May the oil from your Hanukiah never run out, nor the flame from your candle go dim*.
Happy 8th night tonight.
Hat tip 'The Muqata' for this lovely shopping delight
* an old Yiddish saying which I just made up
kthanxbai!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Chappy Chanukah
I just realised that I haven't wished you all a very Happy Hanukah.
May the oil from your Hanukiah never run out, nor the flame from your candle go dim*.
kthanxbai!
May the oil from your Hanukiah never run out, nor the flame from your candle go dim*.
kthanxbai!
If Luke, Darth and Han were on Facebook
'Rantings of an Arab Chick' is not a blog I quote from very much so I was very happy when she posted some hilarious Facebook conversations between the characters from Star Wars.
Go over to her blog to find more conversations between characters such as Luke, Han, Chewy, Leah, Darth Vader and Stormtroopers!
May the Force be with you.
kthanxbai!
Go over to her blog to find more conversations between characters such as Luke, Han, Chewy, Leah, Darth Vader and Stormtroopers!May the Force be with you.
kthanxbai!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
the authoritative world factbook
Did you know;
People in The Netherlands traditionally celebrate Christmas by gathering around a festively decorated wheel of cheese, and smoking hashish out of lacquered wooden pipes.
Every English person alive has met HRH The Queen. Also, because of their stubborn insistence on driving on the wrong side of the road, the Earth’s spin rate is slowed there to the point that English hours have 62 minutes.
“Australia” is actually a giant theme park run by New Zealand, and staffed with New Zealander college kids in costumes. Income from tourists visiting “Australia” accounts for 93% of the New Zealand GDP.
For more interesting facts please read Marko, the munchkin wrangler's blog.
kthanxbai!
People in The Netherlands traditionally celebrate Christmas by gathering around a festively decorated wheel of cheese, and smoking hashish out of lacquered wooden pipes.
Every English person alive has met HRH The Queen. Also, because of their stubborn insistence on driving on the wrong side of the road, the Earth’s spin rate is slowed there to the point that English hours have 62 minutes.
“Australia” is actually a giant theme park run by New Zealand, and staffed with New Zealander college kids in costumes. Income from tourists visiting “Australia” accounts for 93% of the New Zealand GDP.
For more interesting facts please read Marko, the munchkin wrangler's blog.
kthanxbai!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
My Mum likes this
My Mum, who is currently taking of the sun in Florida likes this. She even remembered the Muppets' names when she spoke to me on the phone earlier.
I hope you like it too.
Merry run up to Xmas!
kthanxbai!
I hope you like it too.
Merry run up to Xmas!
kthanxbai!
Monday, December 14, 2009
God Save The Queen
I love the Queen (I loved the Queen Mum even more). She brings a certain something to an otherwise bland and boring island off the tip of Europe.
Prince Phillip, her husband, is renowned for being xenophobic and generally racist. Which is odd for a Greek Prince living mainly in London.
Doubly odd as his mother is buried in Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives, and is honored by the government of Israel as a righteous gentile as she sheltered a Jewish family in her house during the Second World War.
With mother-in-law buried in the capital and Prince P himself owning properties in Central Jerusalem why has the Queen never visited Israel?
A very interesting article in today's Jerusalem Post explains why. My question to you is this - is it basically anti-semitism or very strong pro-Arabian feelings that created this problem?
The article can be found here.
kthanxbai!
Prince Phillip, her husband, is renowned for being xenophobic and generally racist. Which is odd for a Greek Prince living mainly in London.
Doubly odd as his mother is buried in Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives, and is honored by the government of Israel as a righteous gentile as she sheltered a Jewish family in her house during the Second World War.
With mother-in-law buried in the capital and Prince P himself owning properties in Central Jerusalem why has the Queen never visited Israel?
A very interesting article in today's Jerusalem Post explains why. My question to you is this - is it basically anti-semitism or very strong pro-Arabian feelings that created this problem?
The article can be found here.
kthanxbai!
Friday, December 11, 2009
An open letter to Blogger
Dear Blogger,
Thank you very much for giving so many of us the opportunity to share our feelings, findings and photos with the world at large. I have made new friends, found old friends as well as expanded my mind with your great product BUT why oh why is it so darned difficult to work with?
My award winning and tear jerking posting of last night 'My Brain Beat Me' should have been an easy thing to preview in Google Reader, something like this:
But instead it looked like this;
"Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal";..."
Which was rather disappointing as even though it is nonsensical I did in fact not write it.
I spent over 4 minutes writing the post in question, and over 12 minutes thinking about it. Please send me 16 minutes so that I can feel better about Blogger after this controversial and insulting episode. (We know you can do that, you're owned by Google for crying out loud!)
And whilst you're at it please add a YouTube button (also owned by Google) allowing us bloggers easier access to YouTube videos. And a workable retweet button would be useful. And presents, send me presents because I like them.
Oops I feel the meds beginning to kick in...
kthanxbai!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
My Brain Beat Me
We came back from a long day out – starting at 0630 departing our house and returning at 1500. With our 9 month old baby boy.
The day included: anesthesia, back to front hospital gowns, participation in a national chemical attack exercise, bumping into 4 friends (what are the odds??). Baby vomiting once. Wife vomiting twice.
Anyway, we arrived home healthy but very tired. Wife went to bed. Baby fell asleep and I decided to watch some TV. I found an old CSI Las Vegas which I still think is a classic. I watched the first minute and then cued it up on the Tivo and made myself a coffee.
But my brain beat me. I wasn’t even thinking about who did it because I didn’t care. And then it hit me. I remembered.
The dentist did it.
Oh bugger. Now I have to watch something else.
Don’t you just hate it when your brain beats you?
Below are some CSI clips for your delectation.
kthanxbai!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Friday Morning at the Pentagon
This has been a tough post to think about, not because it is very personal or even confrontational, I just don't know if it is something that you come here to read about.
So here goes. I hope you enjoy the article. Your opinion about relevance in the comments please.
kthanxbai!
So here goes. I hope you enjoy the article. Your opinion about relevance in the comments please.
By JOSEPH L. GALLOWAY
McClatchy NewspapersOver the last 12 months, 1,042 soldiers, Marines, sailors and Air Force personnel have given their lives in the terrible duty that is war. Thousands more have come home on stretchers, horribly wounded and facing months or years in military hospitals.
This week, I'm turning my space over to a good friend and former roommate, Army Lt. Col. Robert Bateman, who recently completed a yearlong tour of duty in Iraq and is now back at the Pentagon.
Image by mindfrieze via Flickr
Here's Lt. Col. Bateman's account of a little-known ceremony that fills the halls of the Army corridor of the Pentagon with cheers, applause and many tears every Friday morning. It first appeared on May 17 on the Weblog of media critic and pundit Eric Alterman at the Media Matters for America Website.
"It is 110 yards from the "E" ring to the "A" ring of the Pentagon. This section of the Pentagon is newly renovated; the floors shine, the hallway is broad, and the lighting is bright. At this instant the entire length of the corridor is packed with officers, a few sergeants and some civilians, all crammed tightly three and four deep against the walls. There are thousands here.
This hallway, more than any other, is the `Army' hallway. The G3 offices line one side, G2 the other, G8 is around the corner. All Army. Moderate conversations flow in a low buzz. Friends who may not have seen each other for a few weeks, or a few years, spot each other, cross the way and renew.
Everyone shifts to ensure an open path remains down the center. The air conditioning system was not designed for this press of bodies in this area.
The temperature is rising already. Nobody cares. "10:36 hours: The clapping starts at the E-Ring. That is the outermost of the five rings of the Pentagon and it is closest to the entrance to the building. This clapping is low, sustained, hearty. It is applause with a deep emotion behind it as it moves forward in a wave down the length of the hallway.
"A steady rolling wave of sound it is, moving at the pace of the soldier in the wheelchair who marks the forward edge with his presence. He is the first. He is missing the greater part of one leg, and some of his wounds are still suppurating. By his age I expect that he is a private, or perhaps a private first class.
"Captains, majors, lieutenant colonels and colonels meet his gaze and nod as they applaud, soldier to soldier. Three years ago when I described one of these events, those lining the hallways were somewhat different. The applause a little wilder, perhaps in private guilt for not having shared in the burden ... yet.
"Now almost everyone lining the hallway is, like the man in the wheelchair, also a combat veteran. This steadies the applause, but I think deepens the sentiment. We have all been there now. The soldier's chair is pushed by, I believe, a full colonel.
"Behind him, and stretching the length from Rings E to A, come more of his peers, each private, corporal, or sergeant assisted as need be by a field grade officer.
"11:00 hours: Twenty-four minutes of steady applause. My hands hurt, and I laugh to myself at how stupid that sounds in my own head. My hands hurt... Please! Shut up and clap. For twenty-four minutes, soldier after soldier has come down this hallway - 20, 25, 30.... Fifty-three legs come with them, and perhaps only 52 hands or arms, but down this hall came 30 solid hearts.
They pass down this corridor of officers and applause, and then meet for a private lunch, at which they are the guests of honor, hosted by the generals. Some are wheeled along.... Some insist upon getting out of their chairs, to march as best they can with their chin held up, down this hallway, through this most unique audience. Some are catching handshakes and smiling like a politician at a Fourth of July parade. More than a couple of them seem amazed and are smiling shyly.
"There are families with them as well: the 18-year-old war-bride pushing her 19-year-old husband's wheelchair and not quite understanding why her husband is so affected by this, the boy she grew up with, now a man, who had never shed a tear is crying; the older immigrant Latino parents who have, perhaps more than their wounded mid-20s son, an appreciation for the emotion given on their son's behalf. No man in that hallway, walking or clapping, is ashamed by the silent tears on more than a few cheeks. An Airborne Ranger wipes his eyes only to better see. A couple of the officers in this crowd have themselves been a part of this parade in the past.
These are our men, broken in body they may be, but they are our brothers, and we welcome them home. This parade has gone on, every single Friday, all year long, for more than four years.
"Did you know that?
The media haven't yet told the story."
Copied directly without alteration from Michael Yon's amazing blog 'Michael Yon Online'
kthanxbai!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
National Geographic photographers have the coolest job.
Crankylitprof over at the blog Cranky Epistles shared a video with us that just blew my mind.
An NG photographer goes off to the frozen wilds to film Leopard Seals. These are relatively dangerous creatures so nothing is to be taken lightly with them.
On his first day he finds a huge mother leopard seal, who starts to bring him live food, thinking that he needs it. He doesn't take the food.
Finally she starts chewing up the food to show him how to eat. Absolutely amazing.
Watch the very short film here
Nature is just wonderful.
kthanxbai!
An NG photographer goes off to the frozen wilds to film Leopard Seals. These are relatively dangerous creatures so nothing is to be taken lightly with them.
On his first day he finds a huge mother leopard seal, who starts to bring him live food, thinking that he needs it. He doesn't take the food.
Finally she starts chewing up the food to show him how to eat. Absolutely amazing.
Watch the very short film here
Nature is just wonderful.
kthanxbai!
Nice short story
kthanxbai!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Religious Perspectives
kthanxbai!
The Real Things in Life
With Thanksgiving just behind us and a veritable plethora of family based festivals coming up I think its time that we focused slightly on the Real Things in Life.
We worry about who the next American Idol is going to be and even who is to blame for the Economic Disaster we are in the middle of but now let's think about the guys out there, doing their normal jobs and paying the price for democracy.
Clicketh thee here to read the whole story. I highly recommend it.
kthanxbai!
We worry about who the next American Idol is going to be and even who is to blame for the Economic Disaster we are in the middle of but now let's think about the guys out there, doing their normal jobs and paying the price for democracy.
In well-rehearsed fashion, the four Marines knocked on a farmhouse door, opened it and tossed in a flash grenade before rushing inside.
Marines Net Top Awards in Enemy AmbushThe morning of Nov. 16, 2005, was another day in Operation Steel Curtain to stem the flow of mercenaries entering Iraq from Syria. The end of this particular assignment was in sight as the Marines were running out of houses to check for signs of hostiles on the outskirts of New Ubaydi, near the Iraq border.
Image via Wikipedia
What they couldn't know was that two dozen insurgents had picked the last farmhouse on the road for a final stand.
kthanxbai!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Down with the flu
Nice cup of milky tea and a Comtrex or 2 and I'll be right as rain. By Tuesday.
If you do happen to find out that I've blogged in the next 24 hours please tell me about it - I'm sure it'll be 'interesting'!
kthanxbai!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Lazybum
So apparently my life isn't relaxed enough so the wife, baby and I have taken a midweek break. Right now I'm in a coffee shop in Eilat using the iTouch and their internet.
So light or no blogging for now
kthanxbai!
So light or no blogging for now
kthanxbai!
You are observant
You are observant. Yes you are.
I mentioned that the short film in my bloggage of yesterday, Jam, had two of my fave people on it and then went on to laud the amazingness that is Stephen Fry.
And the other fave person? That must have been Mr. Philip Schofield.
So who is he and why do I like him? Well, as always, I'll answer the second part first.
Not only does he answer my DMs on twitter, but he also sends out interesting Tweets. That's why I like him today. In the last 20 odd years he has been a TV presenter in the UK and has always come across as a 'good egg'. The same way that Stephen Fry appears but without the 'I know more than you so sit back and learn'.
Basically he comes across as a nice guy and I respect that.
What a Twitter! Phillip Schofield is more interested in tweeting than eating
And then there was Gordon the Gopher. If you don't know what I'm talking about then watch the video below or ask Mr. Google if he can help.
From his current TV show's website:
kthanxbai!
I mentioned that the short film in my bloggage of yesterday, Jam, had two of my fave people on it and then went on to laud the amazingness that is Stephen Fry.
And the other fave person? That must have been Mr. Philip Schofield.
So who is he and why do I like him? Well, as always, I'll answer the second part first.
Not only does he answer my DMs on twitter, but he also sends out interesting Tweets. That's why I like him today. In the last 20 odd years he has been a TV presenter in the UK and has always come across as a 'good egg'. The same way that Stephen Fry appears but without the 'I know more than you so sit back and learn'.
Basically he comes across as a nice guy and I respect that.
What a Twitter! Phillip Schofield is more interested in tweeting than eating
And then there was Gordon the Gopher. If you don't know what I'm talking about then watch the video below or ask Mr. Google if he can help.From his current TV show's website:
Phillip Schofield joined This Morning in September 2002 and currently presents the show four days a week.
By the age of ten, he had already decided he would like to pursue a career in broadcasting and began to write to the BBC. He was finally offered a job in September 1979 at Broadcasting House, London, working for radio outside broadcasts as a booking clerk.
Aged 19, Phillip left the BBC to emigrate to New Zealand with his family. He quickly landed a job presenting on Radio Hauraki in Auckland and went on to appear on television. Three-and-a-half years later, he decided that it was time to return to Britain.
Within four months of returning to the UK, the BBC presentation department offered him the job of fronting Children’s BBC from the Broom Cupboard.
Phillip accepted and stayed with presentation for two years. He then went on to present five series of the popular Saturday morning show Going Live, four series of Take Two, three series of his own quiz show, The Movie Game, two series of the highly acclaimed travel show Schofield's Europe and a series of Television's Greatest Hits.
In 1993 he signed a two-year contract with ITV and starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the London Palladium.
Phillip then took the show around the UK and Ireland from December 1993 until February 1995. In December 1995 he took up the Dreamcoat again at the Oxford Apollo Theatre and in February 1996 moved to the Hammersmith Labbatts Theatre through to the middle of 1996.
In 1996 he also signed an exclusive contract with Carlton Television and presented a number of shows including Schofield’s Adventures in Hawaii (a one-hour special), Schofield’s Quest, two series of Tenball and two Christmas specials: Schofield’s Gold and Six Little Angels.
Autumn 1996 saw Phillip presenting two series, One In A Million and Schofield's TV Gold, followed by a one-off Christmas special, Now We’re Talking. In autumn 1997 Talking Telephone Numbers returned for its fifth series and a further series of One In A Million ran through to July 1997.
kthanxbai!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Twitter + YouTube = fun video
I am new(ish) to Twitter so still get excited when little things happen.
Imagine my delight when a huge Twitter-YouTube event occurred!
Two of my heroes whom I follow on Twitter are in a short film together.
I'll leave it to you to recognize my two twitter 'buds'.
kthanxbai!
Imagine my delight when a huge Twitter-YouTube event occurred!
Two of my heroes whom I follow on Twitter are in a short film together.
I'll leave it to you to recognize my two twitter 'buds'.
kthanxbai!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Geekdom, here I come
In the past I have spoken about being a Geek to the 3rd Power and The Twit Is Strong In This One. Well here is Geekdom incarnate:
Jawa garden Ornament. Me wants one.
Jawa garden Ornament. Me wants one.
Yoda slippers. Not what I want. Ever.Go and develop your own variety of Star Wars geekdom over at The Star Wars shop.
kthanxbai!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
They've invaded the internet
I grew up in the (ahem) 70's with the Muppet Show and Sesame Street. I was allowed to watch as much of either of them as I liked, which in all honesty wasn't more than half an hour a day as we had no VCR but we did have British terrestrial TV.
As technology advanced the foam puppets moved over to Fraggle Rock and eventually even that was replaced on the TV shows, for the next generation of kids, by Ninja Turtles, Transformers, Postman Pat and other imaginative heroes.
I recently found out that my beloved wife, Mrs Jumblerant (aka Her Indoors or Mrs J) did not watch Sesame Street or the Muppet Show as a child. Her elder siblings made sure that the first programs she watched were Happy Days and The Love Boat. Sadly she missed out. She never learnt rudimentary Spanish on the stoop with Maria, or how to count, with the Count.
Sesame Street marked 40 years of production on the 10th November and I'm happy to say that our son Jack will be able to grow up with the The Muppet Show as well as it starts to make a return on YouTube.
Click here to get to the Muppet Show Channel on YouTube for some modern-day Muppet Show fun.
And here, thanks to Topless Robot, is the Muppet Show's 10 Weirdest Moments.
kthanxbai!
As technology advanced the foam puppets moved over to Fraggle Rock and eventually even that was replaced on the TV shows, for the next generation of kids, by Ninja Turtles, Transformers, Postman Pat and other imaginative heroes.
I recently found out that my beloved wife, Mrs Jumblerant (aka Her Indoors or Mrs J) did not watch Sesame Street or the Muppet Show as a child. Her elder siblings made sure that the first programs she watched were Happy Days and The Love Boat. Sadly she missed out. She never learnt rudimentary Spanish on the stoop with Maria, or how to count, with the Count.
Sesame Street marked 40 years of production on the 10th November and I'm happy to say that our son Jack will be able to grow up with the The Muppet Show as well as it starts to make a return on YouTube.
Click here to get to the Muppet Show Channel on YouTube for some modern-day Muppet Show fun.
And here, thanks to Topless Robot, is the Muppet Show's 10 Weirdest Moments.
kthanxbai!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Oops, you forgot
I know you're busy and have all those chores to do.
And then there's that Buffy marathon going on later. And the kids need a bath.
Twitter isn't going to tweet itself and you just have to Facebook that kindergarten friend of yours from 28 years ago who doesn't even live on the same continent as you BUT you completely forgot to go here and vote for me by copying and pasting the 3 lines of info below;
I know!! Crazy isn't it?
What you also forgot was that not only can I easily find out where you live, but I also know where to buy gasoline and matches ;-0
Subtlety and not so subtlety didn't really work did it? 3rd times the charm.
kthanxbai!
And then there's that Buffy marathon going on later. And the kids need a bath.
Twitter isn't going to tweet itself and you just have to Facebook that kindergarten friend of yours from 28 years ago who doesn't even live on the same continent as you BUT you completely forgot to go here and vote for me by copying and pasting the 3 lines of info below;
Jumblerant
http://jumblerant.blogspot.com/
http://feeds2.feedburner.com/Jumblerant
http://jumblerant.blogspot.com/
http://feeds2.feedburner.com/Jumblerant
I know!! Crazy isn't it?
What you also forgot was that not only can I easily find out where you live, but I also know where to buy gasoline and matches ;-0
Subtlety and not so subtlety didn't really work did it? 3rd times the charm.
kthanxbai!
The Insomniac's Guide to Ambulances
I have worked alongside EMTs for nearly a decade. Some are good, some are bad and some are indifferent.
Ben Yatzbatz falls into a 4th category - bloody amazing. If I were ever in need of a paramedic he would be the one I'd gasp for.
Now go over to his blog and read his latest composition, 'Armchair' definitely worth a visit, trust me!
The Insomniac's Guide to Ambulances
kthanxbai!
Ben Yatzbatz falls into a 4th category - bloody amazing. If I were ever in need of a paramedic he would be the one I'd gasp for.
Now go over to his blog and read his latest composition, 'Armchair' definitely worth a visit, trust me!
The Insomniac's Guide to Ambulances
kthanxbai!
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