Nurse Ratched strikes again: Sorry, just one 'rumble' for now - but more later - because I am off to do my 'Nurse Ratched' act this morning as I visit an elderly - yes, even older than me! - relative who is quite dotty and lives in a care home. Not easy because she drives me nuts with her endless, mindless chatter but I absolutely must NOT snap because underneath her endless ramblings she is a sweetie. Back later!
And then it gets worse: I get back from my virtuous, not to say, saintly, duties to find the 'Memsahib' still in bed feeling unwell having thrown up. I warned her that the Grand Prix starts at 1.00 so the nursing service might be intermittent. She did not look impressed!
Never mind France, just keep an eye on Italy: As this blog never ceases to remind you, it will be Italy that kicks the foundation stone from under the edifice of the EU. Now, what's the Italian for 'Bring it on'?
Boring-snoring! I suppose it's unfair to blame the 'Rooskies' for the most tedious Grand Prix in years although I will because their circuit is totally useless. Actually, I went off and had a nap halfway through and when I woke nothing much had changed. Our frightfully, pukka, decent, British chap, 'the Right Honourable' Lewis Hamilton, just went round in circles and finished where he started - fourth! Something must be done!
Clever fella' that Fraser Nelson: You see, he speaks two languages fluently, English-English and Political-English. So, if like me you wonder what, exactly and precisely, Mrs. May is waffling on about when she deigns to grant the occasional interview to the 'smelly socks brigade', then the 'Ed of Spec' provides you with an excellent translation over at The Coffee House. Read it and weep!
Obviously, the 'Heffalump' reads this blog: I claim that fact having just read Simon Heffer's column in The Telegraph today. As you, my faithful readers do know, I always refer to the Liberal Democrats as the 'il-Lib-non-Dems'. Mr. Heffer puts it this way:
"On the rare occasions Lib Dems have crept into this column I have noted the paradox of their being called “Liberal Democrats”; they seem to be neither, as the last week has shown."
Stout fella, that 'Heffalump', and no, no, I don't mean he is overweight, a tad plump, perhaps, but I just mean that he is, er, 'right on', if that is the correct modern jargon.
And yet another! Er, that is, another 'frightfully, pukka, decent, British chap', and this one is called Anthony Joshua and he just beat another very decent chap from the Ukraine called Wladimir Klitschko in a heavyweight fight.
Pity that little squirt of a London mayor managed to grease his way into the photo but never mind him, let us all celebrate two colossal warriors who not only fought well and fairly but also managed to conduct themselves like gentlemen before, during and after the fight. Such a relief after the mega-silliness that pervades boxing these days.
It reminded me of the 'milling': Watching that fight brought back memories of 'milling'. This was a part of the selection course you had to undergo to join the Regiment. You were paired off with another 'wannabe' Para roughly - very roughly - by size and weight and you were both put in the ring wearing some very old and well-worn boxing gloves with little in the way of stuffing. They rang the bell and the idea was that you stood toe to toe for a minute bashing the brains out of each other. It was not considered 'the done thing' to duck and dive, taking it on the chin, or at least somewhere on the face, was what was expected. Needles to say, not being used to fighting, my opponent instantly bashed me in the face which made my nose bleed and my eyes fill with tears which meant that I could not actually see him. I blinked furiously to clear my vision but just as it came back and I drew my arm back to counter-punch (yes, pulling my arm back was not good fighting technique I learned later!) in came another punch! Consequently I staggered around half blind until in the end I just let rip with a wild swing in roughly where I thought my opponent might be standing. I felt a slight bump but then his blows ceased. In that pause I managed at last to clear my vision and, blow me down, there he was flat on his back. Apparently I had enjoyed a lucky punch! Mind you, he got up again very quickly and matters resumed their normal course. It was the longest minute of my life!
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest": Having made mention of Nurse Radchet earlier, I cannot get my mind off that truly excellent film in which she featured. It is absolutely and definitely in my Top Ten Films, even if there are about forty such films in there! I really must get a DVD copy and watch it again - er, SoD, if you're reading this, it's my birthday in a couple of weeks - NUDGE-NUDGE, WINK-WINK!
No more rumbles today
Italian for "bring it on" - prendillo
Don't thank me - I Googled it.
Posted by: AussieD | Sunday, 30 April 2017 at 12:36
David, what ever you do...don't let the Memsahib see your "saintly" halo. It will only make her feel worse!
Re Italy---Watch them banks!
Posted by: Whitewall | Sunday, 30 April 2017 at 12:46
G'day Whitewall. Our news services down here were full of some Trump Derangement Syndrome march or other tonight.
He is really pissing off the "regressives".
Duffers and Saintly? The man was a Para for goodness sake. Hardly renowned for their piousness.
Posted by: AussieD | Sunday, 30 April 2017 at 13:03
Hi AussieD! Yes the derangement on the Left is setting in for the long haul. Seems so many of them are marching over the climate or something. Here in the South East, they were met with much warmer temps than normal--what most of us call weather.
Posted by: Whitewall | Sunday, 30 April 2017 at 13:10
Saint David, it's hard to see what you expect from Italy. You're probably referring to the 5-Star protest party. However:
'"We are not pro-Trump, we are not pro-Putin and neither are we anti-EU," says Alessandro Di Battista, one of 5-Star's most prominent parliamentarians. "We want a strong EU but we say it is depressing to see how it blindly follows the U.S. position."'
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-5star-idUSKBN17S239
Posted by: Bob | Sunday, 30 April 2017 at 14:50
It's not their ridiculous politicians I am concentrating on, Bob, but as 'Whiters' reminds us, their banks!
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 30 April 2017 at 14:55
David, all I could find is that 5 Italian banks have had a slight ratings downgrade and the French are in negotiations to buy 3 others. Don't forget to root against Greece and Spain while you're at it. Their economies and finances are still circling the drain too.
Posted by: Bob | Sunday, 30 April 2017 at 16:52
Rather I think, this might've been better placed on "The Monday Funnies" as it would appear our host has gone all saintly with his 'no more rumbles' and, seeing as how this side of The Pond, our Sunday Shows are making much-to-do over the so-called "Trump's First 100 Days."
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/04/28/the_first_117_days_of_chuck_schumer_1ml33733.html
H/T Mav Phil
Posted by: JK | Sunday, 30 April 2017 at 19:28
Oops.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/04/28/the_first_117_days_of_chuck_schumer_1ml33733.ht
Posted by: JK | Sunday, 30 April 2017 at 19:29
Oh ... dear.
http://maverickphilosopher.typepad.com/maverick_philosopher/2017/04/chucky-shumers-first-117-days.html
Posted by: JK | Sunday, 30 April 2017 at 19:32
JK, David has given in to sainthood, but you seem to be struggling with the devil? Tornadoes last night?
Posted by: Whitewall | Sunday, 30 April 2017 at 19:43
Oh Whitewall!
I wasn't myself, personally, "real scairt" but ... near enough I reckon. Here's last night;
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/yesterday.html
And Whitewall you're aware I'm "in proximity" to Missouri?
http://traveler.modot.org/map/
But fortunately, I got a helo at my disposal 'cause otherwise ... Well let me just say northern Arkansas' roadways are ... uhm can we agree on "problematic?"
https://www.idrivearkansas.com/travel_info/report?report_type=closures&show_tir_btn=1
***
Its been a adventuresome weekend My Friend. I emptied my Glenfiddich, my Famous Grouse and now I'm even unto my "Barney's Combination Sippin' Moon & High-Octane Pickup In-a-Pinch Rocket Fuel."
Purely medicinal I'm sure you understand Whitewall .. this gettin' elderly combined with The Big Squish of 2002 has left me a shadow of my former self. ... Generally speaking?
Posted by: JK | Sunday, 30 April 2017 at 23:26
JK,
Thanx for that link about Chuck Schumer, anagrammatically Schmuck Cheur. "Cheur" is Old French for "chewer". "Schmuck" is a Yiddish word.
Posted by: TheBigHenry | Monday, 01 May 2017 at 00:17
So Henry I done good by putting it up today rather?
(I'll have some time beginning tomorrow or so to properly get into my email. Attend to business I've been forced by circumstance to forego since about ... oh I dunno, nearabouts October or so. I'll get in touch when I get caught up .. may be a week or so. I'm returned to being a "proper civilian" with (hardly) no pressing responsibilities.)
Posted by: JK | Monday, 01 May 2017 at 01:19
JK, yes I know you are only a few minutes from Misery but those rural routes seem iffy in a pinch. I watched the NWS as those tornado lines formed. It's that time of year. We have to watch out here as well, at least through May.
Do any of your "medicinal" libations help with arthritis? The stuff seems to be migrating to my hands causing me to type some odd words on this Russian made keyboard.
Hang in there!
Posted by: Whitewall | Monday, 01 May 2017 at 12:50
Whitewall,
Owing to Michael Adams (of Texas, comments here often) anyway on his recommendation I tried out fish oil, this specifically
https://www.nordicnaturals.com/en/Products/Product_Details/514/?ProdID=1548
Which, worked pretty damn good I have to say. But then after some period, six or so months[?] owing in part to a crush injury I'd "enjoyed" in the early years of GWOT (and subsequent loss of tissue/muscle mass providing cushioning for my skeletal shit) I began to have issues with bruising.
VA since has had me taking Meloxicam™ which, while not as efficacious/ameliorative as the fish oil, seems to work pretty good.
But, stay active above all else.
Posted by: JK | Monday, 01 May 2017 at 18:03