Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Memory Loss

1988

Iran Air Flight 655

300 killed

66 children


"The US government has never admitted responsibility or apologised for the tragedy.

Some believe the Lockerbie bombing, carried out six months later in December 1988, was masterminded by Iranians in revenge for the Airbus tragedy, although a Libyan man was convicted and jailed in 2001.

In February 1996 the US agreed to pay Iran $61.8 million in compensation for the 248 Iranians killed, plus the cost of the aircraft and legal expenses.

It had already paid a further $40 million to the other countries whose nationals were killed".*


Now, you were saying, MISTER FBI?


* from the BBC

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Rough

Friday, August 07, 2009

Twitter

To witter:

something silly
short
almost meaningless

Poetry; Crass; Cynical.
In reply to @nobody about 2 mins ago


I may regret this.
Then again
maybe not.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Frank McCourt 19th July 2009

I read Angela's Ashes but didn't warm to it. Not really. Too grim. Sure, go ahead. Read it: it will do you good but I don't really want to read it again.

I love the warmer bits in Frank's life. Like in 'Tis how he soaked for hours and hours in a hot bath as the only way of keeping warm. And where he goes back to have lunch and a laugh with Horace, "offering me another chunk of sandwich telling me I could use a few pounds on my bones....the power of this sadness that tells me this won't come again, this sandwich, this beer on the pier with Horace that makes me feel so happy all I can do is weep with the sadness in it..."

A sandwich figures in Teacher Man, too. "This bread was dark and thick, baked by an Italian mother in Brooklyn, bread firm enough to hold slices of a rich baloney, layered with slices of tomato, onions and peppers, drizzled with olive oil and charged with a tongue-dazzling relish". A youngster threw the sandwich. Frank ate it. It was classroom management and it worked.

Well done, Frank.

Thanks.

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Get well soon...

Interesting article here.
Well, it caught my eye.
I enjoyed exploring
the use of words
especially "slash".

As there is Society
does it have a memory?
Are we heading for a
token Peace Hour
in the Notional Curriculum?

And has anyone out there
met Ferdinand the Bull?

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Typing Speed Test 22a

The Big Bang Theory

In the beginning, every word and meaning that ever was or will be, was packed into a tiny tiny space. Then BANG! In 0.00000000000001 seconds, meaning and understanding expanded in all directions and continues to do so. Of course, your average "developed" Joe is unaware of all this. He is more interested in the latest score and which greedy bastard claimed what for dog food.

Signs of the (Irish)Times - 2

Beware of the Bulls

Beware of the Bear

For Sale
Celtic Tigers
Only two left

Clean up after your TD
Use a poop scoop or plastic bag

You're Going The Wrong Way
- Turn Back!

School Ahead - Slow - Slower

Do not obstruct the view
Planners will be prosecuted

Thinking Allowed

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Iraq inquiry...

And now
Freedom of Information
is a private matter
between dissenting adults

Monday, June 15, 2009

Choice fruit fruits

This
morning
morning's
subject
matter
matters:

A punnet of "mixed fruit";
the church bell
tolls
tolling
for a funeral;
the usual
politic
politics;
or
Aung San Suu Kyi's
trial
trials?

Decision postponed
generals
generally.

Monday, March 30, 2009

38

yes
wait an age for a bus
with or without god
or better still
a friendly conductor.

Monday, February 02, 2009

It's a thing we can't deny*

"nine million bicycles in Beijing"
has a certain ring to it;
"26 million out of work in China"
sounds a much bumpier ride.


*appropriate credits to Katie Melua

A Good Childhood Report?

On the BBC this morning: "The aggressive pursuit of personal success by adults is now the greatest threat to British children, a major independent report on childhood says".

This major independent report will be published this week by The Children' Society.

The full title of The Children's Society is The Church of England Children's Society.

Full details here.

Also interesting that "The Good Childhood" is a registered trademark of The Children's Society - sorry, The Church of England's Children's Society.

It will be interesting to see what is in the above report.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Gerald Kaufman MP: Israel acting like Nazis in Gaza

I did hear some mention of Gerald Kaufman's speach in Parliament the other day. He should have been quoted more widely.

"My grandmother was ill in bed when the Nazis came to her home town of Staszów. A German soldier shot her dead in her bed. Madam Deputy Speaker, my grandmother did not die to provide cover for Israeli soldiers murdering Palestinian grandmothers in Gaza. The present Israeli government ruthlessly and cynically exploit the continuing guilt among Gentiles over the slaughter of Jews in the Holocaust as justification for their murder of Palestinians. The implication is that Jewish lives are precious, but the lives of Palestinians do not count. On Sky News a few days ago, the spokeswoman for the Israeli Army Major Livovich was asked about the Israeli killing of, at that time, eight hundred Palestinians. The total is now a thousand. She replied instantly, "Five hundred of them were militants." That was the reply of a Nazi. I suppose the Jews fighting for their lives in the Warsaw Ghetto could have been dismissed as militants.

and

"Hamas is a deeply nasty organization, but it was democratically elected, and it is the only game in town.

and

"It's time for our government to make clear to the Israeli government that its conduct and policies are unacceptable and to impose a total arms ban on Israel. It is time for peace, but real peace, not the solution by conquest, which is the Israelis' real goal, but which is impossible for them to achieve. They're not simply war criminals; they're fools."

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Kaufman

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qMGuYjt6CP8