I don’t know if squirrels abound where you live, but I can tell you that they abound here. Seems they’ve done a lot of “abounding” this year—the fruit of their loins has been particularly bountiful. More seeds and nuts around than normal, perhaps? And the curious thing is that they all seem to have chicken fixations. It’s not that they… Read more »
I recently took a tour round the historic area of a university town. A guide provided commentary as he punted us from building to building. One that he pointed out was covered in climbing ivy, but he informed us that it was ivory that adorned the walls. You may think this a slip of the tongue until I tell you… Read more »
Headline: Japanese electric toilet symbols go global “The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry says it’s aimed at making life less daunting for tourists visiting the country, especially given the rush of visitors expected for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.” Antescript: You can read in some depth about the Japanese toilets at these links. Link 1 … Read more »
Headline: Egypt zoo accused of painting donkey to look like zebra “Dad… can we go the Disney enclosure now?” Ptolemy Uppchuk was bored and wanted to go see the brightly-coloured creatures that the Syewdoh Zoo had on show in the “Disney Enclosure”. “Don’t you want to see the bears?” replied his father. “They’ve got polar, black and grizzly bears, and… Read more »
Have you noticed how, when people are gathered and sharing food from a buffet table, they’re reluctant to take the last piece or portion or whatever? Is this a practice that’s codified in a book of etiquette somewhere? Is it an unwritten rule? Or is it just that nobody wants to be “that person” that deprives the rest of the… Read more »
Short and sweet (or it might be puff and spice) this week. I wrote this back in February for a cub scout campfire, but didn’t use it. Seemed a waste not to use it, so since I hate wasting food, here it is. O camembert, sour dough and grated ham Choux pastry, spuds, in olives, nuts and spam With apple… Read more »
(If this annoys you too, please share. If you like my writing generally, please share.) This week’s piece is a rant. By nature, I’m a ranty sort of person, so writing a rant should be easy—all I need is a topic, and the title of this piece should give you a clue what it is. I’m old enough to have… Read more »
News item: Barnstaple’s pink seagull is ‘talk of the town’ This is the fourth story in the ongoing saga of the Gull family. All have been inspired by stories about gulls on the BBC’s website. Although this instalment stands on its own, you may want to read “Previously on Gullsville…” below before wading through the ordure that is Gullsville Episode… Read more »
Boomers—do you read, listen and view appropriately for your age? Related question; what do you think someone your age should consume, culture-wise? This is the last of three articles that discuss age-appropriate behaviour (or misbehaviour). Now that we’ve got guidelines for how we should act at a certain age, and we’ve discussed our wardrobe choices (without reaching any conclusions, I… Read more »
(Note: My comments below on various comestibles and gadgets are only my opinion. You may think, believe or opine otherwise, and I respect that!) What is it with sliced bread? Why was it chosen to be the gold standard for new things? I’ll admit it’s convenient. But convenience is about the only thing that Kraft Singles and KD have going… Read more »