A slight f-list purge was in order.

I've not signed up for Twitter and I don't really want to see parts of conversations from Twitter on my friends list.

Ah well.

I can't be bothered with the html...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7397867.stm

Nice to see priorities are straight down under.

Speaking as someone who is not exactly enamoured by those who practice séances and the like I rather welcome news of the change in the law currently being mooted in the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Northern Ireland no less). However those who would practice such things are not happy at all.

Personally I'm all for those who would describe themselves as a Medium (although not in every case obviously; I describe myself as a Medium when I'm asked about T-shirt size but I think people can safely take my word for it) being forced to explain that what they do is a load of old hogwash not proven and results may be absolutely worthless unreliable for the person showing up for help.

Contrary to what a lot of the protestors are saying, this has absolutely nothing to do with attacking religions other than Christianity but rather about forcing those who set up business backing up their claims.

I am a firm believer in the scientific method as a way of finding our way around what is and what is not happening but I would be extremely wary if religions were forced to prove that what they say is true or what they do would be illegal. Religion doesn't work like that and it isn't the place of science to get involved in matters of faith.

However, if anyone decides that there's money to be made out of people by setting up shop as a Medium or, more dangerous in my opinion, a psychic healer, then they should be held accountable for their results.

There is a very good reason why many practitioners are bleating but on that subject I shall leave the last word to xkcd.

Well we've seen Kangeroo Vs Shark but now we've seen Python Vs Alligater!

If you click on the "Enlarge image" button you will not only get, well, an enlarged image, but also the description "The python tried to swallow the alligator whole and then exploded" which sounds like the best action scene in the whole World.

I particularly like the fact that this was seen as some kind of species re-match. Apparently "there had been four known encounters between the two species in the past. In the other cases, the alligator won or the battle was an apparent draw".

I think this encounter ended up being headed under "draw" as well.

I have been reading a bit about the views of various people on the ethics of human/animal hybrid emryos and found a bit on the BBC news pages with some quotes from some of the major players in the debate in the UK.

Now this entry is not anything so arrogant as an attempt at 'the answer' to this issue but the last two quotes on that page bother me rather a lot.

However, many, if not all of you, won't be interested so I'll just pop it under this here ( cut. )

Tetanus shots and practicing good hygiene are very important. I would certainly say that it's a very good thing that health officials are putting that message out there.

However, I would say that the health officials in The Phillipines could possibly put out another message.

Something along the lines of, oh I don't know, quit whipping yourselves and nailing yourselves to crucifixes you blithering idiots.

Just now, DJ-Ho66es was playing some Eisbrecher (he's a big fan of kraut rock and, well, lots of things really) and he played a song called Mein Blut.

There were some seriously growly vocals but as the song was in german "mein blut" could just as easily be about going to the blood transfusion service, giving a donation and then having tea and biscuits in a church hall... IT WOULD SOUND JUST AS ANGRY IN GERMAN.

I'm a bit confused about a couple of things and I wonder if any passing Americans could shed some light on the subject.

Firstly, some background.

Politically I'm a bit on the left of things what with the wanting people to be helped and all with a smattering of a few other things about healthcare, taxation and whatnot but we can leave that for now. What is pertinant is that as a result of this I tend to prefer it when the US has a Democrat in charge of the country. Now, obviously I'm not all that happy about what Bush Jnr has been up to around the World but at least it looked like it meant that whoever came in on behalf of the Republicans was going to lose and that basically all the Democrats had to do was turn up.

So, the first of the couple of things about which I'm confused.

Why the hell are the Democrats refusing to turn up? The sheer, seething hatred, that one part of the party has for the other astounds me. Don't get me wrong, I like the fact that the supporters of Clinton care and that the supporters of Obama care... but to care enough to eviscerate their party? Just what the hell do they think they're doing?

To my mind it is utter insanity to fight to what looks awfully like the death over something that is supposed to be about getting power for the party and helping people. What are they playing at?

OK, the second thing.

One of the things that's being levelled at Hillary Clinton is that if she gets in then she'll be Bill's pawn, his way of getting back into power and ruling over the American people once again. Now, maybe people are this stupid but wasn't one of the main things levelled at Bill Clinton the accusation that he was a pawn of Hillary's? Didn't a lot of the Republican venom directed at him suggest that he was some kind of reasonably charming idiot who was in the hands of a scheming nutcase who would actually be running the country?

I distinctly remember a joke along the lines of them passing a petrol gas station and Hillary pointing out that the guy tending the pumps was an ex of hers. Bill makes a light-hearted comment about her life could have ended up with her being married to a pump attendant to which she replies that actually, the attendant would have turned out to be the next President of the US. Much laughter about Bill bieng an idiot and Hillary being an amazing, yet sinister, politico.

Upon what exactly is the accusation of being Bill's pawn based? The idea that they're taking it in turns to get elected so that the other one can have power? Is the idea that it's for a bet? For shits and giggles? What? Or is it different people (it doesn't appear to be from what I've seen but y'know, if so please do tell) making this accusation?

Thoughts please... I really can't get my head around these things.

For anyone who didn't notice last night Baroness Thatcher was described as stable.

I never thought I'd hear the mad old bat described as that.

Tom Cruise gets scarier every time I see him: http://gawker.com/5002269/the-cruise-indoctrination-video-scientology-tried-to-suppress

I think the music is supposed to make him seem more impressive... but when he laughs at the end... it just makes him seem more of a maniac.

... we've been off for a week and now we've returned; very relaxed but rather worn out.

I've been reading a bit of the news while I've been away but not a huge amount and I was just wondering something; at the start of last week did someone jump Beck while he was listening to his Captain Beefheart records and knife him to death just before feeding his ghostspleen into the Intertubes?

It's just a feeling that I've got with some of the spam that I've found in my inbox upon my return. The vague feeling that you get when you think that spammers may have switched from using zombie computers and are instead using Beck's spirit-bile to generate e-mails.

From: Trina Clayton
Subject: BulkyErectileorganJeannine
Body: WallaceCosmicDick

From: Roosevelt Fritz
Subject: CassieWide-rangingPhallus
Body: GreatestBodypartLouise

From: Refugio Cervantes
Subject: BrittneyPhallusPuffy
Body: CockSuperMaurice

From: Sandy Hooks
Subject: ErectileorganBulkyRene
Body: DickGiganticDominic

From: Ines Adkins
Subject: DickGiganticHerminia
Body: OdisFuckstickOversize

It's not quite poetic enough to be old Don Glen Vliet... and there's not enough reference to drunken men hiring prostitues for it to be Tom Waits... so that leaves Beck.

Logic, pure and simple.

As Sherlock Holmes said; "How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?" Then again, he also said; "Now get me my opium pipe you gormless numpty; I've got violinist's neck again."

Probably.

It's bright.

So very, very bright.

Please, someone, turn down the Sun's dimmer a notch or two...

Merry Christmas to one and all!

Things are about to get a lot worse! War declared against Iran!

OK, so not really (although I'd take it as an act of aggression) but how exactly does Chris De Burgh get to be classed under "Entertainment"? What else are they going to put under "Entertainment"? Having your eyeballs sandpapered?

I ran this past DJ-Hobbes and he said that would be "more entertaining and possibly slightly less painful"... certainly, and even more so if you get to do it to Chris De Burgh is what I say.

No, not an indy film... but a question that has puzzled people for... um... OK, it's probably never puzzled anyone but anyhoo; it is now half answered...

Now we just need to set up a match on land and I think that we can see how that pans out.

Just as predictably I would er... predict... but y'know, I think we should be told!

I really should be sleeping right now so that my hangover recovery can take full effect... but I'm watching something.

Specifically I'm watching "100 Most Blinding Videos Ever" which has got some fairly mediocre videos in it to be honest mixed in with some interesting ones (currently at Nº2 which is Sledgehammer... which has at least got the good grace to be innovative and I happen to like it) but the one that got me earlier was that at Nº30 was November Rain.

November Rain.

By Guns 'N' Roses.

November fucking Rain by Guns 'N' fucking Roses.

I can only presume that it got into the list of blinding videos because there is a significant portion of the population who, upon hearing that they'd have to watch it, gouged out their own eyes to prevent this from happening.

Oh... Nº1 is Thriller... fair enough.

Well now that I know that I can go to bed... nighty night one and all!

Tonight Liverpool managed to beat a team 8-0 in the Champion's League.

This is the biggest defeat in Champion's League history!

I think there'll be some seriously crushed hopes for the team later in the season but when we get Torres back, if we carry on trying to hammer teams, we can get some really good results.

8-0.

Get in.

... I've just re-read my last entry ( http://tired-spirit.livejournal.com/125503.html ) and I've realised something:

My entries just go from bard to verse.

B'dum tsch!

Thank you, thank you... I'm here all week. Try the veal.

Again I sit and try my best
To get myself in state to rest
I want to take my mind so deep
Into the soft darkness of sleep

I try to clear my weary mind
To think of things both warm and kind
And then I plan my stratagem
Two sleeping pills washed down with Stella ought to do the trick

...

At least it better had because I'm getting bored with this shit.

There are the people who get and like my jokes... and then there are the people who don't live in my head.

The administration staff at my place cover reception on a rotation basis. No, that doesn't mean that they spin plates all over the reception area or anything (hey, the guys in my left temporal lobe thought that was hilarious so screw you... no, not you... you) it means that they take it in turns on the front desk.

The other day Linda* was on reception opening the post and she came across (and by that I mean she found it, not that... OK, it was just me that thought that I guess... carry on) a CV from a guy named Christian*. She actually squeed.

Linda: "Christian. We've got an application from a guy named Christian!"
Everyone else: *No response as... well, none of us really cared.
Linda: "I've always liked the name Christian. It always makes me think they're really classy."
Me: "It always makes me want to feed them to lions."
Linda: "What?"
Me: "The name Christian. It always makes me want to feed the person to lions."
Linda: "..."
Me: "It's what you do to Christians... It's a Roman thing."

Linda then gave me a 'look'. Now I can't guarantee it but I don't think that it was an impressed look.

Now I don't know about you... and quite possibly I don't care about you either... but I don't think that it's 'too soon' to be making jokes about Christians being fed to lions. I would say that a 2000 year cushion meant that we could go with it. I know that I make jokes that a lot of people think are a bit on the dodgy side which means that on occasions I'm left wondering "too soon?"

I always come up with the answer; "tough shit" but that's not the point right now.

Anyway, it's getting on a bit so I think it's time I headed out to get some food. I was supposed to be cooking but I couldn't be bothered today so we're having Chinese instead.

Not as healthy but a hell of a lot easier.

*Names have remained unchanged because I'm really fucking lazy and in the case of Christian would make the whole thing seem really weird. I mean, if I'd suggested that someone called, for example, Steve made me want to feed th... ah... now... have you come to the footnote where the stars are or are you reading it at the end? Hmm... this won't make any sense if you're coming in where I've got the stars... how do I play this? OK... OK... give me a minute... GOT IT! OK... the conversation I had with Linda wouldn't make any sense. Huzzah! That was simple. I didn't have to mention the lions at all! Shit. Never mind.