Thursday, January 18, 2007

THIS AND THAT

THIS AND THAT
Aside

I was dubious on Monday about doing a post on Celebrity Big Brother, but I did it anyway.  Little did I think that by Wednesday there would be questions in Parliament, headlines in all the media and Chancellor Brown would have his visit to India overshadowed by the debacle?  Effigies of Channel 4 producers were burnt in India and there have been over 17,000 protests.  According to a reporter on the Jeremy Vine programme speaking from Mumbai, the Indian people who can’t see the programme, are surprised and shocked by the reports they have read.  They felt pride when Shilpa was selected for the programme now there is a movement to ‘Save Shilpa’ and they say Shilpa will fight back with non-violence.

Under pressure OFCOM have now got involved and are monitoring events carefully.  Some people feel that the possibility of hidden racism means that it is a good thing to have prompted a debate on what is the real situation in this country.
So far Channel 4 have dismissed the whole affair as ‘cultural differences’ and seem content to see their previously falling ratings go sky high.  Shame on them!

On a happier note we drove into the Quantocks yesterday for lunch. I was pleased we weren’t asked at the bar, did I want a large or a small glass of wine.  When did this irritating habit start?  The barman asks one’s husband, who calls over to ask, by which time everyone is interested to know the answer.  If you say a large one you could be a lush and if you say a small one you feel cheated.  I don’t want to be asked; I want a normal sized glass of wine and it’s quite possible that I may have a second.  OK?
We had a pretty dining room with views of the Brendons.
Geography: - if you drive from Taunton to Minehead, before you get to Williton the hills on the left are the Brendons and the hills on the right are the Quantocks.  Yesterday the former were a delicate green and the latter a golden russet.  No photos as my camera is misbehaving.

Awful storms again today and my heart goes out to ‘those in peril in the sea’

Eternal Father, strong to save,Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,Who biddest the mighty ocean deepIts own appointed limits keep;Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,For those in peril on the sea.

Words by William Whitchurch.  Music by John Dykes

I googled it and actually got the hymn played - a rarity on this computer.  The hymn was a favourite of Franklyn D Roosevelt and it was played at his funeral.  I give thanks to Google almost daily.

Turns out the thunderous rolling sound I heard just above my head a while ago was a tile blown off the roof, which has crashed through the back porch roof and decimated my streptocarpus. Fortunately neither of us was there at the time.

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Pat - I checked out your blog after seeing your comment in Ivan the Terrible's swansong post (after which he kindly, if belatedly, linked to you). Just want to say that I'm really enjoying reading it, excited to see what happens and I think I'm going to show it to Mother, who was born in 1945 and trained as a nurse in Belfast and Queen Charlotte's, London. I think she'd like it, and she should be sufficiently net-savvy to cope with reading a blog - she's certainly good at tracking down webcams in the places my brother and I have travelled to!
Thank you.

Pat said...

Lizzy; that's really sweet. Dear Ivan - I miss him. If you are not the same Lizzy who has commented before - well anyway - welcome.
I hope your mother does enjoy it. She's just a young whipper snapper!

Z said...

Just go large, Pat, as I do...the barman sort of knows the answer as he asks the question.

I hope you don't lose any more tiles tonight, nor suffer any more damage.

I'm drinking Best Bitter out of a glass tonight, you'll be pleased to know...

love from chastened Z

ps - tonight's word verification is jqsshit. Pat! I'm shocked.

Sam, Problem-Child-Bride said...

Keep safe in the wild weather, Pat. it sounds ungodly fierce. Mind yer streptocarpi now! I've heard you can lose one and still be OK but lose two and people have to be called in. ;)

x

kenju said...

Pat, you smack that camera and make it mind!

Pat said...

z: I'll try to keep it large! It has quietened down now thank goodness.
Actually WV can be quite amusing and relevant in the strangest way. And maddening!

Sam: the weather precluded shopping today and I had no hazelnut yoghourt to put on my strawberries. They go nicely with cassis! And my cassis is going...nicely:)

Judy: I think that is just what it needs. The lens keeps coming out, going back in then coming out again.

Dee said...

good post. You asked why waiters and such ask that question about large and small sizes and when did it start. I think it started with mcdonalds when they started supersizing and it just snowballed. I hate it. It is very hard when you are trying to lose weight.

Pat said...

Hi Dee and welcome! That's interesting. It's insidious and hard to resist. I remember being shocked recently at the cinema at the bucket sized pop corn and cola containers.
We should strike and insist on normal sizes.

Anonymous said...

You're lucky.

I haven't had my streptocarpus decimated for weeks.

Pat said...

andrewm: thanks! I enjoyed that!

Drama Queen said...

God, I really have been living in a tree (ok Brussels). I have no idea what is going on in the UK re Big Brother.

Typical UK stressing about a TV prog when the rest of the world seems more bothered about the death poll due to the wind. . .

Thanks for letting me visit (not that you had much of a say).

Pat said...

Hi DQ and welcome! Come any time. we have a soft spot for visitors from Belgium.

Anonymous said...

Just order wine like you would beer -- in pints.

Pat said...

Bur Randall- I'm a lady - allegedly!

Dr Maroon said...

You ARE a lady, so when asked in future, you must call across the room in your best RP voice,(the one you use on the telephone),
"Oh darling! Tell the little man to bring the bottle over."
Then smile and look out the window.
The women in the bar may hate you for it, but all the men will immediately fall at your feet.

ps 'lush' is a word we don't use nearly enough these days. I like it.

Pat said...

Hi doc! So the concensus seems to be I have a large one. I shall do my best to please the majority. Thanks for your help.

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Please, please Europe, keep the high winds over there. I've been reading about them on other blogs too. eek.

Hehe, I like Dr Maroon's comment. Which reminds me, I have an aunt who dislikes most women, especially if they're brighter, more accomplished than her.

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Please, please Europe, keep the high winds over there. I've been reading about them on other blogs too. eek.

Hehe, I like Dr Maroon's comment. Which reminds me, I have an aunt who dislikes most women, especially if they're brighter, more accomplished than her.

Anonymous said...

I know what you mean about the barman asking the husband what the wife will have, even if she is standing next to me.

When this happens my ladyfriend goes absolutely berserk and tells the barman/host or whoever that she is neither deaf, blind, crippled, mentally retarded, etc. and would so much to be treated as a human being in her own right! At that point I usually fade descreetly into the background and wait for the ground to open up and swallow me.......

Pat said...

Keith ; it's funny the little rituals that still exist in the pub. When I was a gel, ladies didn't go in and were positively discouraged in the north. My husband is very oldfashioned in this regard; no lady is allowed to pay for her drink, I am discouraged from standing at the bar and he positively bristles if a lady dares to put her handbag on the bar which I'm afraid I do from time to time just to tease him.

Pat said...

OK GG: I'll try to keep the winds here at least until my washing's dry!

Bobkat said...

I know the hills you write about Pat :-) I used to drive down the M5 quite a bit.

I'm fed up with the BB debacle I'm afraid. Having worked in entertainment I know that it will all be about ratings and money!

I am right with you about the glass of wine thing!

David beat me on Michele's meet n greet but I thought I would drop by anyway!

Anonymous said...

What a pleasure your blog is. I'm so glad you commented at Micheles' so I could find you.

I will definitely be back.

Michele says hi :)

Pat said...

bob-kat: glad you dropped by. I've probably said my last word on CBB. And the hills sy Hi!

sarch: welcome and do come again.

Prego said...

We once paid $7 for a glass of wine that looked half full - that was quite irritating.

nice to see you - here via michele.

Pat said...

prego: welcome! very irritating I agree.

Anonymous said...

Hi. Michele sent me.

When you wrote about the hymm, I could hear the tune. For one simple reason: In the movie Titanic, it is the hymmm depicted as being sung in the church service the morning the ship sank. I'm sure I went a total different direction than you had planned with your post; it evoked in me memories of my first date with my husband!

Pat said...

welcome blond girl: it is a very evocative hymn. I'm happy if it brought back happy memories.

Anonymous said...

Hi from Michele's.

I really feel that reality tv needs to go away. Do I even want to know what's going on with it in the UK?

Pat said...

Welcome andrea: considering how unpopular reality TV is, it's a puzzle that anyone warches it:)

Michael K. Althouse said...

I guess the old adage, "there's no such thing as bad publicity," is a universal truth.

I heard about the monster winds y'all have been getting. I hope all is well,

Michele does too,

Mike

Pat said...

Hi Mike! We had some roof damage but missed injury. About a dozen people were not so lucky. Thanks for asking.

LanternLight said...

Why do people watch that 'orrible show I wonder.
(Michele sent me :-) )

Pat said...

Hi and welcome LL: insatiable curiosity about the human condition I suppose.

utenzi said...

I had no idea about how big the controversy over Big Brother had gotten, Pat. On the other hand, I have heard numerous reports on how bad the storm damage in Great Britain has been. Some of the video they've been showing on CNN is quite frightening. I hope it doesn't affect you unduly, Pat.

Michele sent me over.

Pat said...

Hi Utenzi thanks for your concern. We were lucky and didn't happen to be in the back porch when a ridge tile came crashing through. Today we have sun, gloom. rain and hailstones- typical day in the UK!