, down past the pier. And if I'm not very much mistaken, he's going to run out of pier before he runs out of speed.
[large splash]
And I'm not very much mistaken!
[Looks like he tried to take the corner just too fast, Murray]
Indeed. And he's ended up really, soaking, dripping wet. It's the wettest performance I've seen since Nigel Mansell retired.

Murray Walker continues to talk at 94 words per second.

rule it out
mar 15

An AOHellster Writes...
I would'nt rule it out.
Taking my cue from strange emails sent to The Theakston Report, we brought up the line to Steve Stone. Steve presents the early breakfast show for Radio WM in Birmingham...

Steve, would you rule it out?
"I might, I might not. It all depends on how things turn out."
And at the present time, what would your opinion be, vis a vis the eventual ruling?
"Right now? On what I've seen, more likely out than in. But that could all change. It wouldn't be fair to predict, to pre-empt the evidence we'll see."
What would make things change? What, specifically, would there have to be to rule it in?
"Clear guidance. My motto is, when in doubt, rule it out."

Get me! I just reported.

office politics
mar 18

Paulo
manager nš 1 called me into his office, and confided me, more or less, that:
1) The people of the other ISP are stealing all our projects and ideas (though he wasn't able to give me a specific example of something that was supposed to be secret and has been leaked).
Hypothesis: Manager #1 is distrustful about his own position in the company, and seeks reasons to remove manager #2. Even though that would offend Mr Megabucks.

2) That the other manager doesn't listen to him anymore.
3) That the other manager and the Big Boss' daughter are too talkative in their relations with the Other ISP.
4) That it seems as if everybody was out to get him.
Power struggles at the top are ugly. One almost paralysed decision making at my previous employer for three months, and ended up with the #2 spending more time with his golf clubs. And losing his firm friendship with the MD. (A chap called Iain Barker - look for him in Sunday's "Blimey, That's Rich" list.)

And after all of this, he asked me to "keep an eye" on office matters, just in case there were more leaks.
If there's clear evidence of there being leaks, one's probably contractually obliged to make some noise. Some clause about ensuring the company's good name, or something.

Beyond that, it's the employee's call, IMO.

I understood that he was talking mostly about social interactions of the "who's talking to whom", "who entered which office", "who looked which papers that just happened to be on the table" kind.
Who's got the highest levels of paranoia? This sounds like something out of "Dilbert".

What else? Oh yes, tomorrow I have a job interview. A headhunter called yesterday asking for me (even giving a fake name to the receptionist!),
Hasn't she been primed not to connect Mr Mouse, Mr Duck, or Ms Kissanug yet? (That's Michael, Donald and Amanda, respectively.)

and asked whether I was the "Systems Director" at our ISP ("Systems Director", me?????? Bwhahahahahahaa!!!!!)
Don't laugh, all they want is someone that can tell a NIC from a motherboard. Knowing about network architecture, general security issues and good and bad uses of mail systems is a good sign.

(Security: a standalone NT machine shuts and bolts the stable door, networked NT machines put the door on the catch, W9x doesn't know where the stable is.)

they were interested in me as a manager for the technical area. When I asked for details about the position, she said that I'd (hypothetically) have "the system administrator, tech support staff and pre-sales staff" under my charge,
Sysadmin: one of him, probably a B-grade geek. Tech support staff: half a dozen people, most of whom want to be home watching "Friends", the rest want to be sysadmin. (There might be one who wants to do both, but I can't be everywhere.) Pre-sales staff: shouldn't they be with marketing?

qualified to manage an ISP????? Me, qualified to manage *anything*???
Don't laugh so. Given the high quality of some of the IT managers I've met, Paulo would do a far better job than many of them. He's not motivated only by money, cars and pulling girls, so ranks above loads already.

I accepted to go to the interview mostly for curiosity, since I don't believe that I have the slightest chance to be picked for the position, and I don't really want more responsability...
You can turn them down. Or use this with Manager #1 as leverage for a better position.

(me wearing a tie, a pager and a cell phone????? Nooooooooo!!!!!!!).
He's right. Pagers are so 1980s.

go vince
mar 18

Ariel
Oh, chocolate hobnobs.... i am still left wondering what they taste like.
Come to Britain and we shall show you. Unless I get back to Toronto first, and that's probably not going to be for a couple of years.

my friend and i liked those chocolate biscuits very much :) wow, it's been a year already?
It has. What a ten days that was...

Cory, the Toronto NBA team is the Raptors.
Go Raptors! Go Raptors!
[ahum]

I am going to see my first basketball game tomorrow night!
Get this: Ariel lives in the city, has lived there since the team arrived five years ago, and now gets to see the team. I land on the Monday, buy a ticket on Tuesday morning, see the game Tuesday evening, about 31 hours later. Don't think I'll be able to pick up a $10 game day ticket next time, though ):

it's Raptors against the Magic.
One of these sides rocks. The other is from Florida.

I can't wait to see the amazing Vince Carter!!
It is a sight for sore eyes. Even when he's not playing in front of NBC cameras, Vince is a superlative player. And he's ours. All ours. Go, go, down, down, ours ours!

the mscl soundtrack
mar 19

Jenna of Arc
This brings up a curiosity of mine: who among us owns a copy of the MSCL CD and what are your opinions of it by individual track or as a whole? As a whole, it's not the greatest CD I've got. It doesn't quite rate in the Top 26 that live right next to my hi-fi, where one will find the soundtracks to Party of Five and Romeo + Juliet. As for the tracks themselves...

Juliana Hatfield and Frente!'s contributions are amazingly wonderful, and would grace any album.

Madder Rose, the Archers of Loaf and Daniel Johnston contribute great tracks that aren't quite top-notch, but stand well. They also form the backbone of the feel of the CD, something that Sonic Youth and Further just don't quite fit into.

Buffalo Tom will probably be associated forever with that scene. This is not the song, and that's one of the major problems I have with the CD.

The Afghan Whigs and Lemonheads strike me as disposable pieces, great slices of three minute pop, but nothing that sticks in the mind.

Snuffy's theme is almost obligatory, yet somehow out of kilter with the ending of the album.

Overall, the CD is as much a time capsule of US college rock circa 1993 as it is an honest soundtrack of MSCL. Only two of the songs that form major plot points are included, while prominence is given to minor background noises.

zee and zed
mar 21

Jamie
'The Muffin' was controversial social comment on the cultural differences between the British and the North Americans, and in a flash of collaborative genius between my Uncle and I, coupled with some intense research, we concluded that it all boiled down to the fact that Americans spread butter on their muffins, and the British don't. No, no, and no again. It's all to do with the way they pronounce the letter "z". You see what I said? The US uses "zee", they see, they be, they have glee - and fleas. They eat brie in a spree, say "si" to the ski prix, take to sea in a pea while they plea to flee from the key held by Leigh.

Brits and Canyucks and people who say "zed" spend lots of time in bed. They're bred to eat bread without dread, and led lead threads that were read and red before being shed. They wed on a sled, riding in their stead, and eat at a spread by Ted and Fred Head.

bad puns
mar 23

Paulo
(Get the pun? "Waves to Mr. Weaver!!!!" Hahahahaha!!! I'm sooo funny!!!! [Looks around]).
Erm, sorry. I should think so. Even the laughter track didn't think that was funny.
[/clifford]

Which reminds me that German media giants EM.TV bought up the Jim Henson Company the other week, and have now taken a 50% share in the company that runs Formula 1 motor racing. Will the cars now be powered by fuels made by Dr Bunsen Honeydew? Or driven with the skill and judgement of Animal? Or the post-race press conferences handled with the diplomacy of Miss Piggy? (No, Damon Hill's retired now - on the wheel Ed)

She sat there
Not quite under a table
With her head just popping in and out of view.

She sat there
Fine, dark hair pulled tightly back
With a single strand snaking lazily back from her high forehead.

She sat there
Looking down at her book
Rubbing her hands lazily down her bare thighs.

She sat there
Out of your eye contact
In range of your voice, had you wanted to speak.

You wanted to sit there
Lift her chin with your finger
Gaze longingly into her deep brown eyes and lose yourself in them.

You wanted to find out
What lay beneath her lime shirt and sensible shoes
Behind her veneer of innocence.

Does there lie someone who will snuggle into you?
Will she hold your hand in the sunny fields?
Will she always remain in view, out of reach?

You sat there
And wondered
And wondered.

Rubbish poetry (C) 2000.

obBeckham
mar 26

Take a look at David Beckham, when there little (girl?) was sick.
For those who don't follow events on Planet Spice as closely as Sara clearly does [giggle] here's a recap. David Beckham (footballer, midfield, Manchester United and England) and wife Victoria Aadams (Spice Girl, annoying oik, Posh and Dumb) had a child, Brooklyn (baby, male, named after place of conception.) Last month, Brooklyn got sick, and David skipped training for a day, straight before a crucial match against Leeds. He didn't ring into MUN-HQ, manager Sir Alex Ferguson got really annoyed and dropped Becks from the match. MUN won 1-0.

The lesson Sara's making, I think, is that this wouldn't have happened had Beckham been playing for MUN Ladies. I suggest that it wouldn't have happened had he called the club and explained the situation. Ferguson is a hard taskmaster, but he's known as fair.

beliefs 1
mar 27

Sara
why can't people accept other people's beliefs? we were getting along fine until I told her that I was learning about Wicca.... she jsut won't listen to me..she thinks I'm from the devil now or something..I don't even believe in the devil!!! anyway...
Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Where's Matt when we need a bit of common sense in the morning? Calling London, come in London, your votes please... And where's Priestess Cory? Come in Arizona... Oh, I'll just have to do it myself. As ever, all opinions expressed are my own and directed at Sara's Correspondent.

You say you don't believe in the devil but by NOT believing in God you are "working for the devil".
Correspondent has failed to acknowledge the possibility that her views are different from someone else's. Correspondent suggests that her conception of a deity is superior to all other conceptions. Correspondent is liable to point to #1 in Gd's Top Ten, but that's only concerned with other deities, not different conceptions of the same one.

The devil tries to get people to believe in ANYTHING other than God. The devil doesn't care who you believe in just as long as it's not God.
The Devil is exclusively predicated on a Christian viewpoint. By declining the unique Messianic status of Mr Christ, the Devil is automatically declined.

Pagans SCARE me very much. I don't see how anyone can be so self-centered to think that they can be God like. It's such a joke.
Correspondent clearly has no concept of the fundamental tenets of pagans. Correspondent does not wish to have such concepts, as they might challenge her weak belief system.

Jesus died on the cross for you
That is a point of view. Nothing more, nothing less.

You either chose to be for God or against God. And by not believing in God you ARE against him whether you know it or not.
Correspondent clearly follows the concept of a vengeful deity, the exact antithesis of the books of Moses.

There is only two choices whether you like it or not.
Correspondent's grasp of basic grammar is also flaky.

[The devil] is the ruler of the world until Jesus comes again.
And the evidence to back this up is..?

It all makes perfect sense to me. [..] You will never understand because it is not meant for you to.
Maybe Sara won't understand because Correspondent is making no attempt to explain her position, merely offer abuse and platitudinous guff.

It's better if we do not communicate because nothing good can ever come out of this.
Correspondent is sticking her fingers in her ears and going "La la la la la. I can't hear yoo-ooou!"

I have tried and now must shake the dust from my feet and move on.
Correspondent is so weak in her faith that she cannot offer any counter-arguments, and does not wish to be challenged further.

Jenna's words of wisdom
I don't believe that many a sincerely devoted Christian have been won over to the side of God by a lecture conveyed in such harsh and unwelcoming tones. It would seem that the best way to give God a good image would be to be honest about the fact that you follow Him and to be kind and forgiving to those you encounter. And to pray quietly.
For what does the Good Book say but "Speak softly and consistently, lest thy oxen become scared by the change." (Aquinus 12:6)

If only more people would realize this, then religion might not be quite the frightening and unaproachable topic that it is today.
If only certain groups figured that selling their message door to door does not work...

Maybe teachers have a hidden life.
Where they're actually...like, human.
Where they have, I don't know, dignity.
An apposite quote, as ever (:

Jamie
that's what bothers me the most about Christianity, it's always had a tendency to be exclusive and blind in this respect. In my experience I've found that it can come up rather short when challenged.
Ah, but look at the central tenets of the faith:
1) That the Christian God exists
2) That said God turned himself into a human
3) That said human was killed and rose again
4) That said resurrection is symbolic of God's power
5) That said power will be used in a vengeful way against non-believers.

This relies on a lot of faith constructs, building on thin air.

You're not wrong to have questions/doubts, I'm sorry that no-one seems to be helping. Maybe you're asking the wrong people.
Maybe the initiates of a certain religion are exactly the wrong people to ask about that religion. Like Angela and Sharon in "Pressure".

if the Bible was really His word, He would be very displeased at how it has been taken/used. That's actually one of the main reasons I believe He doesn't exist.
So, denying premise 1) based on an objection to premise 5)? OK, fair cop, this is religion and I don't have the right answer in front of me. Ever.

and I ran
mar 28

I'm fully aware that the US and UK governments routinely intercept emails, under no lawful authority, and scan them for certain buzzwords. I'm sure than Iran would be such a word, and hence that some military intelligence person would have to read and decode my thoughts on the US policy towards Iran. And if someone in a bunker somewhere is reading my thoughts, they're available for the outgoing US President William J. Clintern to read. So, Bill, now I've got your attention...

It's not working. You're trying to make Iran into an international pariah, and refusing to acknowledge the reforms that have taken place, and the further reforms that loom in the near future. If you don't change your policy soon, Iran will end up having normal relations with the rest of the world, and your policy will become a complete laughing stock. You'll look as silly as you do over Cuba, and that's provoked trade wars and ill-feeling amongst your closest allies. Bill, grow up and stop acting like a schoolboy who has just kicked his ball into the teeth of Mr Carmichael's dog. It's not big, it's not clever, and it's not working.

beliefs 2
mar 31

Rachel, welcome back
>For what does the Good Book say but "Speak softly and consistently,
>lest thy oxen become scared by the change." (Aquinus 12:6)
I would agree with this. :) What good is it to yell at people? They only stop listening to you. :) Although I don't think that is a quote from the Bible, unless it is from maybe a Catholic bible or the Book of Morman (which isn't the Bible). (:
"Speak quietly and stay on message otherwise you'll frighten the cows"? It's from the Book of Moran, as preached by the Rev A.R.P. Blair, the Vicar of St Albion's. Or, to those outside the UK, a piss-take of the oh-so-saintly Tony Blair.

I guess that there has been research to show that after the flood (the Great Flood, ala Noah), the earth's gravity was something like twice or three times as heavy as before, and that the dinosaurs, being enourmous creatures, simply couldn't move afterwards and ended up dying.
I'd be very surprised at this, as that would imply that Planet Earth was four to nine times heavier then than it is now. Even if the Moon were part of the planet at the time, that still wouldn't account for the missing mass.

Sara
I DID ask her to not try and 'save my soul' as I didn't htink it needed saving (and that was heavily annoying, though I didn't say that..but I don't think thats quite the same....well, I don't *think* it is..maybe I'm wrong.
Flip this round. Wiccan Sara tries to save the soul of Christian Correspondent. (Let's leave aside the fact that that's a logical non-starter.) Would CC be pleased at this turn of events? No. So Sara's right to be annoyed and more at this happening to her.

On "Genesis"
its not meant to be true? weird...but then why does everyone go on about it and believe it? maybe I'm understanding you wrong?
Not really. Jewish sources suggest (and I may well be getting the wrong end of the stick) that Genesis up to the aftermath of Noah's Flood is more folk tale than historical record. It's all a creation myth that explains how the world is, much like Pandora's Box for the ancient Greeks. Angela
I'm always fascinated by the non-Christian world's depiction of Christianity in the media
Would this be the journals and publications that target those of other faiths, or the mass media's attempts to be secular and appeal across religious boundaries? The two are coming from vastly different view-points, and one might wish to remember that as well.

Brendan >original Hebrew version suggests the creation tale
>should be treated as a folk myth, not something to be believed
>literally.
May I inquire where this information is from. I was told this in religion (read Catholicism) class in school, but I've never been able to find a source for it.
It seems to be the received wisdom amongst Jewish scholars. Indeed, the consensus for mythical status seems (and I could be wrong) to stretch up to the aftermath of the flood. It gives a clean earth for the historical part to begin.

much of it was written by Paul, who never even met the man Jesus.
Ah, young Paul. Reminds me of Alistair Campbell. A great spin doctor, wonderful at putting a message over. But how much of his words are those of the original, and how much is added spin and interpretation?