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Posts Tagged ‘hmm’

  1. EU Loses Wales

    October 5, 2004 by dafyd

    Hah – this story was on BBC News. I wonder if Anne Robinson has infiltrated Eurostat…

    The cover of Eurostat... without Wales

    A bureaucratic blunder has left Wales off a map of Europe on the cover of a prestigious EU reference book. All EU member states, and the rest of Britain, are accurately represented on the cover – but Wales has disappeared and been replaced by the Irish Sea. A line was drawn from Chester to the Severn Estuary, roughly along the English border, but to the west there is nothing until the Irish coast. Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan laughed it off, describing it as a “computer-generated image that has clearly gone wrong.” Mr Morgan – who headed the European Commission office in Wales in the 1980s – said: “Are we somehow going to refuse to accept Objective One money from Europe because of this terrible slight on Wales? “I don’t think we’re actually going to do that. It’s the way we use European money that’s important. “We’ve made a great success of that.” Ah ha - Wales in its proper placeTory leader Michael Howard referred to the omission in his speech to the annual party conference in Bournemouth. Mr Howard said: “I was born and grew up in south Wales. As you may have heard, we’ve just been left off the new EU map. “I know I’ve had my differences with Brussels, but I really do think that is going too far.” Labour Wales MEP Glenys Kinnock told BBC Radio Wales that she could laugh about the oversight but had already asked for information on how it had happened. She said: “It’s quite a shocking omission to airbrush Wales off the map. “The reality is that Wales is on all the maps that matter, in terms of getting substantial amounts of structural funds and so on.

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  2. Kings of Cool

    October 2, 2004 by dafyd

    Cool BrandLeadersThe Times has released a list of the ‘coolest brands in Britain’, something to do with a new book called Cool BrandLeaders, from the company Superbrands, which names the most cutting-edge brands of the moment.

    It makes quite interesting reading, not only because it’s obviously taken from one specific viewpoint – arguably the mid-20s yuppie graduate, working in the City, probably in advertising or New Media (I reckon) – but also because of certain unexpected entries. The only politician to make the list is, horrors of horrors, Boris! Apparently JK Rowling is the coolest author, closely followed by Dan Brown – I’m fans of both of those… does that make me cool?

    Anyway, reproduced here in full in stunning Technicolor, most of the list:

    Coolest fashion brands

    1. Diesel
    2. Agent Provocateur
    3. Chanel
    4. Puma
    5. Topshop

    Coolest drinks brands

    1. Stella Artois
    2. Stolichnaya (vodka)
    3. Guinnes
    4. Budweiser Budvar
    5. Innocent smoothies

    Coolest motors

    1. Audi
    2. Vespa scooters
    3. Saab
    4. Land Rover

    Coolest music artists

    1. The Streets
    2. Damien Rice
    3. Lenny Kravitz
    4. Usher
    5. Joss Stone

    Coolest movie directors

    1. Quentin Tarantino
    2. Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings)
    3. Sofia Coppola
    4. Michael Moore (Fahrenheit 9/11)
    5. Pedro Almodóvar (Bad Education)

    Coolest authors

    1. J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter)
    2. Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code)
    3. Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials)
    4. Christopher Brookmyre (Be My Enemy)
    5. Michael Moore (Stupid White Men)

    Coolest business people

    1. Sir Richard Branson (Virgin)
    2. Stelios Haji Ioannou (easyJet)
    3. Philip Green (Arcadia)
    4. Roman Abramovich (Chelsea FC) – huh?
    5. Steve Jobs (Apple computers)

    Coolest technology brands

    1. Bose
    2. Nokia
    3. Denon
    4. Sony Ericsson
    5. Blackberry (hmm… no Apple (as in iPod) – interesting omission)

    Coolest venues

    1. London Eye
    2. Selfridges
    3. Somerset House
    4. Design Museum
    5. Malmaison hotel

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  3. Washington DC Baseball

    September 29, 2004 by dafyd

    OK, I really don’t understand how American Major League Baseball works – it seems that 33 years ago, the whole Washington DC baseball team (the Senators) moved to Texas, where they became the Rangers. Now, the Montreal Expos have announced that they will move to Washington.

    To quote the press release on the Expo’s website:

    Montreal Expos baseball

    Almost 33 years to the date of the Senators’ final game in Washington, D.C., the District and Major League Baseball on Wednesday announced that the Montreal Expos are moving to the nation’s capital. The Expos will be the first MLB franchise to move since 1971 when the second Senators franchise left Washington for Arlington, Texas. By choosing D.C. over suitors from Northern Virginia, Norfolk, Va., Portland, Ore., Monterrey, Mexico, and Las Vegas, the league ended a nearly two-year internal search to relocate the team. The Expos will be renamed and plan to play the next three seasons at RFK Stadium while a new $400 million ballpark is being built at a location along the Anacostia River waterfront near M and South Capitol Streets, which is now the preferred site among the four proposed in the District last year.

    Can you imagine Manchester United just moving en masse to London? That said, Wimbledon FC – ‘The Dons‘ – did move to Milton Keynes (God knows why they’d want to move there of all places…) a couple of years ago.

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  4. The £5,000 Overdue Library Book

    September 29, 2004 by dafyd

    And I get fined for returning books a week late…?

    The offending book

    A borrowed book has been returned to an Inverness library nearly 100 years overdue incurring a £5,000 fine. But kind-hearted staff at Inverness Library have decided to waive the financial penalty. Inverness Sketches 1901 to 1904, by Isabel Harriet Anderson, was discovered by Stuart Thomson in South Africa. The 63-year-old, who left Inverness to go overseas in 1971, said he stumbled across the book in Johannesburg when he was moving house three months ago. Mr Thomson bought the book at a South African flea market. He said: “I just looked at the book and saw Inverness on it and thought hell, I’ve just got to buy this book. “And when I saw it had Inverness Public Library printed on it I thought, I’m going to buy this book no matter what it costs. “When I was moving house three months ago I came across it and thought I should bring the book back home.” Inverness Sketches was originally presented to Inverness Library by its author in 1908. Staff said it would be returned to its rightful place in the reference department, and it should not have been loaned out in the first place. Librarian, Edwina Burridge, said: “We already have a collection of Isabel Anderson books, so we can add it to that.”

    (BBC News)

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  5. Dafyd and Goliath?

    September 25, 2004 by dafyd

    I found this while searching for me on Yahoo, seeing as Google still doesn’t list me. I don’t know why. Hmmph. Anyway… this is from the Armidale Church of Christ (some sort of Australian church-y sort-of organisation):

    Well…one day David changed his name to Dafyd (and there was much media interest). I’m sure your wondering who Dafyd is, eh? Dafyd was a short man only 4 feet 11 inches high, weighed 150 pounds, and earned AUD $250,000 p.a. and he played Rugby League for the Australian Kangaroos. To pass the time while there was no game he would sing: “I’m only 4 feet 11, but I’m going to Heaven, and it makes me feel 10 feet tall!…” Big John played for the New Zealand All Blacks… He was 7 feet, 11 inches tall, weighed 500 pounds and earned NZD $1,000,000 p.a. Big John would chant Maori war cries to pass the time (his doctor insisted it was therapeutic). Now one fine day in the middle of the night, these two teams came out to fight; front to front they faced each other, opened their mouths and abused each other. The All Blacks yelled at the Kangaroos: “You play us: whoever first scores becomes Rugby League Footy Champions Of The World!” “Well, that’s a bit of alright” said the Australian Team. Just then the ‘Roos saw Big John…and he was big… and I mean BIG! “Wait!, hold on while we get organised!” pleaded the ‘Roos. “OK, you got 5 minutes!” yelled Big John Well the captain of the ‘Roos was at a slight loss, his men being on average only 5 feet tall were up against this 8 foot giant….so while the All Blacks were yelling at them to play, they walked back to their changerooms to discuss battle plans. They knew that if they gave up now they would be branded cowards, if they played they would die. Just then Dafyd spoke up. “Let me go one-on-one with Big John…” “What! Are you stupid!? He’ll eat you whole and spit out your bones like melon pips!” said the Captain. “My loss,” replied Dafyd. “But really, by trusting God I killed 3 American Pit Bull Terriers the other day – with my bear hands!” “Well at least wear some proection!” cried the Captain, holding up a balloon-like apparatus. “What!?” said Dafyd. “Oops,” said the Captain, whipping the balloon-thing behind his back, and directing Dafyd’s attention to the armoury, “Uh, I mean this 2nd hand M-16 machine gun. My wife bought it for me for my birthday – on special from Avon – only $59.95! But wait, there’s more! If you take it now you’ll also get two, yes, TWO ammo belts & kevlar bullet-proof jacket!” Well, Dafyd tried on the weapon, belts and jacket, but being a short guy they were too heavy for him to manage. “Look I can’t use this stuff, it’s too heavy. I’ll take this instead!” said Dafyd, discarding the gear and picking up a footy boot by its laces. Just then, a smoking goat walked in. “No Butts!” said Dafyd and strode out. In the stadium the atmosphere was electric. Dafyd walked out to the All Blacks and said: “We’ll play, but just one-on-one, you and me, Big John!” Big John roared with laughter and said: “What? A shrimp dares to fight me?! What would you know about a Man’s Game, like RFL?” “I warn you,” Dafyd threatened, “God and I will beat you up with this shoe and score!” Somewhere from above their heads Beethoven’s 5th was heard. Everyone looked up. “What’s this God stuff…,” bellowed Big John, getting right back to business, “Don’t make me laugh! ha ha ha ha!” At that Dafyd swung the boot around and around, faster and faster. All the spectators were getting dizzy. Suddenly, he let fly. It flew toward Big John, knocking him out cold. Dafyd said to the other All Blacks; “Any of you get in my way, you get the boot!” The All Blacks couldn’t clear a path quick enough. So Dafyd scored the winning try for Australia and the All Blacks went home defeated. The ‘Roos captain was so impressed that he gave Dafyd the Wallabies’ Captaincy and his daughter’s hand in marriage, like every good fairy-tale, but Dafyd was too busy to marry because he was converting the Wallabies from Union to League. This funny story is a humourous version of an Old Testament story about David and Goliath. It tells of how David, a boy not old enough to join the army, defeats the enemy’s strongest and biggest soldier, Goliath, with only his Faith in God and a slingshot. By doing so he wins a great victory for his people in this unlikely match fight. David is rewarded by the king and goes on to win many more victories (by more conventional means!). This story illustrates how we can also win over insurmountable odds with a little faith and a great heart for God. You can read about David and Goliath in the Old Testament, 1 Samuel chapter 17.

    Obviously.

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  6. Ken Clarke vs Ed Balls

    September 22, 2004 by dafyd

    Hmm… just spotted this, clicking around:

    An Old Nottinghamian criticising another Old Nottinghamian in Parliament.

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  7. Macs Online

    September 9, 2004 by dafyd

    Well I never. There’s an online radio station dedicated to Macs (as in Apples, not raincoats), called Your Mac Life. How strange.

    It’s weird that there are so many more sites for Macs than there are for Windows. By that, I mean that there are more fansite sort-of-sites for Macs than for Windows. It’s weird, because there are far, far more Windows users than there are Mac users… but sites like Macworld and the superb SpyMac really outnumber Windows fan sites. I’ve seen plenty of tech-support sites for Windows, but really never a fan site.

    Should I really be surprised?

    That said, I did find plenty of sites dedicated to the infamous Blue Screen of Death… and a special keyboard designed to escape from it:

    … and if you really want, you can buy a BSOD t-shirt!

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  8. Together Everyone Achieves More

    September 8, 2004 by dafyd

    It’s true, you know. Chrissy P says so. It must be true. And let’s face it, TEAM sounds much better than Lauda Finem. Especially for a 500 year old independent boys school.

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  9. Gallery visitors turn art experts

    September 7, 2004 by dafyd

    Visitors to Tate Britain who are baffled by official descriptions of works of art are being invited to write their own captions.

    The best captions will be displayed beside works by artists such as Blake and Turner on the walls of the gallery.

    I hate to say it, but I can’t see this admittedly innovative idea being used properly. Asking people to submit a caption for Tracey Emin’s work is just plain stupid – it is far to open to abuse!

    Anyway, have a look at Tate Britain’s website for more details.

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  10. You can do it when you B&Q it…?

    September 7, 2004 by dafyd

    From The Scotsman:

    You can do it...

    It would strike David Brent, the fictional boss from hell, as a brilliant management idea: instead of greeting staff with the usual “good morning”, encourage them to address each other with a 1976 song from The Muppet Show. Yet, despite millions of us recoiling in horror at some of the motivational tactics employed by Ricky Gervais’ character in the BBC comedy, The Office, managers at a new B&Q warehouse due to open told the bemused staff that morale at the DIY store in East Kilbride would improve if they greeted each other in the morning with lines from the whimsical Mahna Mahna song. On hearing the first line, the staff would be encouraged to continue with the baffling, if catchy, chorus, which continues: “Do doo be-do-do”. … However, while the staff at East Kilbride B&Q will not be asked to break two-by-fours with their hands, it seems they will be encouraged to take part in their own version of The Muppet Show, complete with Kermit and Miss Piggy. A B&Q spokesman confirmed that the DIY giant encourages managers to dream up off-the-wall ideas to motivate staff. The spokesman said: “It is common practice for all our new B&Q warehouses that the managers get together prior to the opening for brain-storming sessions. At these sessions, ways of making B&Q a fun place to work are developed. “An ice-breaker, such as a different way to say good morning is a great way to energise staff first thing and get everyone working together as a team.”

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