International Food Swap

Last night I was invited by a Japanese girl I know (Mari) to a Japanese dinner party. I was also informed to bring some 'English' food. As I didn't have anything in that was really English I made mashed butternut squash with pepper, boiled potatoes and stir-fried chicken with Montreal chicken seasoning.The nationalities of the people there were: Mexican, Finnish, German, Chinese and Japanese. Everyone brought food of their country but the Japanese food was the most prolific because it was their kitchen. I ate everything with chopsticks and was praised for my skill at using them.

Winsbury Hill

Yesterday I decided to go on a walk. The temperature was 14c and it was a perfectly sunny day with no clouds. I left my room at 2:00pm and walked to the end of my campus over the sports field. Then I climbed a stile and went over into another field which had long, clumpy grass and was quite boggy. After that I went through a cow field where the cows watched me warily. I then went over another stile and found myself in a shady grove of trees with a brook trickling past (picture 1). I continued along another path which got increasing muddy as it was next to the brook. Eventually the path was so muddy it was impassible so I squeezed through a gap in a hedge and into a ploughed field. I saw 2 hills in the distance. Because I was now unrestrained by the direction of footpaths, I headed towards the hills in a straight line. As I got closer I realised that the hill which I thought was higher actually wasn't because it had tall trees on the summit. In fact the whole hill was a copse (which I later found out was a pheasant shoot). So I continued towards the other hill which was just grassy. At that point I looked backwards and could see that I was already high up. I could see the city of Bath tucked between the hills. (Picture 2) I also noticed that it was moonrise and the moon was clear against the blue sky. I continued. After scrambling over a gate and sloping through mud made by tractors I emerged into a very narrow country lane with grass growing in the middle. The road went paralell to the hill I was heading for but I decided to go left as I could see the road bend round soon towards the hill. Soon I came to a cottage made entirely out of old-fashioned stonework. I kept going up the road- realising it was taking me uphill and towards the hill. Soon I came to a metal farm gate. Beyond I could see a steep grassy slope going to the summit of the hill. But the gate had barbed-wire on it. After coming so far I wasnt going to give up but I noticed that the gate was only tied shut with twine. I untied the twine and started walking up the hill. It was boggy at the bottom and molehills were scattered around haphazardly. About halfway up I got a distinct feeling of vertigo. I was getting quite hill. My natural defence mechanisms were telling me to get down on my hands and knees- more balanced and lower. I stopped for a minute and took some photos. (Picture 3). Then I continued up the hill. I got to the top. The chilly wind whipped my hair and my face and hands started to go numb. But I could see for miles. From the direction I had climbed the hill I could see Bath. (Picture 4) To my right were rolling fields. Behind me it was surprisingly flat as far as the eye could see. But to my left I could see the sprawling city of Bristol (which is 8 miles from Bath). I could see the high-rise blocks and the cranes at the dock. Beyond that I could see the Severn Estuary. And beyond that I could see the hills and mountains of Wales- shrouded in haze. (Picture 5) I was up there for quite a long time. I recieved a call from Bath leisure centre while I was up there saying that I had been runner-up in their prize draw. Eventually I came back down the hill. I went a different yet quicker way home and got back to the campus just as it was getting dark.

I later found out that the hill is called Winsbury Hill and is 165 feet above sea level.

Bathonian Spelling

How many citizens in how many cities would correct the spelling of a film in the cinema?

Bath would- a city where Jane Austen lived for many years. Clearly the locals still feel an affinity towards their local hero.

Bikes, Buses and Bath

It was an intense day today for me (7/11/07). Here it is:



After getting up at 8:40am I got to my lecture at 9am. It was a practical- squishing up soil/mud samples that we had extracted from the ground the previous week. It was dirty work and I found it hard to concentrate with my sleepy brain. Also most people from our group didn't turn up so it was just 2 of us (me and a Japanese girl- Mari) and the other groups had about 5 members so our personal workload was higher.



Afterwards at 11am I walked back towards. I stopped off at Maris for a while whilst a discussion about sushi was held. I got home and had some lunch. When it got to 1:30pm I needed to leave for work. I didn't start work until 2:45pm but I knew from experience that the 418 bus is slow and unreliable. But then I thought they needn't be- I would cycle into town. Since getting my bike I have been getting used to it but now I felt that I was ready to go into town (4 miles). So I set out on my bike. Of course the 418 buses slowed me down even when I wasn't on them. While I was still on the campus 2 buses were trying to past each. 1 had to reverse and it got confusing and tight. There were 200m tailbacks behind both buses. Anyway I sailed down the hill and after I got past the 2 junctions it wasn't a bad bike ride; it was quite flat. On the way I realised that even though my work is reasonably close to the town centre it is at the top of a very steep hill. I decided I would leave my bike tied up in the town centre and get the number 2 bus (which is pretty OK) to work.



But disaster struck. Just as I got into town and was cycling past the river I felt something funny happen. Then there was a cluck onto the pavement. At the same time I had the sensation that was left foot was dangling. I stopped the bike and looked behind at the pavement. A pedal was laying 20ft behind me. Not just the pedal but the metal pole that connects the pedal to the chain wheel. I went back, picked it up and put it in my bag. I was alarmed but not worried at this juncture. I walked the bike into the town. Just as I walked past the bus stops before the train station the number 2 bus came round the corner. I ran with the bike. I had a vague idea were the bike racks were. I ran across the entrance to the carpark, ignoring hoots of protest from cars. Quick as a flash I tied up my bike. Then I rang back to the bus which was still waiting. Dripping with sweat after cycling 4 miles, walking fast with a bike for 10 minutes then doing a rapid 300m sprint I plonked myself down at the back of the bus after buying a student daily travelcard (and proving I was a student).



I got to work early as it transpired. I had fun with the children. What we basically did is all of us (3 adults and 13 children) went down to the woods with a camo net. I went off with 2 or 3 children, they would hide under the camo net and I would cover them with leaves, then I would hide nearby. It was great fun and the children enjoyed it to the point that we were all late getting back to the hall.



After speaking with parents I left the after-school club at 5:50pm. I waited for the 2 bus to come. A 2a came after a short while. I inquired if it went into the city centre. An ancient, slightly dotty, always chatty woman gave me a lengthy answer. The upshot of my understanding of it was though that it did go into the town centre but to a different stop than normal. So I got on it. I scanned the passing scenary throught the gathering gloam. It was unfamilar. I was desperatly trying to work out where I was was when I saw a sign: University of Bath. I was at the wrong university and 8 miles from my house. But I knew that the 418 ran between my university and this university via the town centre. I saw orange buses milling around so I got of the 2a and ran for the first bus. To my dismay I saw that it was only going to the town centre but I tried anyway. Its doors closed in front of my face. I repeatedly banged on the window. The driver was gesticulating at me to get the next bus in a rude manner. I gave him the 'ups yours' sign with my middle finger but I was wearing mittens so the effect was lost. But already my anger was starting to raise. I was hungry and tired. I got on the next bus. It sat around for ages until the seats were filled up. Another bus came behind it and it left- or did it. No. It swung round a roundabout behind the other bus. The other bus left for good and my bus sat there for an age. It steady filled up until it was like a sardine tin. People were getting irriatted at the lack of bus movement. Eventually it moved (some people cheered). Out of all 3 418 buses they were all going to the town centre and not to my campus. Which is fairly typical.



I eventually got into town and the bus glided past the train station. I had a mini-panic-attack. I had tied my bike up so quickly that I was unsure if I had done it properly. Also I didn't like the idea of it sitting around in a town centre for days and days and days. It would have got rusty and/or stolen perhaps. So I got of the 418 in the town centre. I walked back to my bike. It was fine- I had tied it correctly. But I still wanted to get it back to the bikesheds on campus. So I walked it to the bus stop for the 418. The 418 is a bendy bus which is bright orange and by default has lots of students on it. After 10 minutes the bus came. It was nearly empty (about 10 people on a bus that can hold 140 people). I wheeled my bike onto the bus and showed the driver my ticket. He looked disaproving and said "I don't want you to bring the bike on this bus". I explained to him in a calm yet strong manner that it is a public service, I have the correct ticket, it won't cause anybody any inconvenience (I put my bike in the wheelchair area) and my bike is broken so I can't cycle it home. He turned of the engine, came out of his cab and his rage was growing. But my defiance was growing faster. With 1 bus an hour and a 4 mile walk with a bike to look forward to I had nothing to lose and I assumed he would cave. He left the bus and spoke to his supervisor for ages. He eventually came back and again told me I would have to get off. He was a 30something Polish cur with a temper and a scowl. I kept arguing my point. I also casually pointed out that everyone would be home by now if he would just drive the bus. He rang the police. They turned up quite a while later. The policeman had a brief word with the driver. Then he came and spoke to me. I told him my situation and I even got an "I understand" before making eye contact with the bus driver and continuing his angry retort. He said at 1 point "if you don't get off this bus then you and your bike will end up in my van". I replied cheekily "oh great you could give me a lift home then and there would be no problem". But mine was a dying cause. The policeman got out his handcuffs, told me to put my hands out in front of me and said that if I didn't take my bike and myself of the bus I was under arrest. I glowered at him before leaving the bus. The bus sat there for several minutes before leaving. The whole incident was 45-50 minutes. I rang Robyn. Then I tried my friend Oliver who has a car and lives in Bath. No answer from his mobile. Then I rang my Nan because my mum lives with her and she might know Olivers landline number. My Nan suggested I goto the train station and ask to borrow a phonebook (she refused to dial directory enquiries because of the expense). I went to the station, tied my bike up again and asked at the ticket desk for a phonebook. The excellent customer service left me in shock after my recent experience as the man (Peter) got the phonebook for me in 10 seconds flat. To my luck I found Olivers landline number in it. I rang it and Oliver answered. I explained my situation and he was there in 10 minutes. I was quite a laugh actually trying to get my bike in his 1.2 Nova but we did it and, with my knees touching my chin, Oliver sped up away from the station........

You are on hold.............

"Our lines are currently busy at the moment. Please hold until an operator becomes available or alternatively please contact the customer support office on 0845 286 2839 where someone will be available to take your call. Please wait while I transfer you call. Thank you"

Apart from the the glaringly obvious grammatical error I was on hold for 58 minutes.

I fashioned a device:

Spider sighting!

It was late at night and the only light was the the glow of the laptop screen as I typed busily. Robyn sighed in her sleep nearby just as I finished a long email. I leaned back in my chair to relax. At that moment in my peripheral vision I saw something black on the wall. I raised my hand to brush it away but then realised to my horror that it was a huge spider.

Its leg span must have been 4 inches. I was jet black, with spindly, hairy legs and I could even see its jaws throbbing menacingly. I baulked and jumped a bit. Then, swiftly, I walked across the room and got the torch out of Robyn's wardrobe. I was determined to keep her blissfully ignorant of her worse domestic fear so I was quiet. I shone the torch on the spiders hugely grotesque form whilst I filmed/photographed it. But soon I realised that it would have to be evicted from the wall. My first worry was what to trap it with, Wine and beer glasses were simply not big enough. My second problem was the torch; it was dimming almost to nothing. Luckily it was a cranked kinetic flashlight so I wound it up. That awoke Robyn from her slumber.

"Don't move, there is a bloody great spider!" I barked at her. She froze. Then I had a brainwave for the entrapment- a Tupperware bowl. I ran to fetch the Tupperware bowl then came back into the room. I had lost the spiders location but I located it again with the flashlight. It was on the move and getting angry at me disturbing it. I needed a piece of paper- my UCAS letter would do.

Swiftly I clamped the bowl over the spider. It started thrashing and lurching; its futile escape millimeters from my fingers. As I slid the paper underneath the bowl its furious vibrations intensified. Finally the seal was complete. But I needed help. I instructed Robyn to unlock and then open the door. She willingly helped. She was still unaware of the sheer size of the arachnid in question. I got to the back door as quick as a flash I threw the bowl, the paper and the spider outside. Agonising seconds pasted but finally I plucked up the courage to investigate the bowl. It was gone. Its jet black body had scuttled into the blacker night............

Please sir- can I have some afters?

This is the best dessert I have ever had in a restuarant. Picture the scene- I was at the top of the space needle. Random creepy messages kept appearing due to the circular effect of the building. A man was preparing to propose. But then the dessert menu came. I wanted chocolate. I needed chocolate. Even though I was in North America I took a risk and ordered it. I wasn't quite prepared for what came next.

It was a rich chocolate mouse with wafer-thin chocolate pieces stacked on top. It was drizzled with icing sugar and some sort of sauce. A strawberry finished it off.

Whats YOUR favourite dessert?

The USA's first wind farm.

I was watching the Daily Show with John Stewart and they did a piece about how they are planning on building an off-shore wind farm in Nantucket near Boston but the rich people don't want them to in case it spoils the view. The guy from the daily show was posing as a reporter. He went to the person heading the campaign against the wind turbines and the showed him an artists impression of what the turbines would look like. They were SO tiny on the horizon because they were 5 miles from shore. It was really ridiculous. The reporter feigned shock, "Oh my god., As a reporter I see things that get me right here. I'm going to share this with the world". The woman took him seriously and it was hilarious.

But it proves how much Americans are still against renewable energy sources.

A wind farm 1 mile off the British coast. Look closely.

Central London flooded

The surge of water in the Thames finally reached Central London. Does that mean the Woolwich Ferry (that I went on today) is now the only way to cross the river?

List Of Towers I Have Been To.

Extensive research from my blogs' viewers confirm that you people enjoy reading lists. I promised lists. This 1 is a list of all the random towers that I have been to. If you have been to any of the towers then share in the comments section. If you haven't then mention tall structures that you have been to.

Blackpool Tower, Blackpool, England: The ugliest of all the towers.

Calgary Tower, Calgary, Canada: I posted a letter from the top.

BT Tower, London, England: I used to call it the Post Office tower.

Skylon Tower, Niagara Falls, Canada: Good view of the falls from the top.

Space Needle, Seattle, USA: Had one of the best restuarants I have ever been to at the top.

CN Tower, Toronto, Canada: The glass floor worried me.

Harbour Centre, Vancouver, Canada: Its a tower in a building.

Homer Simpson on a hill

Homer Simpson has been painted right next to the Cerne Abbas Giant. Well they have to do something to promote the film in OAP riddled Dorset.

Of course both drawings are very old, one being 4000 years and the other being drawn in the 1980s(!)

Fridge/freezers

How come fridges have lights but freezers don't?

3rd Storm Video

2nd Storm video

1st Storm video

Storm Of The Month

The other day at 5pm thunder rumbled across the urban sprawl of East London. Brontophobics cowered, WW2 veterans dusted off their rifles. I was cooking dinner but as I opened the front door the rain came down. And it rained hard. Within 15 minutes the front garden was flooded. Mini-rivers were running down the gutters. Meanwhile the thunder and lightning lashed across the suburban streets. Hailstones the size of peas came down. I took my camera phone and recorded some movies. Watch out for the man getting soaked by a car driving through a huge puddle in 1 video. I was unlucky not to have caught the lightning on film.

Last Day at the Smart Centre- again!

Friday was my last day at the Smart Centre. I got 3 cards and a box of hand-selected Thorntons milk chocolates. The card the children made me was the best one.

Chocolates? Yes please.

Afterwards most of the staff and I went to a Mexican restuarant in Wimbledon.

Most people had burger and chips though.

Jesus Christ had mammary glands.

I was on the underground the other day on my way to work when an amusing thing happened.

Time: 8:10am

Line: Northern

I was on the Northern Line. The underground train was pretty busy. Virtually everyone was reading either a newspaper or a book. Then, at Elephant and Castle station, it happened.

Black guy, quite tall, shoddy clothes, cardboard sign on a peice of string round his neck, crucifix at the ready, bible in hand. He was attempting to get everyone to apologise for thier sins. Lets listen in:

"I have been with da lord for 2 years now. 2 years I have been repenting ma sins. Now you must repent your sins. Jesus loves you. He will accept. Give yourself over to the lord by putting a pound in the box. God wants you to put a pound in the box. Jesus loves you. I have been living on the milk of Christ. Christs' milk feeds me. Taste the milk of Christ. I live on the milk to Christ. It appeases my sin."

The British public resoluted ignored him, instead deciding to opt for the 'I will pretend its not happening' technique. They studied every word they were reading, digesting every syllabel, re-reading every sentence. Anything but acknowledge he was there.

I wanted to enquire of the man 2 things

a) In the bible the Pharisees forbade the wearing of a crucifix so if he has read the bible in his hand surely he would know that and

b) Does Christ lactate?

Unfortunatly he got off at Stockwell before I could ask him.

Should I get my hair cut?

Since the dawn of time men have debated (women have better things to do) whether or not I should get a haircut. Socrates was stumped as was Nostradamus.

But now I put it to you; should I?

Im back

I am sorry for the pause in my blogging. I know you have been living day-to-day. But now I am back with more of your favourites:

jokes
photos
mountain ranges
political monologues

the lot!

Hairstyle

Who thinks my hair would look good in the style of the man on this webpage?

Don't become a slave to slavery

Today was the 200th anniversary of a hollow and watered-down law banning slavery in the British Empire. It was basically implemented by a very young Prime Minster (Pitt the Younger who was 24) with the help of a young minster and advisor- William Wilberforce. Parliament 200 years ago didn't look anymore kindly on 2 whippersnappers making laws then than they do now. In fact the youngest current MP is 32 (Sarah Teather). The Abolition of the Slave Trade Act which became law in March 1807 by which time William Wilberforce was 48 and Pitt the Younger had been dead for 1 year and he was 47 when he died. But they were both very young when they started the abolitionist movement. Slaves were still be traded in the empire decades after the law was pasted because it was difficult to stop the super-powerful slave-owners. Some slaves were even worse off after the law was passed because they were kicked off of the plantations but nobody wanted to hire them anymore. At least when they were slaves they got shelter and food.

Nevertheless I went to Brixton (the heartland of Afro-Britons) and watched a movie about apartheid at the Lonely Planet film festival. The film I saw was called Catch a Fire. It was an excellent film. It reminded me of Hotel Rwanda. Catch a Fire was about a black South African in 1980 and his struggle against the white South African secret service.

Anti-slave protester who tried to attack the Prime Minster and Queen today on the 200th anniversary of the end of slavery service at Westminster Abbey

The Domino effect.......

Yesterday Robyn and I were in a pound shop in East Ham called Manny's Two. It is a very cramped shop with many objects piled up high and narrow walkways between the veritable Aladdin's cave. As Robyn and I were picked our way through this treasure trove of delights we spied an elderly eastern European woman. She had a sour, wizened face and she grimaced at us with contempt of our age and stunning good looks (we are a handsome couple you see). Anyway we were going opposite ways down the walkways until we got to a 90degree bend. Then, suddenly, almost slowly, a stack of pots, pans and crockery about 4 feet high started toppling- set in motion by the old lady as Robyn (who was the closest) was at least 1metre away. We both lunged towards the declining mass of kitchenware. We just about caught some of it but it was too late; the initial topple had triggered a domino effect round the store. Half of the central area was crashing down around Robyn and I (strangely enough not the old lady). We struggled to catch the falling kitchenware and housewares but it was a largely futile attempt. Pots crashed onto the floor, saucepans clattered onto cheese graters and lemon zesters toppled casserole dishes. After half of the central stack had fallen there was a sudden, uneasy silence. The woman scowled at us; she may as well have pointed a finger. But she broke the silence by muttering a couple of sentences of a Russian-like language before turning tail and disappearing the other way down the aisle. Robyn and I tried fruitlessly to pick up the merchandise off of the floor. 2 male shopkeepers were bearing down on us in seconds. Robyn prompted me towards the door. We escaped Pompeii and burst out onto the street laughing.

We only wanted a small plastic basket.

First List; Mountain Ranges

I have decided, for want of any better subject to blog about, to do lists every week or so. These lists will be informative and interesting and give the impression that I regularly update my blog. The list this week will be:

Mountain Ranges I Have Been To:

Canada:

Rocky Mountains
Alberta Badlands#
Coast Mountains
Canadian Cascades*
Pierce Range
Beaufort Range
Pelham Range
Somerset Range
Seymour Range
Gowlland Range
Inside Passage#
Niagara Escarpment

Rocky Mountains October 2005 Columbia Mountains

USA:

Cascade Mountains*
Adirondack Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
Olympic Range

Shawangunk Mountains

Taconic Mountains

Okanogan Range

Cascade Mountains October 2006

England:

Chiltern Hills
Cotswolds
Dartmoor Hills
Exmoor Hills
Lake District
Malvern Hills
Mendip Hills
North Downs
Peak District
Pennines
Salisbury Plain Downs
South Downs
Lake District June 2006

Wales:

The Brecon Beacons
Black Mountains
Cambrian Mountains

Black Mountains September 2006

Scotland:

Southern Uplands
Scottish Highlands
Cheviot Hills

Southern Uplands August 2006

France:

Parc naturel régional des Vosges du Nord

Crête de Valenciennes August 2005

Greenland:

Watkins Range

Watkins Range from the air November 2006

*= Geographically the same range

#=Strictly speaking not ranges but still peaks of elevation

Bloody Yuppies.

This has to be a defining photo of the changing face of Pakistan- a human rights lawyer after being whacked with a police trucheon. He was protesting over the senior Pakistani lawyer being put in prison. He has ruined his nice suit.

Last Day at the Smart Centre

Friday the 9th of March was my last day at the Smart Centre, Morden. The children made me a card, the adults bought me a card and gave me a box of celebrations. Also 4 people gave me their phone numbers. I had only worked there for 3 weeks.

Lunar Eclipse

On Saturday evening of March the 3th there was a lunar eclipse. Robyn and I drove out across the Hoo penisula until we reached Northwood Hill RSPB Reserve near High Halstow. It was very dark and there were plenty of stars. Slowly we saw the earths shadow cover the moon until it was blood red. It went red at around 11:15pm. Below is a photo of the lunar eclipse and the picture of Northward Hill during the day.

Plastic Cup Politics. Part One

Blair and Bush divide?

Is Tony Blair edging away from George Bush's stance on the war in Iraq? For starters Tony Blair has reduced funding for the Ministry of Defence and increased funding for domestic anti-terror organisations including SOCA and MI5. There have been complaints about the poorly funded army but could this be a shrewd decision in the long term? When all British troops have left Iraq the British Army will be bolstered in Afghanistan. With less financial pressure on the British Army in Afghanistan their effectiveness will rise. So from a fiscal standpoint underfunding the army for a year or two will save money in the long run. Tony Blair has obviously known he would make the announcement below for some time.

Today Tony Blair announced that 1,500 UK troops would be coming back from Iraq for good in the next couple of months. By summer 2008 they should all be back. The UK currently has 7,100 troops in Afghanistan. Lets look at the list of nations with troops in Iraq:

COALITION FORCES
US -132,000
UK - 7,100
South Korea - 2,300
Poland - 900
Georgia - 800
Australia - 900
Romania - 600
Denmark - 460
El Salvador - 380
Bulgaria - 150

A few weeks ago George Bush announced that the US was sending 21,500 more troops to Iraq later this year. With the UK pulling out I predict most other European nations and Australia will pull out as well. I believe they joined the coalition because they thought that the UK was making a good decision in trying to stay economically aligned with the US (a bloody huge economy). Now the UK have decided to withdraw troops other European nations and Australia (which has very close ties with the UK don't forget) will pull out. Then in the future they can say to the USA "We were in Iraq as long as your biggest ally (the UK) was. Because we were so loyal to you, you must invest in us". I predict Poland, Denmark, Bulgaria and Australia's governments will announce in the next month a full troop withdrawal plan. The other countries have other motives for keeping the US sweet but theirs are slightly different. El Salvador is the only Latin American country with troops in Iraq. El Salvador are basically saying to the US "All the other Latin American countries hate you but we like you. Can you please build all your South American factories and headquarters in our country please"? South Korea's motive is to try and prove to the US that they are close allies to reassure them over the North Korea factor. Georgia and Romania are former communist countries which are trying to boost ties with the US as if to say "We are your friends now. Please trust us, defend us and invest in us".

So why is George Bush sending in more troops? Perhaps he is predicting that with the coalition disintegrating he needs to make up for the lost of future troop numbers. Also, as has been proven, non-US coalition forces pacify the Iraq population much more than the American army. A good example is British Basra or Polish Najaf which sees relatively low insurgency compared to Baghdad and Falluja which are US controlled. The military planners at the Pentagon expect a rise in violence when the UK and others leave.

But clearly George Bush and Tony Blair have very different stances. On the surface they shouldn't. They are both in their political twilight years. But with Tony Blair bringing troops back from Iraq, cutting military funding and increasing domestic security funding George Bush is doing the exact opposite. George Bush seems to think that because he has 100s of thousands of troops sitting in sandy countries that he can't pronounce they are safe. So he cuts domestic security funding in the US. He then sends 21,500 more troops to Iraq and increases US defence funding 'again'. The US has a bigger defence budget of the entire countries of Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg combined!

To basically it looks like 'the special relationship' is crumbling. Whitehall and Washington are drifting apart.

Also a quick message to ignorant tabloid-readers. When you scream: Get Our Heroes back! you seem to miss facts.
In 2003 the UK had 47,000 troops in Iraq (half of the total army). It now has 7,100. The troops numbers have dramatically fallen over the past few yet nobody notices that.

I would very much appreciate comment on the above topics.

The above opinions are my own and nobody else's. Most of the facts are from memory so there may be incongruities.

It did snow!

Yes 10cm of snow fell on London. It was the worse snow since 1996. I can remember the 1996 snow- building a snowman in my front garden when I was 11. By why do all the papers have to have as the headline "Winter wonderland". Also "Its snow joke" is another one. No editorial imagination. Of course the whole country was brought to its knees as per usual. 1 million people didn't show for work in London and the UK economy lost 400million pounds because of the snow. But what about the extra porridge, gloves and tobboggan sales?My road at around 8:30am. My local park covered with snow in the morning.

A blizzard whipped up while we were in the park
An evergreen tree covered with snow.
A brave crocus pushes its way through the snow.

Blanket of snow over the park.

Weird snow/hoar frost patterns.

Also goto http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv3M2veoR2M to watch 1 of my movies I filmed in the park during the blizzard. There is no sound. A 1 point I wipe some snow off the lense. Also look out for the flashing lights of gritter trucks.