Merry Christmas To All

Have a great weekend!

Grow into these trousers... >>

Oh! So this is why we have 'small clothes'

Lawrence Ferlinghetti reads Underwear

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Brian Cox take a new view of the universe

I have no comment ;)

Wonders of the Stoner System
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Caption this...

It's not often I do a 'caption this' but I saw this on the news today and it was too much to resist.



I'll try:
"now wash your hands"

"Spain introduces new EU standards in condom testing"

The guy at the left says "so that's what they are for!"

Give me your worst. Grow into these trousers... >>

Conjugating the verb to be

This is/be/am a WIN from FailBlog:

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Dude, you have no Quran

I'm sure we all remember the Quran book burning threat from a couple of weekends ago. I wanted to comment at the time but other commitments got in the way. Now I have a quieter day so here we go:

Burning books is stupid and ignorant.

Note, I am not saying that all books are sacred, or that any are. Nor am I saying that an individual is forbidden to destroy a possession, so long as it is legally their own or they have suitable permission. But each book has a value greater than that printed on the cover and the combined writings of humanity have a value greater than the summed content of the individual books. That value is context.

Important texts from times past are often difficult to interpret without contemporary texts to set things in a social or linguistic structure. Structures which, 2000 years ago say, have no modern counterpart for comparison. We need the legacy of books from all ages to understand ourselves and how our societies have developed.

Burning any book has the potential to rob the future of a storehouse of historical knowledge. Just think of the attacks on the Library of Alexandria where humanity lost forever texts which, even then, were of great antiquity.

Of course the unadulterated word of Allah has been a previous victim of book burning, and surprisingly Moslems themselves were responsible, as this news report from 653AD informs us. An incalculable loss to religious scholars and historians of every generation since.

So I am glad that the September 11^th Quran burning fizzled out into a non-event: except for one incident in Amarillo, Texas.

Some religious nutter was planning to burn a copy in an Amarillo park when Jacob Isom rescued the kerosene dowsed volume from a barbeque and ran off. In an interview for the local News Channel 10, Isom said he snuck up behind the organiser, David Grisham, liberated the book and said “Dude, you have no Quran”.

The book was delivered unsinged to a local Muslim leader and Jacob Isom is now an internet hero. Well done Sir!

Dude You Have No Quran AUTOTUNE REMIX

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Via Unreasonable Faith Grow into these trousers... >>

When words are not as they seem

I had half forgotten the poignancy and comic genius of Ivor Cutler until I caught a repeat on the radio (thanks to the excellent BBC Radio 7).

I am at a loss as to which YouTube clips to post so search here and watch them all. You will be much enlightened!

Ivor Cutler [Shoplifters]
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Just for a chuckle

For the first time in weeks the weather total crap today. It's damp, cool and windy so I'm staying indoors.

Here's a cartoon that raised a smile - click through for the punchline.

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Just for Jill

Go visit Jill at Elemental, my dear for great photos of what she found in her garden.
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The image is a design from T-Shirt Hell if anyone wants to buy me one (size M). Grow into these trousers... >>

Chimp twats owl

There seems to be a little rivalry in the studio :)

MONKEY ATTACKS OWL very funny [0:46]
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Can't find the book you were looking for?

It's obvious. You're in the...

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Cheers Mark. Grow into these trousers... >>

The advancements of microbiology

Portrayed in Lego...

All hail Leeuwenhoek and Pasteur.

Great microbiologists [8:44]

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Via Pharyngula. Grow into these trousers... >>

If you ever feel you're sick of your job

Spare a thought for Stevie Starr who's job is regurgitation! How does he do it?

Stevie the professional regurgitator...

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Via GrrlScientist. Grow into these trousers... >>

Quick, Quick, Quick

Go to Google for a quick game.

Note: Use the arrow keys. Grow into these trousers... >>

I missed this yesterday

Sure, I knew it was Everybody Draw Mohammed Day. You could hardly miss the promotion all over the tubes, notably: Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia and Flickr. Which inevitably lead to the sites being banned in Pakistan; the 21st century equivalent of book burning.

To me, childish cartoons based on an ancient fable hardly warrant attention, though I uphold people's freedom to draw whatever they wish. I do not uphold the 'freedom' to issue threats of death or violence against such artists, or indeed anyone else.

I decided not to comment and thought it too trivial... That was until I saw the contribution from a true master:

Click to read on

Game, set and match to JC. Grow into these trousers... >>

My thoughts are all contorted about this

I was sent this as an email attachment (thanks Mark) and it has to be seen to be believed. Subject: America Got Talent 1944....wait till you see the end!

Yes, watch it and give your opinion. I could lean either way but I always stand on my own feet. Some people do handstands to get on in the world but I'd just end up with my head up my arse. Not these girls though:

Ross sisters - Solid Potato Salad (VHS quality)
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This tickled me...

The word banana is so easy to forget isn't it? Oh, and I'll have six of the round, orange coloured fruits too. What are they called?
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Via Failblog.
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James Randi at TED

This was recorded in 2007 but not released by TED 'till last month (why?). Anyway, it's a great takedown of psychics and homeopaths. Enjoy:

James Randi's fiery takedown of psychic fraud [17:50]

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via Unreasonable Faith. Grow into these trousers... >>

Pagan Police get holiday time

"Police officers have been given the right to take days off to dance naked on the solstices, celebrate fertility rituals and burn Yule logs if they profess pagan beliefs".

Reports the Times.

This is a good thing and I heartily approve. The old festivals need to remembered and celebrated. Helpfully, The Freethinker has a list of the main Pagan festivals which include:

• Beltane — on April 30/May 1, pagan and Wicca worshippers celebrate the Sun god. In Celtic times it was an opportunity for unabashed sexuality and promiscuity

and also

• Litha — or summer solstice. Members drink mead and dance naked to celebrate the harvest

It's good to know what our Police officers do on their days off! Grow into these trousers... >>

See this post? Live in the UK?

So fuck off up/down/across the road and vote. I'm putting my coat on and going now (well actually I fancy a bacon sandwich from the cafe on the way back).

It's 8 o-clock in the morning... Arghhh! Since I retired I usually sleep till 10, or 9 at least, but now I'm on my second coffee already. I must get moving --- I'm in gardening frenzy! I was potting up some tomatoes t'other day and 3 of them had flower buds already. My (tiny) greenhouse is nowhere near ready, I've a sack of horse manure to dig in yet. And the bathroom overflow is dripping. And I still have to weed-kill the drive...

I've got it sorted now:
Vote bacon, manure bathroom, kill greenhouse. Grow into these trousers... >>