Chilling out, and missing someone…

Well, it’s back to the playpen tomorrow, and I have to admit I’m not really looking forward to it. I’ve enjoyed the peace and quiet of this bank holiday (not to mention seeing my beloved on Saturday), and am supposed to be preparing to get my stuff ready for the morning. However, at the moment, I have a severe case of TNFI…

Today has been quite good though – I went back to Milton Keynes with Mum. Now I know that I was there on Saturday, and only managed to get a couple of bits… I don’t think my mind was really on my shopping somehow!

If I’m honest, I was really looking forward to seeing my beloved, as it had been about five weeks since we’d seen each other. Yes, I know that we talk on the phone practically every day, but a phone call can’t give you a hug when you’re feeling really flat, or pull a silly face to make me smile.

But I digress. Milton Keynes was really good. Again, it was a real mixture of opening times, with some stores opening at 09:30 and others opening with their Sunday trading hours.

So, it was into McDonald’s for a Mcbreakfast (this was one of the few places that was open – aside from Dickens & Jones – which has serious delusions of grandeur, but is just overpriced).

After breakfast, Mum and I headed to Marks & Spencer, to have a look around. To be honest, I wasn’t too impressed with what I saw, and privately began to despair of finding anything that I wanted for my impending holiday.

However, things changed when Mum suggested that we headed back to a shop that had been closed when we walked past, on the way to BHS. As I’d given up on the idea of finding a swimsuit, I wasn’t really looking. Murphy’s Law seems to dictate that when you’re not looking, you will find precisely what you are looking for. This happened with my swimsuit.

It’s not anything really magical – it’s plain black with a coloured band decorating the top, but it was the fit that was the real delight. Since I tore my shoulder muscles about six years ago, I’ve had problems with the straps on my swimsuits cutting into it when the shoulder decides to swell up. This one however, has enough stretch in it to be secure when I swim (or move my arms) and still provide a comfortable fit.

Then it was trying to find a travel pack for my contact lens solution. My usual solution comes in a 360ml pack – which is too large to take in my hand luggage (you’re restricted to a maximum of 100ml for liquids) and also rather heavy to put in the case. Again, I’d given up on the idea of trying to get something suitable, but headed into Dolland & Atchison as a last resort…

And came up trumps. They had exactly what I wanted – a preservative free 3% peroxide solution, suitable for soft contact lenses. But I should have guessed that there would be a snag…

It wasn’t listed on the computer system so the poor lady who was dealing with me had to do a hand written receipt, as the head office wasn’t open today, meaning that she couldn’t get the code for the product to go into the computer. But, we overcame this difficulty by using the hand written receipt and a note of what I bought and the quantity.

But even as I was walking around Milton Keynes, all I could think about was my beloved. He seemed so tired when I saw him on Saturday, and I will admit to worrying about him overdoing things. But as I walked past a store (think it was Dorothy Perkins or somewhere like that) I heard Cindi Lauper’s song True Colours playing…

You with the sad eyes
Don't be discouraged
Oh I realise
It's hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
And the darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small

But I see your true colours
Shining through
I see your true colours
And that’s why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colours
True colours are beautiful,
Like a Rainbow

Show me a smile then,
Don't be unhappy, can't remember
When I last saw you laughing
If this world makes you crazy
And you've taken all you can bear
You call me up
Because you know I’ll be there

And I see your true colours
Shining through
I see your true colours
And that’s why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colours
True colours are beautiful,
Like a Rainbow

This song always reminds me of my beloved, as he’s like me in so many ways – hiding the pain that he feels behind a cold-hearted façade, and rarely letting anyone get close to him. But to me, he’ll always be like a rainbow – something rare and precious, just like his smile.

Ah well, guess I should call this quits – I’m supposed to be getting my stuff ready for the playpen tomorrow…

Back tomorrow if I get the chance…

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

Behind Blue Eyes

It’s funny how talking about music that you love can start you thinking about things. It happened to me last night as I was driving home having seen my beloved. We’d been talking about music that we both liked, and I said that one of my favourite songs was by The Who – Behind Blue Eyes

No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes

No one knows what it's like
To be hated
To be fated
To telling only lies

But my dreams
They aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be

I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free

No one knows what it's like
To feel these feelings
Like I do
And I blame you

No one bites back as hard
On their anger
None of my pain and woe
Can show through

But my dreams
They aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be

I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free

When my fist clenches, crack it open
Before I use it and lose my cool
When I smile, tell me some bad news
Before I laugh and act like a fool

If I swallow anything evil
Put your finger down my throat
If I shiver, please give me a blanket
Keep me warm, let me wear your coat

No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes

In some respects, this reminds me of my beloved. I know he has trust issues (who doesn’t?) but it seems to take an awful lot to get him to trust anyone, if they ever manage to gain his trust at all.

Don’t get me wrong, as a person, he’s a lovely warm guy, but it’s only the very select few that ever get beyond the barriers that he puts in place. I guess this is done to keep him from being hurt. How the hell I have managed to get him to trust me is something that I have no clue how I achieved – only that I have done so.

As well as reminding me of my beloved, it also made me think about my own life. I’m the first to admit that I’m not exactly the easiest person to get on with – most people think that I’m a cold-hearted bitch.

And yes, I will admit to doing very little to dispel that notion with most people. But some how, my beloved seems to have blown open the very defences that keep most people away from me, and I don’t mind admitting that this scares me.

He has admitted that he wants me in his life, and has said that whatever happens, he will be there for me. If I’m honest, I’d given up on the idea of finding someone like this, who would be there for me, and come flying up to see me if I asked.

I once thought I’d been luck enough to find someone like that, but the minute I refused to play ball with his plans (i.e. leave my job & family and move south with him) then that all changed, because of my refusal and he dropped me faster than a plummeting lemming.

So, I learnt my lesson (the painful way as per normal) and learnt to hide behind the façade of an ice bitch, and didn’t really reveal anything of the real me to the people that were brave enough (or should that be stupid enough) to ask me out.

But something about my beloved managed to change my outlook on love & romance – or at least it has done where he is concerned. I’m never going to be one of those simpering fools that flutters their eyelashes to get something resolved (that sort of behaviour annoys the hell out of me, and my late father would be slinging lightening bolts at me if I even tried to do such a thing!)

But I will admit to trying to be a little more well, feminine when we are together and the circumstances allow it. I mean, it’s pointless turning up to a date at somewhere in heels and a skirt when I'm going to be climbing all over things to get photographs!

So I guess the meaning of the song is to show that the initial view of a person may well be wrong – just take a little time to try and get to know someone before you make a judgement. And I know that I may well have found someone who is like the person towards the end of the song – someone who will do anything to help in whatever shape or form that is required.

I guess I should call this entry quits – my dratted PC is telling me that it needs to re-start in order to complete an update from Microsucks…

Back when I get the chance..

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

Preparing for another Bank Holiday…

Well, it’s the last day in the playpen for a few days, and I can’t say that I'm going to miss this place.

To say that I am getting to the stage where I need a break is an understatement. I'm heartily sick of the office politics and back stabbing that goes on, and the sooner it gets to 17:00, the better I'm going to feel.

Aside from the stupidity that seems to have become embedded, I'm looking forward to the bank holiday for another reason. I'm seeing my beloved tomorrow (he’s working in the morning, so that means I get to go shopping on my own – more on that in a minute) and am spending some time with Mum.

Tomorrow promises to be great fun, as it will be just about four weeks since I have seen my beloved, and to be honest, I have really missed him. Yes, I know I talk to him on the ‘phone everyday, but to me, that’s not the same as seeing him.

So, because I'm not seeing him until the afternoon, I'm making the most of the time on my own, and am going into Milton Keynes shopping. I’m after a few bits and pieces. Meaning that it’s a trip to La Senza (the bone in my favourite underwired bra broke yesterday, so I’m not happy about that) and I want to go and get a few other bits and pieces whilst I’m down there.

Sunday? Well that’s a day spent with Mum doing various bits & pieces to get ready for our escape at the end of June, and Monday? Well, I’m aiming to head to Leicester with Mum for a look around..

Ah well, guess I should call this quits – I’m supposed to be working, not blogging!

Back when I get chance (most likely Tuesday)

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

A miracle on Downing Street

Who said that miracles don’t occur? Just look at the one that has happened in UK politics this morning. The Conservatives & the Liberal Democrats have formed a coalition government – the first time since 1930 that such a thing has occurred.

David Cameron becomes the new PM, with Nick Clegg (the Liberal Democrat leader) becoming the deputy PM, with the various cabinet posts and other government jobs being shared by the two parties.

All I can do now, is just sit back and watch what happens, but if I’m honest, I doubt very much that it can be worse for me than the last 13 years have been.

Back later, if I get the chance.

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

Things that make you go awwww

It's the silly little things that my beloved does that makes the day fly past - and this was one of them.

He sent me this picture:

With the message:

Thought I'd send this to you

It's the daft things that he does that makes me smile - and this is a good example of it.

Ah well, I guess I should be getting on with some w*rk, but I have got severe TNFI…

Back later, if I get the chance.

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

After the election, now the real politics come into view

Well, the country has voted, and declared a hung parliament. Not the sort of hanging that I would have liked (I doubt if there are enough lampposts in Whitehall for that) but one that means no party go enough votes to form a government.

So, it looks like Labour is going to cling on, in the vain hope that they can form a so-called rainbow coalition of the small parties in an attempt to keep the Conservatives out. On the other side, you have the Conservatives talking to the Liberal Democrats in an attempt to form a coalition to remove Labour.

I know that Gordon Brown, as the incumbent Prime Minster has the right to try and get some form of government sorted out, and if that falls flat on its’ face, then the leader of the opposition (David Cameron) gets to have a go.

It’s enough to make your head spin, and people are wondering why they bothered to vote, if the current government is determined to cling onto power by any means possible, and the other parties are looking to link up with each other.

Politics makes for strange bedfellows, and to be honest the sooner they get this sorted out, the sooner life can return to normal!

Ah well, time to call this quits – I want to get some peace and quiet!

Back when I get the chance.

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

Zen Teachings

This got sent to me by a colleague, and I make no apologies for posting it.

Enjoy.


Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

****************************************************

Zen Teachings

1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me for the path is narrow. In fact, just piss off and leave me alone.


2. Sex is like air. It's not that important unless you aren't getting any.


3. No-one is listening until you fart.


4. Always remember you're unique. Just like everyone else..


5. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.


6. If you think nobody cares whether you're alive or dead, try missing a couple of mortgage payments.


7. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.


8. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.


9. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.


10. If you lend someone £20 and never see that person again, it was probably well worth it.


11. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.


12. Some days you are the fly; some days you are the windscreen


13. Don't worry; it only seems kinky the first time.


14. Good judgment comes from bad experience ..... And most of that comes from bad judgment.


15. A closed mouth gathers no foot.


16. There are two excellent theories for arguing with women. Neither one works.


17. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.


18. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.


19. We are born naked, wet and hungry, and get slapped on our arse ... Then things just keep getting worse.


20. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

Bank holiday blues

This is the first May bank holiday for about four years that I have spent at home. Normally, I’m with my beloved, visiting Brooklands for Auto Italia, but this year… Well circumstances have conspired to keep me in Warwickshire for once.

Not that I’m objecting – too much anyway, as it means that I avoid the birch pollen that always seems to make me so dratted ill every time I go down there. Ok – this year I would have known what the problem was (my asthma) and how to control it – in theory.

So, to make up for this, I decided to take Mum out. Or should that be we decided that we would go up to the Peak Shopping Village. Yes – this was for my own selfish motives (I’m looking for a new pair of black leather clogs, as I’ve kicked the living daylights out of my black nubuck ones!) Plus, it was a chance to get out of the area, and try to chill out.

We arrived ok (even though one part of the route was closed – thank god for Mum being able to read a map) and got parked with relative ease.

The first stop was a small bag store, which stocked a few pieces of Kipling. And that was where I found the bag that I had been considering. It was exactly what I had been looking for – the only problem was that the store didn’t have the colour I wanted (Wild Blue). Sod's law that – and I guess I should have realised that would set part of the tone for the day.

Ok – that’s a tad unfair. I struck out on the search for the perfect clog (plenty of nubuck, but no leather ones that I liked) but I was successful in Cotton Traders.

I’d been searching for a particular type of rugby shirt – it’s got a granddad style collar, and I’d not been able to find any. Well, this time I struck gold, and got two, as they are perfect for casual wear, without looking too casual – almost a smart casual I guess…

After that, we decided to head for a coffee in the little coffee shop. It’s quite depressing at times (not to mention expensive) and it wasn’t helped by some woman who’s laugh (Ok – cackle) would have put most witches to shame. But, it was a chance to sit down and talk about the next part of our travels, as Mum was (and still is) looking for a pair of shoes.

We decided to head to Masson Mill – just outside Matlock Bath. That’s a place that I really enjoy driving though, simply because the traffic is normally hell, meaning that I get the chance to have a good look at the bikes that had congregated. Normally, you get everything from little Vespa scooters to Harley Davidson motorbikes that cost more than the 207 – and have more bling on them than a US rapper.

This time, it was a real disappointment. Plenty of Vauxhall Corsas that had been modified in a vain attempt to make them look better (as you can tell, I’m not a fan of the Corsa) and a few run of the mill Japanese sports bikes, but nothing that had me wishing for heavier traffic so I could have a lingering look.

We got to Masson Mill, and pulled into the car park, only to be greeted with a sign that said that parking fees now applied. Ok – I can understand why, as it is within easy walking distance of Matlock Bath.

Mum and I paid, and I was directed to the best parking space for me (it was on the second floor). Not a problem and I parked ok, but I will admit to muttering about the placement of the steel support girders that made it a very cautious swing into the space.

We then headed into the mill, and had a wander around – which lasted all of about 15 minutes, with both Mum and myself saying that it wasn’t worth the parking fee and that we would strike this one off the list of places that we stopped at.

Getting out of the parking space was great fun. Not. Simply because of the way that I had taken the car into the space, it meant that I had very little room to swing the nose / front end of the car out, as I had a blasted great Lexus 4x4 parked beside me.

So, Mum was a real trooper, and helped me back out of the space by guiding me at the back and then carefully walking around the front end to make sure that I could start the turn without damaging my car.

Getting out was not a problem (thank god for a good throttle response in the 207) and it was time to head towards home, and think about stopping somewhere for lunch. Our usual stop, where we’re in the area, is a pub at Ambergate, called the Hurt Arms.

The food there isn’t bad at all, and it was one of the few times that I was cursing the fact that I was driving. Why? Because they had a speciality beer that was flavoured with passion fruit of all things.

Ok – I know I could have let Mum drive, but I prefer her to do the map reading for me, as that is not one of my strong points (I suspect that this may be an inherited trait from Dad, as he couldn’t read a map either – and he was a Queen’s Scout!)

So we stopped again at Belper, and yet again, that was a failure for the pair of us. But in all honesty, I wasn’t too worried, as it had given my car a good run, which is what it needed, as it tends to get short runs during the week, with me going to work.

Yesterday (Sunday), it was a case of heading to Bicester Shopping village. This place has delusions of grandeur, and to be honest, I would have thought it would have been better placed near Chester. But I digress.

The reason that we had decided to go (ok – the only reason) we decided to go was because there is a Kipling outlet shop down there. Ok – I know the stock is about a year out of date (if you’re bothered by such things) but it means that you can get some really good deals on bags down there.

I managed to get myself a new wash bag (it’s about time I had a decent one to travel with) and Mum managed to get a little handbag as well. After that, we decided to have a look around.

If you want designer labels - and I’m talking things like Ralph Lauren, Jimmy Choo (more on that in a minute) and Versace, then this is the place for you. However, I am not really a fan of designer labels - ok – I admit that my perfume is usually Dior, but that’s because I’ve worn their fragrances for more years that I am going to admit to.

Mum spotted the Jimmy Choo shop (yes – he of the super expensive shoes that everyone raves about) and dragged me in. Dragged being the operative word here. Simply because I loathe high heels (I can’t walk in the dratted things – give me a nice comfortable pair of loafers any day) and I honestly can’t see what all the fuss is about. From what I could see, they were extremely narrow, and overpriced. But, as I said, not my choice of shoe.

But there was further torture to come. Ugg have a shop down at Bicester as well, and again, I don’t see the appeal of the things. They look, well, ugly. As for the practicality – that was non-existent as far as I could see.

Simply because they are designed for Australian winters, which are cold and dry, not like the UK winters that are cold and bloody wet. Meaning that if you wear these bug ugly things out without waterproofing them, you have just ruined a pair of £200 plus boots.

So after we left (and thanked our lucky stars that we had gotten down there for opening time, as the queues for the car park were back to the A41) we stopped at the Bicester garden centre.

Now I’ve passed this numerous times on my travels, and have never thought to stop there. Ok, it’s a Wyevale garden centre, but there are quite a few shops there as well – including Lakeland and Cotton Traders.

This was far more to my liking than the blasted designer outlet (even if there was a Laura Ashley shop – not somewhat I had any intention of going near), and Mum and I were quite impressed. However, the garden centre wasn’t brilliant, and we both agreed that the only time that it would be worth going to would be if we had gone to the shopping village just up the road. So read for that, we won’t be back for about another six months at least.

Now onto today. Mum and I were at a loss to think of somewhere to go, and as we were linking up with Carole and her daughters, we decided that we would meet them down at Milton Keynes. The original idea had been to go to Worcester, but as the weather wasn’t good, we opted for Milton Keynes (at least that’s under cover!)

Mum and I got down there for about 10:30, only to see all the spaces at the front (nearest the shopping centre) all parked up. We were wondering if we would get a space to park, when I spotted Amber waving her arms, standing in a space that was just perfect for us.

So, Mum parked, and we got out, and were promptly cuddled by both girls, who seemed delighted to see both Mum and myself. I asked Carole what time the centre opening times were (they’re stuck on the entrance doors) and she told us that it was 11:00. All I could think was that I would be really miffed if I’d been paying £1.20 per hour only to discover that most of the shops didn’t open until 11am.

We headed to Burger King as our usual breakfast stop is in BHS – which wasn’t open and Amber and Elian were almost chewing Mum’s walking stick, as they’d not had breakfast according to Carole, as they wanted to have a bacon roll.

That wasn’t too bad, and we had a wander around various shops with Amber and Elian running interference for Mum (by making sure that people had to walk around them and Mum) instead of the other way around.

As per normal, we stopped in Waterstones (ok – Costa coffee) for a while, and I left Mum and Carole talking whilst I headed to my favourite shop – Lush. Simply because I’d run out of a couple of bits (and wanted a lump of conditioner to take on holiday) and the girls weren’t going to miss out on a trip to Lush without their Mum. Little monsters, the pair of them.

I got my Vanishing Cream (it’s a really good moisturiser that suits my weird skin) as well as my lump of conditioner. The girls got a few bits (think it was bath stuff – bath bombs and bubble bars) – mostly for Carole as a present, and I think it was a thank you gift for bringing them to Milton Keynes for once.

So it was back to Waterstones. I’d spotted a couple of books that I wanted – they were on a three for two offer, and as I knew that Mum had picked one up on the same offer, I thought it would be perfect. Only for Amber and Elian to disappear into the children’s’ section.

This was somewhat daunting for me, as I never venture into that area under normal circumstances. But I needn’t have worried. They’d spotted three books that they wanted – on the same offer as mine, and had gone to get them.

So we rejoined the rest of our party, and we finished off our drinks. Mine was a large vanilla latte, which Amber had designs on. I had to threaten to make her walk home before she would leave my coffee alone, and that only worked until she pointed out that Carole wouldn’t be so unkind to her. But, she did leave my coffee alone – I think it was the threat from her mother that she wouldn’t buy the books that the two of them had picked out.

It was then time to move and we headed to Debenhams. Now normally I avoid this store like the plague, as the cosmetic department stinks with the mixture of perfumes that seem to be squirted into the air.

This time, I was actually looking for a price of a perfume – Dior’s Dolce Vita. That was fine, until some pushy sales assistant started recommending the latest perfume from Dior – think it was Miss Dior Cherie (or something like that). She finally got the message that I wasn’t interested, when Amber asked if that was the one that smelt like toilet cleaner on me. Nice child, but it had the desired effect!

We then headed back to the car, where both Mum and I were treated to another cuddle from the girls, and we headed for home.

As I type this I am quietly mulling over this bank holiday. Ok – I haven’t seen my beloved, so I am a bit flat (ok – very flat) but spending time with Mum has been really nice – as we don’t really spend that much time together during the week, simply because I am not very sociable when I come home from work. All I want to do is chill out and ignore the world.

Ah well, I guess I should call this quits – I need to do some ironing so that I’ve got something to wear for the playpen tomorrow.

Back when I get chance…

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

The phrase “Whoops” comes to mind…

This is from the BBC website – as per normal, I’ll put my thoughts / opinions at the end of the piece.

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most
*************************************

Gordon Brown 'bigoted woman' comment caught on tape

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been caught on microphone describing a voter he had just spoken to in Rochdale as a "bigoted woman".

Sixty-five-year-old Gillian Duffy had challenged Mr Brown on a number of issues including immigration and crime.

As he got into his car, he was still wearing a broadcast microphone and was heard to say "that was a disaster".

Mr Brown later phoned Mrs Duffy to apologise after the tape was played to him during a BBC Radio 2 interview.

After listening to the recording, with his forehead resting on his hand, he said: "I do apologise if I've said anything that has been hurtful."

The comments were made after the conversation with Mrs Duffy ended with him complimenting her and her family.

As he went to get into his car, Mr Brown told her: "Very nice to meet you, very nice to meet you."

But off camera, but not realising he still had a Sky News microphone pinned to his shirt, he was heard to tell an aide: "That was a disaster - they should never have put me with that woman. Whose idea was that? It's just ridiculous..."

Asked what she had said, he is heard to reply: "Ugh everything! She's just a sort of bigoted woman that said she used to be Labour. I mean it's just ridiculous. I don't know why Sue brought her up towards me."

Mrs Duffy, a widow, said after hearing of Mr Brown's comments: "I'm very upset. He's an educated person. Why has he come out with words like that?

"He's supposed to be leading the country and he's calling an ordinary woman who's come up and asked questions that most people would ask him... It's going to be tax, tax, tax for another 20 years to get out of this national debt, and he's calling me a bigot."

She had earlier told reporters she was a lifelong Labour voter and described Mr Brown as being "very nice".

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said it was a disaster for the prime minister because it showed the gap between his public face and private face.

"For those of us who have known Gordon Brown for many years, what we have seen is no huge surprise. He has got better and better at handling himself in public, but quite often he flares up in private, expresses frustration," he said.

Nick Robinson added that the irony was that if his comments had not been picked up, it would have been a lively election exchange which would have been seen to do him credit.

Speaking on Radio 2's Jeremy Vine show, Mr Brown said: "Of course I apologise if I've said anything that's been offensive and I would never put myself in a position where I would want to say anything like that about a woman I'd met.

"I blame myself for what is done, but you've got to remember that this was me being helpful to the broadcasters, with my microphone on, rushing into the car because I had to get to another appointment and they have chosen to play my private conversation. These things can happen, I apologise profusely to the lady concerned."

Gordon Brown has since telephoned Mrs Duffy to personally apologise for the comments, telling her he was very sorry and said she "is a good woman".

When asked did this in any way make up for the comments she said "no - absolutely not".

'Resilience'

A spokesman for the prime minister said: "Mr Brown has apologised to Mrs Duffy personally by phone. He does not think that she is bigoted. He was letting off steam in the car after a difficult conversation.

"But this is exactly the sort of conversation that is important in an election campaign and which he will continue to have with voters."

The Conservatives said Mr Brown's comments spoke for themselves.

Shadow chancellor George Osborne said: "That's the thing about general elections, they do reveal the truth about people."

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said: "You should always try to answer the questions as best you can. He has been recorded saying what he has said and will have to answer for that."

Chancellor Alistair Darling said Mr Brown's apology was profuse and he was well aware he should not have made the comments.

"The election campaign will be decided not just on individuals but what the party stands for. There are big issues at stake. Gordon is a man of considerable strength, considerable resilience and considerable substance," he said.

"I hope people will judge him in the round. The fact we are coming out of this recession is down to him in no small part."

*************************************

I’m sorry, but I think this may well have sunk the Labour campaign. Ok – maybe sunk is a bit harsh, but it has certainly been hit below the waterline. I mean, talk about an own goal of monumental proportions.

The worst part is, that this voter is (or should that be was) a lifelong labour supporter, and if Gordon Brown reacts like that to someone like her, then I dread to think what he says about non-labour supporters.

Needless to say, I think this has just handed the election to the opposition, as most reasonable people will be disgusted with his comments – I know I am, especially as this buffoon wishes to represent the UK at international level. If he gets voted back in, then the reputation (and credibility) of the UK will take a real hit.

K.

Stratford, Shakespeare, Silverstone and a shattered dream

This weekend has been such a rollercoaster of emotion, I'm not sure quite where to start, so I guess I’ll start with Saturday – that seems the logical place to start.

Saturday, I’d agreed to meet my beloved after he’d finished work, which suited me fine, as it meant that I could go shopping without Mum being with me – I wanted to go shopping without her being with me. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy shopping with Mum, it’s just that it makes life rather difficult for me if I want to get her something that she doesn’t know about.

In this case, it was trying to get the last little bits of Mum’s birthday present (I wanted to get the new Meat Loaf album – Hang Cool Teddy Bear) as well as getting a birthday card for her.

So, I decided to head into Stratford-upon-Avon. Not a problem, as I was using the park and ride that drops you off in the centre of town (just at the top end of Wood Street.) Or at least is does normally. However, because Friday was Shakespeare’s birthday, the town council decided to close the centre of the town off to traffic and have a parade, and cause mayhem.

Because of this, the revised drop off point was the back of Marks and Spencer – the bottom of Bridge Street (and well away from where I wanted to be!) Thankfully, it wasn’t too much of a hardship to cut through M & S, and out onto the main shopping street.

Where I was confronted with barriers blocking my exit across the road, and more police (or more accurately community support officers) than I had seen since the Bulldog Bash swung into the area last year.

Thankfully, the light controlled pedestrian crossings were accessible, meaning that I could go into Clinton Cards to get the first of my requirements – Mum’s birthday card.

That was relatively simple, and I found one that wasn’t sickly sweet or too offensive (and didn’t cost a fortune either!) As I got to the pay desk, I noticed a sign saying that it was cash only (again, not a problem – I’d got the cash to pay). It turned out that there was a problem with the card machine, and the sales assistant was really apologetic about it. I wasn’t worried, and thought no more of it until I went into my favourite shop – Lush.

I will admit, I only went in to get two items Running to the Embassy

and the solid serum bar that I use as a night time skin treatment Saving Face

At least that was the plan. I ended up buying a shower gel as well – Butterball. It’s a really nice scent (one that I’ve become quite keen on, since I first tried it in Chester and thought that it was too sweet for my liking – amazing what a second sniff can do!)

So, I decided to pay with plastic. Or at least I did until the machine refused my card. I was mortified, as I knew that I had been paid, and had plenty of money in my account. But, it was only a short walk to the bank, so I was quite happy to pay in cash, and go to the cashpoint to replace what I had spent.

Just as I was about to leave, another customer tried her card (think it was a different bank to mine) and had the same result. It then dawned on me that it may be linked to the same issue that Clinton cards were having with their card reader. So, that put my mind at rest, and allowed me to continue my wanderings.

I was somewhat surprised when I realised that one shop that had been in Stratford for years (I bought a Beswick Thelwell there many years ago) had closed, leaving a rather forlorn looking empty shop.

There were plenty of people in fancy dress, and I was trying to work out what was going on… It turned out that there was a parade to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday the first Saturday after the 23rd of April – which was Friday. Hence the reason for the town centre being closed off and people walking about in fancy dress.

The first part of the parade wasn’t too bad – it was the Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers. Now normally I wouldn’t object, but it sounded like they were playing Colonel Bogey!

The parade itself I didn’t stick around for – I was getting fed up with people bumping into me with their huge backpacks and cameras (and generally getting in my way!)

So, it was time to fight my way back though the hoards (most of whom seemed to have no manners at all) and get back to the bus stop. As I approached, I saw the bus departing, meaning that I had to wait for the next one (which was practically empty, apart from one other passenger who was intent on grumping about practically everything that the town council had or hadn’t done.)

As I’d got time to kill, I decided to take the scenic route to Banbury, and took the car down some very nice country roads (which have stupid 50mph speed limits on them!)

I got to the Green Man (where I’d arranged to meet my beloved) and he arrived shortly after I did (ok – about 2 min after me!) I decided to treat him to a pint, as it had been a bit of a rough week for him and I was determined to help him relax.

We sat in the sunshine talking about the things that mattered to the pair of us, and as he wanted to go to Silverstone Harley Davidson, I said that I would drive to give him a break, as he was suffering from eye strain (staring at a computer screen too long!)

The trip was quite good, and I managed to get a teddy bear (Ok – it’s a polar bear with a black and white Santa hat on saying Harley Holidays, and it’s holding a candy cane)

I also got a bright (and I mean bright) yellow T-shirt with the words See Me Now (Ok - the one in the picture is orange...)

We headed back to the Green Man, and sat talking about the various bits and pieces, and tried to decide where to go for dinner. We ended up going to the diner just off the A43 – Buddies.

As it was my treat, my beloved decided to have the foot long hot dog. Me? I opted for the Tennessee Chicken, which suited me down to the ground. When the food arrived, I was amazed at the size of the hot dog, and began to wonder if my beloved had bitten off more than he could chew…

I needn’t have worried. He managed to finish it off, and looked like a contented man, albeit a rather stuffed one.

We parted on really good terms as per normal, as he was falling asleep (I'm not surprised after that hot dog!) and made me promise that I would let him know that I was home ok. I got a really good run home, and was back just before 21:30…

Sunday was a different kettle of fish altogether. Gianni (my vet) had managed to find a couple of horses that he thought I might be interested in. I will admit that I wasn’t too keen on the idea, bit was of the opinion “what the hell” and decided to go along with him and Mum.

It was a disaster. I didn’t click with either of the horses (in fact the one little b’stard tried to take a lump out of me) and the breeder? Well, he left an awful lot to be desired, and it resulted in me telling him where he could go and shove himself for all I cared.

On the way back (after we’d stopped for a really nice lunch at a pub en-route – can’t recall the name for the life of me) I managed to get the agreement from both Gianni and Mum that they would leave the search for a while, as all it was doing was upsetting me and causing more hassle than it was really worth.

If I get my way, I’ll start looking sometime in the New Year – that way, well meaning people will take the hint and leave me the hell alone. I know that they mean well, and I do appreciate the time and effort that has been put into the search, but it really isn’t doing me any favours.

Trying to explain to people that I will know when the horse is right for me isn’t easy, but as my beloved said, I would know when I had found the perfect horse. And I get the feeling that it may involve me going back to Norfolk…

Ah well, I guess that I should call this quits – I'm supposed to be working, not blogging.

Back tomorrow, if I get the chance….

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

A nice though…

This came from my beloved, and made me grin….

Enjoy.

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

**********************************************

If your boss is letting you down
And making your life hell
Look at him through a fork and imagine
He’s in jail

Music for the car

At the moment, I'm listening to the new AC/DC album (ok – it’s the sound track to the Iron Man 2 film). It’s almost like a greatest hits album (this is second film that the band have done a sound track for – the first film was Maximum Overdrive)

I got the CD last night – ok – let me rephrase that. Mum got me the CD, and I decided that I would listen to it on the way into work this morning… With the result being that I must have looked a real sight blasting along the road, the windows wide open, and “Thunderstruck” blasting out from the stereo.

Aside from that, it’s a really good album, with some cracking songs on it:

1. Shoot to Thrill
2. Rock 'N' Roll Damnation
3. Guns for Hire
4. Cold Hearted Man
5. Back in Black
6. Thunderstruck
7. If You Want Blood (You've Got It)
8. Evil Walks
9. T.N.T.
10. Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be
11. Have a Drink on Me
12. The Razor's Edge
13. Let There Be Rock
14. War Machine
15. Highway to Hell

I have to admit, my favourites are Thunderstruck, T.N.T and Highway to Hell. As one of my colleagues said – I'm just an aging rocker. I resent the aging bit, but I agree with the rocker bit – none of this namby-pamby Sugar Babes stuff in my car… Think the most refined thing I’ve got in the car at the moment is Dire Straits!

Ah well, guess I should call this quits – I'm supposed to be working…

Back later if I get the chance.

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

Revenge

Again, another joke, and this has been doing the rounds for years. It’s the sort of thing that has had me giggling at my desk, when not much else has been able to do so.

Enjoy.

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

********************************************

A little boy about 12 years old is walking down the street dragging a flattened frog on a string behind him. He came up to the doorstep of 'a house of ill repute' and knocked on the door.

When the Madam answered it, she saw the little boy and asked what he wanted.

He said, 'I want to have sex with one of the women inside. I have the money to buy it, and I'm not leaving until I get it.

The Madam figured, why not, so she told him to come in. Once in, she told him to pick any of the girls he liked. He asked, 'Do any of the girls have any diseases?'

Of course the Madam said 'No'.

The boy said, 'I heard all the men talking about having to get shots after making love with Amber - THAT'S the girl I want.'

Since the little boy was so adamant and had the money to pay for it, the Madam told him to go to the first room on the right.

He headed down the hall dragging the squashed frog behind him. Ten minutes later he came back, still dragging the frog, paid the Madam, and headed out the door.

The Madam stopped him and asked, 'Why did you pick the only girl in the place with a disease, instead of one of the others?'

He said, 'Well, if you must know, tonight when I get home, my parents are going out to a restaurant to eat, leaving me at home with a baby-sitter. After they leave, my baby-sitter will have sex with me because she just happens to be very fond of cute little boys. She will then get the disease that I just caught. When Mum and Dad get back, Dad will take the baby-sitter home. On the way, he'll give her one in the car and he'll catch the disease.

Then when Dad gets home from the baby-sitter's, he and Mum will go to bed and have sex, and Mum will catch it.

In the morning when Dad goes to work, the Milkman will deliver the milk, have a quickie with Mum and catch the disease, and HE'S the prick who ran over my FROG!'

The Burglar

Sometimes, a joke gets sent that really makes me grin – and this was one of them. I make no apologies for posting it either.

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

****************************************************
A burglar broke into a house one night. He shined his flashlight around, looking for valuables when a voice in the dark said,

"Jesus knows you're here."

He nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his flashlight off, and froze.

When he heard nothing more, after a bit, he shook his head and continued.

Just as he pulled the stereo out so he could disconnect the wires, clear as a bell he heard

"Jesus is watching you."

Freaked out, he shined his light around frantically, looking for the source of the voice.

Finally, in the corner of the room, his flashlight beam came to rest on a parrot.

"Did you say that?" he hissed at the parrot.

"Yep", the parrot confessed, then squawked, "I'm just trying to warn you that he is watching you"

The burglar relaxed. "Warn me, huh? Who in the world are you?"

"Moses," replied the bird.

"Moses?" the burglar laughed. "What kind of people would name a bird Moses?"

"'The kind of people that would name a Rottweiler Jesus."

Fire up the mower – it’s time to annoy the neighbours

Well, it was the first mowing of the season yesterday. And much to my amazement (and Mum’s) the mower started first time. It’s a bit of a beast (it’s got a 21 inch cutting deck) and can almost drag me off my feet.

Mum hates it – she maintains that it always refuses to start for her, whereas I get on with it really well – even if it can be a pain to manoeuvre at times. But, despite that, it does a really good job on the grass – and made cutting the lawn painless - just annoying for the neighbours as I had to restart the mower several times, mainly because I needed to empty the grass box, and I couldn’t keep the mower running whilst I did so.

Aside from that, it was good to be out in the garden, and I didn’t wheeze too badly. But this could have been due to the fact that I was wearing a fume mask to keep out the nasty pollen. I must have looked a right idiot, but as it worked, I really didn’t care.

Ah well, guess I should call this quits – I’m supposed to be working.

Back later if I get the chance…

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

Stud Rooster

This joke came from my beloved, and I make no apologies for posting it, as it made me laugh first thing this morning, when not much else has managed to do so.

Enjoy.

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

**********************************************************

A farmer went out one day and bought a brand new stud rooster for his chicken coop.

The new rooster struts over to the old rooster and says, 'OK old fart, time for you to retire.'

The old rooster replies, 'Come on, surely you cannot handle ALL of these chickens. Look what it has done to me. Can't you just let me have the two old hens over in the corner?'

The young roster says, 'Beat it: you are washed up and I am taking over..'

The old rooster says, 'I tell you what, young stud. I will race you around the farmhouse. Whoever wins gets the exclusive domain over the entire chicken coop. But how about giving me a little head start?'

The young rooster laughs. 'You know you don't stand a chance, old man. I'll give you 50 feet'

The old rooster takes off running. About 10 seconds later the young rooster takes off running after him.

They round the front porch of the farmhouse and the young rooster has closed the gap. He is only about 10 feet behind the old rooster and gaining fast!

The farmer, meanwhile, is sitting in his usual spot on the porch when he sees the roosters running by. The old rooster is squawking and running as hard as he can.

The farmer grabs his shotgun and - BOOM - He blows the young rooster to bits...

The farmer sadly shakes his head and says, 'Dammit....... Third gay rooster I bought this month.'

Moral of this story?

Don't mess with the old farts - age, skill, wisdom, and a little treachery always overcome youth and arrogance!

OLD DUDES RULE

Something that really wound me up.

It’s not often that I comment on a newspaper article, but this one really got to me in a major way. I’ll post the story, and then put my thoughts at the end of it…

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

*********************************

In which I discover poverty...in the foyer of a Premier Inn
By Liz Jones

It's not great being poor in Britain.

The rich have their path through life smoothed and buffed. For the less well-off, everything – even the tiniest of things – is difficult.

Take my experience on Thursday. I drove down from the Lake District to London for work, not thinking I would be unable to book a hotel room because of the cancelled flights.

I rang all the usual places I stay in: fully booked, apart from a junior suite at the Haymarket Hotel that was going for £550, plus VAT, plus internet, plus breakfast. Even I baulked at that.

I finally got a room in a Premier Inn in Kensington. I couldn’t find it, never having had the need to notice it before. I called them. It turned out I was about 100ft from the hotel, but not one member of staff could read a map or even make themselves understood.

‘I am outside Earl’s Court Tube!’ I shouted.

‘Earl’s what? What iz that?’

In the end, the manager fetched an English-speaking guest who tried to talk me down. I got there.

No one would park my car, or knew how I could get to a car park. ‘Can you put my bag in my room while I find somewhere to park?’ I asked the manager. ‘No, we don’t put cases in rooms. This is a budget hotel.’

In the end, Kristina from Latvia took pity on me and watched my case until she ended her shift.

‘I have to be in my room in front of the TV by 8.30pm,’ I told the young Indian female member of staff when I finally returned, looking as though I’d been deployed in a war zone, from parking my car. ‘The debate! The Election!’ I yelled, just like Eddy in Absolutely Fabulous.

I was met with an uncomprehending stare. ‘Get me a glass of prosecco!’ I shouted, and people – normal people, the sort who are used to carrying their own cases and parking their own cars – began to point and stare.

‘Still or sparkling?’ the Indian woman said to me.

‘Sparkling!’ I snapped. ‘It only comes in sparkling!’

My room was hideous, with a sign over the taps saying, ‘Beware, hot water.’ Maybe the people who stay here need these sorts of instructions.

I’d missed the first half hour of the Prime Ministerial debate. All three were white, middle-aged, middle-class.

David Cameron made sure he remembered the names of the questioners and the name of a man in his constituency who came to him with cancer, just to prove he is in touch with the ‘little people’.

I also found it grating he kept mentioning his son, repeating how indebted he was to the nurses who looked after him. All three wanted to make sure they called members of our armed forces ‘heroes’ and ‘heroines’. I mean, come on, let’s just take it as read that polite policemen, good teachers, safe soldiers and lots of kind nurses are a good idea.

Gordon Brown couldn’t remember the names of people, but he sure as hell remembered the names of helicopters. He kept muttering how important it is for old people to be cared for in their own homes. Really? Is it? How revolutionary of him to come up with that.

Only Nick Clegg seemed genuine.

I’m one of the great undecided (I was nearly one of the great unwashed when I discovered my Premier Inn bathroom only had soap that came from a dispenser). I want my life to be easier (tax breaks for married couples!) but I have glimpsed what it’s like to be poor and it’s hideous and tiring and boring.

I’ve been driving a Ka because it’s cheaper than my BMW and I can’t tell you how motorists in London beep me and push me out the way. It’s as though suddenly I’ve become invisible.

My column the other week wondering why on earth people who earn more than £100,000 are always the ones being punished, tutted over by badly dressed BBC news reporters standing outside Westminster, was based on the assumption that only high earners work hard and have stress.

The next morning, after my cold night on a hard purple bed, I rushed through reception, trailing my own suitcase, at 7.30am. There at the purple console was the Indian woman from the night before. ‘Ye Gods,’ I said to her. ‘Don’t you ever go to bed?’

She laughed. She told me what she earns, ‘I am thinking just above the minimum’, and the hours she works; everything’s Premier, it seems, but the wages.

‘Are lots of people rude to you?’ I asked her. ‘Oh yes, it’s quite stressful.’

I asked if she knew who she was going to vote for. ‘When you went to park last night, we put the TV on in reception so you could watch it here. And so I saw some of it, and I thought Nick Clegg was a very nice man.’

Although it pains me to say this, I’m beginning to think so, too.

***********************************************

Now I read Liz Jones’ thoughts on life on Exmoor every week (she publishes her version of a blog in the YOU magazine), and the more I read of her columns, the more I begin to think that this woman doesn’t live in the real world. Don’t get me wrong – moving to the countryside from the town can be a big move – you get so used to the facilities in the town that you expect the countryside to be the same.

Yes, I know that it can be difficult as a single person, but she doesn’t really help herself by insulting people in the local area in a national newspaper. Ok – she employs local people, but the comments are far more hurtful than the employment that she says that she brings to the area.

Then reading this entry this morning was the final straw, and I just saw red. She seems to be of the opinion that because there was no-one to park her car (I would rather park my own car than let someone else drive it thank you very much), and no-one to ferry her case to her room, that the accomodation offered (as well as the staff) were not worthy of being treated with respect. The comments about the other guests was unnecessary (and I am sorry to say becoming rather typical of someone who has lived her life in a sort of isolated vacuum of high fashion and stupid prices.)

If she was that bothered about the room, then why didn’t she ask for the Good Night Guarantee to be used? And as for the comment about the bathroom – I'm sorry, but I much prefer to take my own toiletries with me – even when I stay at a 4* hotel. That way, I know that the stuff that I am using is my choice.

As regular readers of my blog will know, I am not averse to staying at Premier Inn, and am more than happy to stay at one, because all I ask for when I am travelling in the UK is a decent bed, a good shower and somewhere safe for my car.

Needless to say, any sympathy that I had for Ms Jones has evaporated. Yes, I’ll continue to read her thoughts (and complaints) on life, but I am sorry to say that I’ll be taking her woes with a pinch of salt, as I consider them to be minor troubles that she has managed to bring on her own head.

Time to call this quits – I want to watch the re-run of the Chinese Grand Prix (I fell asleep trying to watch it live!)

Back tomorrow.

K.

Ash Chaos

This has been quite an interesting story for me – mainly because it keeps the blasted election off the news! But in truth, it’s mainly because a closure like this is almost unprecedented – even 9/11 didn’t cause this much chaos.

People keep wondering why NATS (the air traffic control people here in the UK) have taken such dramatic action. Simple. It’s for safety reasons, as aircraft cannot detect ash in the flight path. A good example is the BA flight that was caught in such an event back in 1982.

I do recall this incident, but I feel that the BBC has done a much better job of explaining what happened than I could ever do…

*********************************

When volcanic ash stopped a Jumbo at 37,000ft

A plume of volcanic ash from Iceland has led to flights across the UK being grounded. The events around one British Airways flight in 1982 reveal the potential dangers of this sort of dust.

When all four engines on the Boeing 747 being flown by Captain Eric Moody shut down at 37,000ft, he hadn't a clue why.

It wasn't until later, when Capt Moody, his crew and the 247 passengers on board the flight, were safely back on the ground, that he discovered the cause of the narrowly averted catastrophe - volcanic ash.

Airports are being closed across the UK after dust which spewed from a volcano in Iceland, began drifting southwards. The experience of Capt Moody, almost 30 years ago, shows the potential danger clouds of volcanic ash present to modern jet aircraft.

There had been no hint of trouble when flight BA 009 took off from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia on the evening of 24 June, 1982.

Heading for Perth, Australia, the weather forecast for the five-hour journey was good and the crew were anticipating an uneventful flight.

The first sign of trouble came as the plane, which had hit cruising height, headed past Java over the south-eastern Indian Ocean.

Capt Moody, who had left the cockpit for a stroll, was summoned back to the flight deck. As he climbed the stairs of the Jumbo he noticed puffs of "smoke" billowing from the vents in the floor and detected an acrid smell.

When he opened the door to the cockpit he saw the windscreen ablaze with a St Elmo's fire - a discharge of static electricity.

But that alone wasn't enough to cause alarm, Capt Moody says, recalling the events when he spoke to BBC's Good Morning Scotland on Thursday.

That's not unusual in high whispy cloud. But it developed into something more than we'd ever seen before."

Looking out the side windows of the cockpit, the crew noticed the front of the engines were glowing as if lit inside.

Then Capt Moody's flight engineer detailed the impact the dust was having on the aircraft itself.

"Engine failure number four... engine failure number two," he said.

"Three's gone… They've all gone."

Within a few moments, a passenger jet powered by four Rolls Royce engines had become a glider.

Needing time to calmly consider his options, Capt Moody used autopilot to put the plane into a gentle descent, and instructed his first officer to issue a mayday call.

While the crew on the flight deck were frantically trying to figure out the cause of this freak failure, many passengers were largely unaware that anything was wrong.

But eventually, when the passenger oxygen masks dropped as the plane steepened its descent, the news had to be announced.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are all doing our damnedest to get them going again. I trust you are not in too much distress."

Eventually, after quarter of an hour without any power, the engines were brought back to life. Ash had clogged the engines, which only restarted when enough of the molten ash solidified and broke off.

"We glided from 37,000ft to 12,000ft before we got [the engines] going again," recalls Cpt Moody.

The plane headed back to Jakarta where it landed safely, though even then one of the engines had failed again.

It was two days before investigators confirmed that volcanic ash had been responsible for the near disaster. The plane had flown into a cloud of dust spewed out by an eruption of Mount Galunggung, 110 miles south east of Jakarta.

A close examination of the plane revealed the damage a plume of these tiny particles can do to an engine - the tips of the turbine blades had been ground away. The findings were eventually incorporated into a report on the dangers of volcanic ash to aircraft.

Reflecting on the chilling events of that flight 28 years later, Capt Moody, who lives in Camberley in Surrey, shows the sort of understatement characteristic of those in his profession.

"It was, yeah, a little bit frightening."

********************

So, this is the reason why the aircraft have been prevented from flying. Yes, it’s very inconvenient, but I personally would prefer to put up with the inconvenience rather than risking having one or more engines fail whilst I am 37,000 feet thank you very much.

(You can read more about the Jakarta incident on Cpt Moody’s own website -Eric Moody - but please note that the document is in .PDF file format)

Ah well, guess I should call this quits – I'm supposed to be working, not blogging…

Back later (or when I get fed up with work again!)


Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

Vatican reacts to cardinal's gay-link paedophile claim

This is the follow up to the previous story, again from the BBC website. I’ll put my thoughts at the end, as per normal.

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

****************************************************

The Vatican has distanced itself from remarks made by a senior cardinal, who linked homosexuality with paedophilia in the abuse scandal facing the Church.

It was not the responsibility of the Church authorities to make "assertions of a specifically psychological or medical nature", a statement said.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said it was homosexuality - not clerical celibacy - which lay behind the abuse of children.

Earlier, France condemned the cardinal for making "an unacceptable linkage".

Earlier this month, Pope Benedict's personal preacher apologised for having compared criticism of the Roman Catholic Church over abuse allegations to "the collective violence suffered by the Jews".

In a sermon, Father Raniero Cantalamessa likened allegations that the Vatican had systematically hushed up cases of sexual abuse of children by priests to the "most shameful aspects of anti-Semitism", with the use of stereotypes and the spreading of collective guilt.

The Vatican said his remarks did not represent its official view.

'Confession of weakness'

Cardinal Bertone, the Vatican's secretary of state, was attempting to defuse the scandals currently afflicting the Church during a visit to Chile on Monday, when he denied that celibacy was to blame.

"Many psychologists, many psychiatrists have demonstrated that there is no relationship between celibacy and paedophilia but many others have demonstrated, I was told recently, that there is a relationship between homosexuality and paedophilia," he said.

“That is true. I have the documents of the psychologists. That is the problem."

On Tuesday, the Vatican issued a statement questioning the cardinal's decision to discuss the matter, but also detailing its "statistical data" on the abuse of minors by priests.

The truth is that Bertone is clumsily trying to shift attention to homosexuality and away from the focus on new crimes against children that emerge every day

Aurelio Mancuso, former head of Italian gay rights association Arcigay

Ten percent of the cases referred to Church authorities concerned paedophilia in the "strict sense" and the other 90% concerned sex between priests and adolescents, it said.

Of those, 60% had to do with homosexual acts and 30% with heterosexual acts, it added.

Earlier, France - where an estimated 60% of the population are Catholic - criticised Cardinal Bertone's remarks.

"This is an unacceptable linkage and we condemn this," foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero told reporters in Paris.

"France is firmly engaged in the struggle against discrimination and prejudice linked to sexual orientation and gender identity."

In Italy, gay rights activist Aurelio Mancuso accused the cardinal of "clumsily trying to shift attention to homosexuality and away from the focus on new crimes against children that emerge every day".

Commentators in the Italian press also criticised the remarks.

In Corriere della Sera, Piero Ostellino said the Pope should be "protected" from the "imprudent remarks of some high prelates", while La Repubblica's Francesco Merlo said the "Church is hurting itself, not homosexuals".

The attempt to link homosexuality with paedophilia was a "dramatic confession of weakness [betraying] the confused state in which the Catholic Church now finds itself," Mr Merlo added.

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For once, the Catholic Church has spoken out to distance itself from comments made by a senior church member. But this doesn’t help the fact that this seems to be coming from the very heart of the Church, and all it does is alienate people from the Church, and give more ammunition to the critics.


K.

Vatican comment on paedophiles draws gay groups' anger

Again, another story from the BBC website, and as per normal, I’ll put my thoughts and comments at the end of the post.

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

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Gay rights activists have criticised a Vatican official who sought to link homosexuality to paedophilia when commenting on child sex abuse scandals.  

The UK's Stonewall group said it was astonishing gay people should still be dealing with "such an offensive myth".

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone had said homosexuality, not celibacy, lay behind the child sex abuse scandals.

The cardinal, the Vatican's foreign minister, was speaking in Chile, where his comments were also condemned.

Cardinal Bertone was attempting to defuse the scandals currently afflicting the Catholic Church, which are largely cases of priests molesting children, mainly boys, the BBC's David Willey reports from Rome.

He added that some "surprising" initiatives regarding the sex abuse scandal would soon be revealed but did not elaborate.

'I have the documents'

Visiting the Chilean capital Santiago on Monday, Cardinal Bertone told a news conference: "Many psychologists, many psychiatrists have demonstrated that there is no relationship between celibacy and paedophilia but many others have demonstrated, I was told recently, that there is a relationship between homosexuality and paedophilia.

"That is true. I have the documents of the psychologists. That is the problem."

Patricio Walker, a Chilean senator who helped draft anti-paedophile laws, said he would like to see what scientific studies the cardinal was referring to because he thought he was wrong.

A Chilean communist MP, Hugo Gutierrez, told AFP news agency: "Celibacy does more damage to a human being than homosexuality, which is a freely made choice.

"I'm shocked by these words from a senior dignitary of the Church."

In Rome, the head of Italian gay rights group Gaylib, Enrico Oliari, said it was "worrying that the foreign minister of a state that occupies the heart of the Italian capital would use arguments that are considered passé even in the Third World".

Aurelio Mancuso, former president of a Italian gay rights association Arcigay, said: "The truth is that Bertone is clumsily trying to shift attention to homosexuality and away from the focus on new crimes against children that emerge every day."

The Pope's spokesman has indicated that Benedict may have a discreet private meeting with victims of clerical sexual abuse in Malta during his visit there this coming weekend.

The Pope should not feel he is under the pressure of the glare of the media if such a meeting takes place, Fr Federico Lombardi said, so that he can listen and communicate with them.

In Malta, 10 men have taken three Catholic priests to court for alleged child abuse in their youth and have asked to meet the Pope. There has been a high incidence of reported cases on the small Mediterranean island, whose inhabitants are mainly Catholic, our Rome correspondent notes.

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What planet is this guy on? I thought that thoughts (and comments) like this belonged back in the dark ages. Ok, I know that the Catholic Church doesn’t approve of homosexuality, but this guy is seen as second only to the Pope in importance.

It’s comments like this that really damage the image of the Church, and give more ammunition to people like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens.

Time to call this quits – I’ve been given some work to do, much to my disgust.

Back later.

K.