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The Glass Box for Friday

Comments

1. At 04:43 PM on 09 Nov 2007, wrote:

   Can anyone spot a ???

   And a little something for the weekend, Sir?

   xx
   ed

   Behold, the fool saith, "Put not all thine eggs in the one basket"--which is but a manner of saying, "Scatter your money and your attention;" but the wise man saith, "Put all your eggs in the one basket and--WATCH THAT BASKET."
   -- Mark Twain, "Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar"

2. At 05:20 PM on 09 Nov 2007, Squirrel wrote:

   
   Ed (1) : Doesn't look good, but what is it indicating?
   

3. At 05:37 PM on 09 Nov 2007, Chris Ghoti wrote:

   About this motorcyclist: the questions I wanted to ask weren't covered.

   They go

   [1] could the head of an individual in a photograph be recognised through what was presumably a full-face crash-helmet?

   [2] Who used his name, and why?

   [3] Why on earth did anyone think journalists could be trusted not to be crass in their questioning of his family if they found out who he was?

   My personal feeling is that I neither wanted nor needed to have the name of a decapitated accident-victim told to me, but I suppose I am part of the public who according to the journalist mantra 'have a right to know'.

4. At 05:41 PM on 09 Nov 2007, Dr Hackenbush wrote:

   Did you notice Brian Hanrahan announcing the Olympic Games going to Glasgow?! Where is the clip, Eric?

5. At 05:44 PM on 09 Nov 2007, Thelma Guest wrote:

   Commonwealth Games

   Hurrah for Glasgow. However, it would have been interesting to know how far the successful Manchester Games overshot their budget???
   If they didn't (my most loathed phrase follows) what 'lessons to be learned' can Glasgow learn from Manchester, the word budget seems to disappear into a fault line once contracts have been signed...
   

6. At 05:46 PM on 09 Nov 2007, The Stainless Steel Cat wrote:

   Nice piece about the Saudi-BAe corruption case and it's dodgy closing down.

   But where were the similar pieces when King Abdullah was visiting? Surely it would have been topical then as well, and interesting to try to get a senior minister to defend the interference in a police case, in light of the PM & his ministers shaking hands with someone with enough influence to cause such interference. You might even have got the SFO to say something before this appeal was in progress.

   On this topic, I can highly recommend the current Private Eye's "Court Circular".

7. At 05:55 PM on 09 Nov 2007, Dr Hackenbush wrote:

   Loved the crustacean joke. Pure Chico Marx, if you ask me. Well done, Ravelli.

8. At 05:58 PM on 09 Nov 2007, Dr Hackenbush wrote:

   P.S. Your weather presenter is doing that whole Wells and Arland thing again...

9. At 06:10 PM on 09 Nov 2007, wrote:

   Squirrel,

   Playing footsie with the Dao that Jingles ;-)

   Gold and oil in unexplored territory, but of course, "It's different this time!"

   Yeah, right!
   xx
   ed

   Class, that's the only thing that counts in life. Class. Without class and style, a man's a bum; he might as well be dead.
   -- "Bugsy" Siegel
   

10. At 06:29 PM on 09 Nov 2007, jacques wrote:

    Have the 'laws' of the english language been changed ? I have frequenly noticed on Radio 4 that 'less' is used when it should have been, 'fewer'. (I have always understood that the word 'less' is used for singular nouns and 'fewer' for the plurals)

    Jonathan Dimbleby did it when he gave the publicity for the programme 'Any Questions' at about 17h30 UTC.

    Was it only me, or did other listeners notice this ? I have developed the tactic of shouting the word "fewer" at the radio when I hear (to my ears) this error.

11. At 06:36 PM on 09 Nov 2007, Perky wrote:

    Dr H - I did indeed hear that the Olympics were going to Glasgow on WATO today. It took me by surprise, I can tell you.

    Good for them to win the Commonwealth Games though. I think Manchester has really benefitted from its hosting of the Games and Glasgow has already proved it can do international events, so I'm sure it will pull all the stops out and give us a great show. The question is: will it eclipse what London can do with the Olympics?

12. At 06:38 PM on 09 Nov 2007, Dr Hackenbush wrote:

    Jacques, this very issue was raised on Feedback today.

13. At 06:51 PM on 09 Nov 2007, Deepthought wrote:

    Jacques (10),

    The very point - less & fewer - was discussed on Feedback this lunchtime - or repeated on Sunday at 20:00 GMT.

    Hum, I know I've been in and out, but missed the Hanrahan part on WATO, and the crustacean joke (as well as all of the last 15 minutes).
    

14. At 07:27 PM on 09 Nov 2007, wrote:

    For Pedants' corner:

    I've noticed quite a few folk use 'higher' as a verb when I would use 'raise'.

    Salaaams
    ed

    The difference between common-sense and paranoia is that common-sense is thinking everyone is out to get you. That's normal -- they are. Paranoia is thinking that they're conspiring.
    -- J. Kegler
    

15. At 09:34 PM on 09 Nov 2007, Deepthought wrote:

    Perky (11),

    Thanks for clearing up that one. If only it were true. Why does the UK think it must try for every conceivable sporting event world cup/whatever every time it's due....

    So only the crustacean joke to be repeated (as it were)...

16. At 11:03 PM on 09 Nov 2007, Dr Hackenbush wrote:

    Can you name any crustaceans indigenous to London?

    There is King’s-crustacean, Charing-crustacean and of course St Pan-crustacean.

17. At 03:00 PM on 10 Nov 2007, Roger Sawyer wrote:

    Hello All,

    Thank you for your comments. Not much for me to say really.

    Have good weekends,

    Rog

18. At 04:59 PM on 10 Nov 2007, Anil wrote:

    Ms Bhutto has been moving through Islamabad under tight security. Good
    
    May be Blackwater's brain dead trigger happy rednecks can be given a contract to protect her and oops!!!!!!!!! kill a few Pakistanis for fun at a road junction in Islamabad and do hi-fives and You Tube it
    
    All Bhutto has to do is make a phone call to Condi Rice. The rednecks will come in plane loads. Armed to the teeth with plenty of Humvees.

19. At 06:19 PM on 10 Nov 2007, pippop wrote:

    I'm spitting venom. Never before have I been so outrgared but I am completely beside myself afte hearing the statement from the MCB. I simply must speak out. I'm not a Jew nor am I religious. Whee is Rabbi J. Sacks?
    
    I am seriously outraged by the statement from the MCB that they are being treated in a manner similar to the Jews in Nazi Germany! This outrageous analogy does not fit at all. The Jews in Germany were not trying to blow up their 'host' community. They were a constructive, economically productive and integrated part of German culture at the time that the Nazi's wished to identify them as separate from the Aryan German and they did this for economic reasons not initially for racial ones.

    Muslims here to day in the Uk on the other hand are not a race, many, in fact many more than we care to acknowledge (e.g. 1 in 10 young Muslim males think 'honour' killing is an acceptable way to discipline their women!) do NOT want to integrate with Western culture, in fact the MCB stated in this outrageous attempt to claim further victim status on a par with the German Jew in 1930s that we should consider showing more respect for Muslims by absorbing some aspects of sharia law!

    Where the analogy could work is in the way that Hitler came to power through a back door but by democratic means and then when in power shut down the democracy. That is precisely IMO what would happen here if we were to see Muslim power getting to Downing street my majority democratic elections. They would then shut down the democracy and replace it with a sharia led theocracy.
    
    This analogy MUST be challenged it is historically incorrect and quite sickening.