Chavez of the Lower Fourth
Is not the most annoying feeling in the world that of eating an apparently perfect peach and finding it to be mushy, brown and generally rather unpleasant?
Ok, perhaps not the most annoying. But the risk is often the reward with fruit.
Changing tack entirely, I couldn't quite work out what President Chavez' rant about President Bush (the 'alcoholic daddy's boy') reminded me of until I reprimanded one of the Lower Fourth for saying 'fuck.' Then it struck me: Hugo Chavez is the adolescent of Latin America, throwing out oaths in a desperate desire to shock the adults. Venezuela is being run by a man in the throes of a teenage strop.
On the BBC's splendid website, a member of the public - always a risky business, and whoever invented the phone-in has much to answer for - commented that 'Afghanistan and Iraq show that America will stop at nothing in pursuit of its interests.' To which the best response is probably that recommended for all historians by the late - and deeply lamented, at least by me who knows him only through Modus Operandi - Yale professor Robin Winks; that is, 'And So What?'
A more serious and considered criticism came from Menzies Campbell at the Lib Dem Conference. Sir Ming attacked Tony Blair for a foreign policy that 'elevated belief over evidence, conviction over judgment, and instinct over understanding.' Of course it's not fair - when has a party conference speech been fair? - but it is true enough to send shivers down Labour spines. With two-thirds of the country having decided that the government does not deserve a third term, this raises the frightening prospect of David Cameron's happy wanderers sauntering into Downing St. Whether the prospect is more or less alarming with Ming at his side as Foreign Secretary in a Coalition Government is open to debate, but neither make me any less inclined to Gordon Brown.
Also in today's paper was news of Fine Cut Seville Orange Marmalade with Whisky, Champagne and Gold (at c£5000 per jar, enough to put Paddington in a coma). Apart from reminding me unpleasantly of Goldschlager, and there is simply no other way to be reminded of the vile stuff, why would anybody want to taste whisky and champagne together?
Good news of the day was Monty's putt at the final hole to send Europe into the second day with a 5-3 lead. As seven of the eight matches went to the final hole, I'm quite glad I didn't watch the Ryder Cup: not only would I have accomplished nothing today, I'm not sure my nerves would have coped.
Ok, perhaps not the most annoying. But the risk is often the reward with fruit.
Changing tack entirely, I couldn't quite work out what President Chavez' rant about President Bush (the 'alcoholic daddy's boy') reminded me of until I reprimanded one of the Lower Fourth for saying 'fuck.' Then it struck me: Hugo Chavez is the adolescent of Latin America, throwing out oaths in a desperate desire to shock the adults. Venezuela is being run by a man in the throes of a teenage strop.
On the BBC's splendid website, a member of the public - always a risky business, and whoever invented the phone-in has much to answer for - commented that 'Afghanistan and Iraq show that America will stop at nothing in pursuit of its interests.' To which the best response is probably that recommended for all historians by the late - and deeply lamented, at least by me who knows him only through Modus Operandi - Yale professor Robin Winks; that is, 'And So What?'
A more serious and considered criticism came from Menzies Campbell at the Lib Dem Conference. Sir Ming attacked Tony Blair for a foreign policy that 'elevated belief over evidence, conviction over judgment, and instinct over understanding.' Of course it's not fair - when has a party conference speech been fair? - but it is true enough to send shivers down Labour spines. With two-thirds of the country having decided that the government does not deserve a third term, this raises the frightening prospect of David Cameron's happy wanderers sauntering into Downing St. Whether the prospect is more or less alarming with Ming at his side as Foreign Secretary in a Coalition Government is open to debate, but neither make me any less inclined to Gordon Brown.
Also in today's paper was news of Fine Cut Seville Orange Marmalade with Whisky, Champagne and Gold (at c£5000 per jar, enough to put Paddington in a coma). Apart from reminding me unpleasantly of Goldschlager, and there is simply no other way to be reminded of the vile stuff, why would anybody want to taste whisky and champagne together?
Good news of the day was Monty's putt at the final hole to send Europe into the second day with a 5-3 lead. As seven of the eight matches went to the final hole, I'm quite glad I didn't watch the Ryder Cup: not only would I have accomplished nothing today, I'm not sure my nerves would have coped.
posted by BoB at 3:18 PM
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