Pleasantly surprised to find my camera returned by mail today - only took 2 days from Holland. So, on we go. It is a cold, windy and at times drizzly day in Stornoway, best spent inside. Went to the bus station and the shop at midday, but that was enough for me.
Last night, I discovered that bus services here in Lewis are going to deteriorate as of March 27th. Several of them will be joined together, as the town bus service will be abolished. Buses to the airport will be hitched on to the Point service. For the latter, no operator has been found, as the tendering exercise went wrong, in addition to a few oversights. This was all organised by our local council, who overlooked a few minor details. Sigh.
Saturday, 21 February 2009
Friday, 20 February 2009
Distance
Isn't it easy to sit at your computer, and read a blog. Or two. Or perhaps one hundred. Maybe even several hundred. That's how many are on my Google Reader. Many of us write down their lives on their blogs. Whether publicly or to a select few, we impart those bits of our lives to the world that we choose to disclose. Many a time, it is particularly at the darker moments of life that we write. And blogging being what it is, we appreciate comments left by friends, acquaintances or distant readers.
However.
How can you place yourself in the shoes of the writer. What makes you think you are selecting the right words and turn of phrase to suit the occasion. Well, it is fairly straightforward when you talk about a death in someone's circle. It is also fairly clear when a blogger says they have had a diagnosis of serious illness - or someone very near and dear has. You can't go far wrong there, can you? No, not really.
Where it can go very badly wrong is in situations where someone is discussing the challenges they face in life. Money may be tight. Relationships that are strained. Past events that are haunting them. Guilt, remorse.
Call me naive, but I'd think that in our blogging community, we are there to support each other. Seems there are exceptions to that rule. I can't believe that there are actually people who see fit to criticise the way someone has dealt with a situation in their life - to come to the point of this post (once more) - which they have described in a blog. How can you, exclusively through this medium, gauge what was right and wrong? I mean, how can you if you weren't there. And even if it was patently incorrect, what right does anyone have to criticise? Nobody.
Nobody whose blog I read fits the above bill. It applies to nobody that comments in this blog either. I am merely highlighting the shadowside of blogging, which sometimes peeps above the horizon of one or two blogs I come across.
However.
How can you place yourself in the shoes of the writer. What makes you think you are selecting the right words and turn of phrase to suit the occasion. Well, it is fairly straightforward when you talk about a death in someone's circle. It is also fairly clear when a blogger says they have had a diagnosis of serious illness - or someone very near and dear has. You can't go far wrong there, can you? No, not really.
Where it can go very badly wrong is in situations where someone is discussing the challenges they face in life. Money may be tight. Relationships that are strained. Past events that are haunting them. Guilt, remorse.
Call me naive, but I'd think that in our blogging community, we are there to support each other. Seems there are exceptions to that rule. I can't believe that there are actually people who see fit to criticise the way someone has dealt with a situation in their life - to come to the point of this post (once more) - which they have described in a blog. How can you, exclusively through this medium, gauge what was right and wrong? I mean, how can you if you weren't there. And even if it was patently incorrect, what right does anyone have to criticise? Nobody.
Nobody whose blog I read fits the above bill. It applies to nobody that comments in this blog either. I am merely highlighting the shadowside of blogging, which sometimes peeps above the horizon of one or two blogs I come across.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is trying to think of recovery. May require $5bn. Not a huge sum, if you consider that the US government recently put aside 300 times that amount for its recovery from the economic downturn. The new Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, has said that for the moment several foreign currencies may be adopted. I wonder what he is going to do about inflation, which is running at 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000%. That's 10 sextillion percent. Anyway, I'm pleased that at least they appear to recognise that there is a problem that they should solve, rather than blaming everybody else for it.
Friday 20 February
Pouring with rain, bit of a breeze going - wet day in Stornoway, what more do you want for an excuse to stay in all day. There is a stack of good books to be read, I may do a bit of work on my collection of pictures on Flickr. On the other hand, someone is going out to Ness later on, and I might just join them for the ride. No chance of taking much in the way of pictures in weather like this. We shall see what transpires.
47 people on board a Boeing 747-400 were hurt when their plane hit severe turbulence east of Tokyo. The flight from Manila to Los Angeles via Tokyo was coming into land at the Japanese capital when turbulence struck. Six people flew up and hit the ceiling of the cabin hard, leaving several holes. They are seriously ill in hospital in Tokyo.
I have less than pleasant memories of a flight from Rome to London in 2001, when the plane hit turbulence over Southwest London. The flight had flown straight into a rainstorm with very strong up- and downdrafts. One person suffered a panic attack, another had an epileptic fit. The exclamation of the person next to me, as we touched down, was "Terra!" - Earth. Otherwise, it was eerily quiet as we bumped up and down.
47 people on board a Boeing 747-400 were hurt when their plane hit severe turbulence east of Tokyo. The flight from Manila to Los Angeles via Tokyo was coming into land at the Japanese capital when turbulence struck. Six people flew up and hit the ceiling of the cabin hard, leaving several holes. They are seriously ill in hospital in Tokyo.
I have less than pleasant memories of a flight from Rome to London in 2001, when the plane hit turbulence over Southwest London. The flight had flown straight into a rainstorm with very strong up- and downdrafts. One person suffered a panic attack, another had an epileptic fit. The exclamation of the person next to me, as we touched down, was "Terra!" - Earth. Otherwise, it was eerily quiet as we bumped up and down.
Thursday, 19 February 2009
Lost in translation
Irish police were left red-faced in the wake of the hunt for the country's worst driver. He managed to rack up dozens of traffic violations and fines, and forces up and down the Republic were on the hunt for Polish man Prawo Jazdy. Except... Prawo Jazdy is Polish for driver's licence.
Which reminds me of foreign tourists in the Netherlands who are driving for miles, looking for the town of Doorgaand Verkeer. This features on hundreds of signs, particularly in larger towns and cities. Never with a distance indication, something that is quite common in Holland. Doorgaand Verkeer is a Dutch fata morgana, as it stands for Through Traffic.
Which reminds me of foreign tourists in the Netherlands who are driving for miles, looking for the town of Doorgaand Verkeer. This features on hundreds of signs, particularly in larger towns and cities. Never with a distance indication, something that is quite common in Holland. Doorgaand Verkeer is a Dutch fata morgana, as it stands for Through Traffic.
Closing notes
Went out on the bus at 2.30pm for a wee trip to the Callanish Stones, 18 miles west of here. It was freezing cold, although the mercury was at 7C. The Stones sit on the top of a broad hill, and are very exposed to any amount of wind. Whether the flattened grass and broken shrubs had anything to do with the January 17th hurricane is not entirely clear. Also went for a walk to the nearby quayside, where that little blue and white boat is slowly sinking into the mud. At 4.30pm, the bus turned up to take us back to Stornoway the long road - 27 miles through Carloway and Barvas. It was a quiet afternoon, with hardly a sound, apart from the wind. Pictures are uploading as I type.
I also had the good news that my camera will be returning to me early in the new week. It had to go in for repairs just after New Year, when it gave up the ghost. My father very kindly gave me his camera to use in the meantime, and I have taken just over 100 pictures with it since I took it into fulltime use on February 3rd.
I watched some good television tonight; Sky 534 had the closing episode of Andrew Marr's programme on Britain from the air, and Billy Connolly is touring Canada. I did not watch Jade Goody's programme - I saw some recent pics of her, and the poor woman looks ghastly. Neither did I finish watching that absolute cr*p about St Kilda, hosted by Kate Humble. I can't stand Springwatch / Autumnwatch on account of the chemistry between her and Bill Oddy, but the absolute garbage she and co-presenters came out with about St Kilda put the shutters on for me.
A few pictures from this afternoon:
Houses at Callanish
Callanish Stones and Loch Roag
Boat at Callanish Pier
Carloway
I also had the good news that my camera will be returning to me early in the new week. It had to go in for repairs just after New Year, when it gave up the ghost. My father very kindly gave me his camera to use in the meantime, and I have taken just over 100 pictures with it since I took it into fulltime use on February 3rd.
I watched some good television tonight; Sky 534 had the closing episode of Andrew Marr's programme on Britain from the air, and Billy Connolly is touring Canada. I did not watch Jade Goody's programme - I saw some recent pics of her, and the poor woman looks ghastly. Neither did I finish watching that absolute cr*p about St Kilda, hosted by Kate Humble. I can't stand Springwatch / Autumnwatch on account of the chemistry between her and Bill Oddy, but the absolute garbage she and co-presenters came out with about St Kilda put the shutters on for me.
A few pictures from this afternoon:
Houses at Callanish
Callanish Stones and Loch Roag
Boat at Callanish Pier
Carloway
Thursday 19 February
Fairly bright day, but a shower just moved by to the south. Nonetheless, will be popping out on the bus later for a visit to the Callanish Stones and a run round the West Side.
A helicopter has crashed into the North Sea, but all 18 on board are safe and sound. The chopper remained afloat, conditions were favourable and rescue services were on the scene immediately. The aircraft came down near the ETAP oilfield, 125 miles east of Aberdeen. An investigation has been launched.
It is reported that social networking on-line is actually bad for your health. Because it replaces social networking face-to-face, the way we perform as persons is altered and not for the better. Gulp.
A helicopter has crashed into the North Sea, but all 18 on board are safe and sound. The chopper remained afloat, conditions were favourable and rescue services were on the scene immediately. The aircraft came down near the ETAP oilfield, 125 miles east of Aberdeen. An investigation has been launched.
It is reported that social networking on-line is actually bad for your health. Because it replaces social networking face-to-face, the way we perform as persons is altered and not for the better. Gulp.
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Remembering Today - 18 February
Today on this day during the First World War, this man from the Isle of Lewis lost his life in the service of King and Country. RIP.
Private RODERICK MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 4 Battery Park, Stornoway
Son of Alexander McLeod, of 4, Battery Park, Stornoway, and the late Mrs. McLeod.
Regiment or division: 7th Seaforth Highlanders, Labour Corps
Service number: S/16375, transf. to (588562)
Date of death: 18 February 1919 at the age of 34
Died of wounds
Interred: Sandwick Cemetery
Memorial reference: L. R.1910. 683.
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial
Private RODERICK MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 4 Battery Park, Stornoway
Son of Alexander McLeod, of 4, Battery Park, Stornoway, and the late Mrs. McLeod.
Regiment or division: 7th Seaforth Highlanders, Labour Corps
Service number: S/16375, transf. to (588562)
Date of death: 18 February 1919 at the age of 34
Died of wounds
Interred: Sandwick Cemetery
Memorial reference: L. R.1910. 683.
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial
Fight Pink
This website, aimed at those fighting breastcancer, or having survived it (or are related to or friends of) features our own Kelly, sister of Kim [demandnlilchit], who passed on in December 2007. Call round and admire.
Sheep notes
Three years ago, someone reported a lamb head-butting a golden eagle near Balallan in Lewis. On another occasion, a golden eagle was seen running on the ground after rabbits. Personally, I once was in a car which was forced to stop on the B8011 road in Lewis because two (female) sheep decided to have it out there and then in the middle of the bridge across the Grimersta River, 3 miles west of Garynahine. Only after they had stopped head-butting each other was the vehicle able to proceed.
Grimersta River at the bridge
Sheep, unfortunately, are frequent victims of road traffic. It is up to the owner to remove the remains from the roadside. Whether it is such a good idea to dump the carcass in the ditch is questionable; I once had the doubtful pleasure of watching a sheep's remains slowly disintegrating in the ditch beside the cattlegrid at Marybank. You can't help but notice it when you walk past. If only on account of the smell.
Carcass at the Marybank cattlegrid, July 2005
Sheep are held to be stupid animals, but that is not really fair. If possible, a ewe will go back to the spot where it was born itself to give birth. At this time of year, when lambing time is nearly here, any sheep that ends up on its back may not be able to regain its feet - and could die. I have righted several sheep in remote parts of Lewis which I found on their backs. They were happy to run off at once. Others that I found in distress were beyond help - their eyes had been pecked out. The one I pulled out of a bog near Loch Eastaper, north of Laxay, was very grateful - and immediately started tearing at the grass.
Sheep and lamb at Bragar, May 2005
Grimersta River at the bridge
Sheep, unfortunately, are frequent victims of road traffic. It is up to the owner to remove the remains from the roadside. Whether it is such a good idea to dump the carcass in the ditch is questionable; I once had the doubtful pleasure of watching a sheep's remains slowly disintegrating in the ditch beside the cattlegrid at Marybank. You can't help but notice it when you walk past. If only on account of the smell.
Carcass at the Marybank cattlegrid, July 2005
Sheep are held to be stupid animals, but that is not really fair. If possible, a ewe will go back to the spot where it was born itself to give birth. At this time of year, when lambing time is nearly here, any sheep that ends up on its back may not be able to regain its feet - and could die. I have righted several sheep in remote parts of Lewis which I found on their backs. They were happy to run off at once. Others that I found in distress were beyond help - their eyes had been pecked out. The one I pulled out of a bog near Loch Eastaper, north of Laxay, was very grateful - and immediately started tearing at the grass.
Sheep and lamb at Bragar, May 2005
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Social networking revisited
Putting into practice what I commenced on Sunday, and boy, did it work out the way I feared. Twittering along, Facebooking to my heart's content, reading journals and writing on all said sites, the day flew by. Oh, mind you, I did find time to go into town to seek out that mysterious boat that came in at 11 am; only to find it had sneaked out whilst I was having lunch. Only got a picture of Cuddy Point plus wreck-buoys and of Lews Castle from King Edward Quay.
I think I'll leave Twitter for what it is, keeping an eye on it on a once-a-day basis (like this time of the night). Facebook will carry on as it has since we were kicked off AOL, as will the journals. Deb has alerted us to a change in the Terms of Service of Facebook; if you are on there, check it out. I'm not too fussy, but if you have very unique content, links etc, beware.
It is close on 10.30pm, the lorries are rumbling past my window on their way to be shipped to the mainland on board MV Muirneag in an hour's time.
Closing schools is an emotive issue in these islands, and the local council have their ties in a twist over it. After voting for, against, for [that was the voting record of one council session last August] closure of the secondary extension of the primary schools (two years of secondary education in the local primary) in 4 locations, the Education Secretary to the Scottish Government threw the whole plan out. Yet, the council have now said they will continue with the closure plans never mind what, as not doing so would blow an £12m hole in their finances. No, I don't understand it either.
I think I'll leave Twitter for what it is, keeping an eye on it on a once-a-day basis (like this time of the night). Facebook will carry on as it has since we were kicked off AOL, as will the journals. Deb has alerted us to a change in the Terms of Service of Facebook; if you are on there, check it out. I'm not too fussy, but if you have very unique content, links etc, beware.
It is close on 10.30pm, the lorries are rumbling past my window on their way to be shipped to the mainland on board MV Muirneag in an hour's time.
Closing schools is an emotive issue in these islands, and the local council have their ties in a twist over it. After voting for, against, for [that was the voting record of one council session last August] closure of the secondary extension of the primary schools (two years of secondary education in the local primary) in 4 locations, the Education Secretary to the Scottish Government threw the whole plan out. Yet, the council have now said they will continue with the closure plans never mind what, as not doing so would blow an £12m hole in their finances. No, I don't understand it either.
Tuesday 17 February
Bright morning, after the mist and drizzle of the early hours cleared. Temperature has inched up to 11C, so we're having a pretty mild day.
Couple of items in the news today, which caught my eye. A haemophiliac patient has died suffering from variant-Creutzfeldt-Jacobs Disease (the human version of mad-cow disease), although he did not have any symptoms. He was the first case to emerge as a result of being given contaminated blood products.
There is a continuing row in the Western Isles about the closure of schools and the role of councillors. A local website carries calls for resignations of some of them - the closure plans were torpedoed by the Scottish Government as being incompetent.
Just as I close this post, the sun has come out.
Couple of items in the news today, which caught my eye. A haemophiliac patient has died suffering from variant-Creutzfeldt-Jacobs Disease (the human version of mad-cow disease), although he did not have any symptoms. He was the first case to emerge as a result of being given contaminated blood products.
There is a continuing row in the Western Isles about the closure of schools and the role of councillors. A local website carries calls for resignations of some of them - the closure plans were torpedoed by the Scottish Government as being incompetent.
Just as I close this post, the sun has come out.
Monday, 16 February 2009
Ads
Some advertisements on the Internet are just plain stupid. One company, trying to pander its creditcard off on unsuspecting punters can rest assured of an absolutely 0% (yes, zero) success rate. After saying which normally disqualifying criteria will be considered, it says that everyone will be EXCEPTED.
Remembering Today - 16 February
Today on this day during the First World War, these men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King and Country.
Private DONALD GRAHAM
Last address in Lewis: Outend Coll,
Son of Alexander and Annie Macleod Graham, of Out End Call, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 2nd Canadian Field Artillery
Service number: 41793
Date of death: 16 February 1915 at the age of 28
Accidentally killed in France
Served 5 years in India.
Interred: Bois Guillaume Communal Cemetery
Memorial reference: I. B. 17A
Lewis Memorial: Back
Private DONALD MACDONALD
Last address in Lewis: 9 Gravir,
Son of Malcolm and Christina MacDonald, of 51, Balfour St., Glasgow, Scotland.
Regiment or division: 21st Canadian Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regiment)
Service number: 123779
Date of death: 16 February 1917 at the age of 24
Killed in action in France
Interred: Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Mont-St Eloi
Local memorial: Pairc, Kershader
Private ROBERT STEWART
Last address in Lewis: 4 Scotland Street, Stornoway
Regiment or division: Seaforth Highlanders
Date of death: 16 February 1915
Died of wounds
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial
Private DONALD GRAHAM
Last address in Lewis: Outend Coll,
Son of Alexander and Annie Macleod Graham, of Out End Call, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 2nd Canadian Field Artillery
Service number: 41793
Date of death: 16 February 1915 at the age of 28
Accidentally killed in France
Served 5 years in India.
Interred: Bois Guillaume Communal Cemetery
Memorial reference: I. B. 17A
Lewis Memorial: Back
Private DONALD MACDONALD
Last address in Lewis: 9 Gravir,
Son of Malcolm and Christina MacDonald, of 51, Balfour St., Glasgow, Scotland.
Regiment or division: 21st Canadian Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regiment)
Service number: 123779
Date of death: 16 February 1917 at the age of 24
Killed in action in France
Interred: Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Mont-St Eloi
Local memorial: Pairc, Kershader
Private ROBERT STEWART
Last address in Lewis: 4 Scotland Street, Stornoway
Regiment or division: Seaforth Highlanders
Date of death: 16 February 1915
Died of wounds
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial
Remembering Today - 14 February
Today on this day during the First World War, these two men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King and Country.
Private JOHN CAMPBELL
Last address in Lewis: 18B Gravir,
Son of Peter and Effie Campbell, of r8 [18B], Gravir, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis.
Regiment or division: 2nd Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: S/ 22755
Date of death: 14 February 1919 at the age of 20
Died of influenza in France
Interred: La Louviere Town Cemetery
Memorial reference: A. 3.
Local memorial: Pairc, Kershader
Seaman JOHN MACDONALD
Last address in Lewis: 34 South Shawbost
Brother of Donald McDonald, of 16, Clyde St., Dumbarton. Native of Shawbost, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: Merchant Marine, HMS Partridge
Service number: 3478B
Date of death: February, 14th, 1915 at the age of 31
Drowned when cutter was upset by HMS Sutlej
Memorial: Chatham Naval, panel 14
Private JOHN CAMPBELL
Last address in Lewis: 18B Gravir,
Son of Peter and Effie Campbell, of r8 [18B], Gravir, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis.
Regiment or division: 2nd Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: S/ 22755
Date of death: 14 February 1919 at the age of 20
Died of influenza in France
Interred: La Louviere Town Cemetery
Memorial reference: A. 3.
Local memorial: Pairc, Kershader
Seaman JOHN MACDONALD
Last address in Lewis: 34 South Shawbost
Brother of Donald McDonald, of 16, Clyde St., Dumbarton. Native of Shawbost, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: Merchant Marine, HMS Partridge
Service number: 3478B
Date of death: February, 14th, 1915 at the age of 31
Drowned when cutter was upset by HMS Sutlej
Memorial: Chatham Naval, panel 14
Monday 16 February
Misty, grey and wet here today. Funny thing is, the sun does peep through the clouds from time to time. Overnight low 9C, temperature at the moment 10C, with a brisk westerly wind. The Atlantic firmly in control today.
Heard on the news that two nuclear submarines, one British, the other French, managed to collide in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. That's no mean feat. The Atlantic is 4,000 miles wide, up to 15,000 feet deep and some 12,000 miles north to south. Yet those two banged into each other. Incredible. No radiation was released, neither were any warheads. Both vessels were seriously damaged, with the British HMS Vanguard having to be towed back to Faslane, and the French Le Triomphant managing to regain Brest under its own steam. Looks like the French came off 'triumphant'.
For several weeks, a yacht has been lying in a corner of Stornoway harbour, demasted and damaged in an autumn gale. The vessel has now gone to the bottom, but still protruding from the water. Stornoway Port Authority has marked the spot with wreck buoys and issued a formal Notice to Mariners. Regulars to my own Stornoway pictures will recognise the blue bulk of MV Muirneag in the background; the yacht actually lies just off Cuddy Point.
Picture courtesy Hebridesnews.
Heard on the news that two nuclear submarines, one British, the other French, managed to collide in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. That's no mean feat. The Atlantic is 4,000 miles wide, up to 15,000 feet deep and some 12,000 miles north to south. Yet those two banged into each other. Incredible. No radiation was released, neither were any warheads. Both vessels were seriously damaged, with the British HMS Vanguard having to be towed back to Faslane, and the French Le Triomphant managing to regain Brest under its own steam. Looks like the French came off 'triumphant'.
For several weeks, a yacht has been lying in a corner of Stornoway harbour, demasted and damaged in an autumn gale. The vessel has now gone to the bottom, but still protruding from the water. Stornoway Port Authority has marked the spot with wreck buoys and issued a formal Notice to Mariners. Regulars to my own Stornoway pictures will recognise the blue bulk of MV Muirneag in the background; the yacht actually lies just off Cuddy Point.
Picture courtesy Hebridesnews.
Sunday, 15 February 2009
Social networking
I'll be having to make some choices in the near future, as to which sites to use for social networking. At the moment, I'm keeping this blog, reading about 300 blogs on Google Reader, I'm on Facebook, I'm on Twitter - cripes, I'll be chained to this here computer all day if I'm not careful. Hey! I already am (chinking noises in background as he moves in his chains).
With regards to the blogs, there are less than 100 that I actually keep up to date with; and I'll have to scrap a heap of applications on Facebook. There are about 300 of them in use as well. I may end up using Twitter on special occasions, as I can update there by mobile phone. I can also do that with Facebook, as some will have noticed on days I am travelling to and from Holland.
So, how do you cope with your Internet commitment?
With regards to the blogs, there are less than 100 that I actually keep up to date with; and I'll have to scrap a heap of applications on Facebook. There are about 300 of them in use as well. I may end up using Twitter on special occasions, as I can update there by mobile phone. I can also do that with Facebook, as some will have noticed on days I am travelling to and from Holland.
So, how do you cope with your Internet commitment?
The Onion
I continue to be humorously appalled by The Onion's Radio News, but today, I caught them out on a rare factual blunder. In today's bulletin, they stated that President Bush (sic!) had reacted with a dance to news that the US tops the pops in the teen pregnancy test scores. Seems Doyle Redland has not caught up with events since January 20th...
Sunday 15 February
Overcast but fairly bright afternoon, with the highest temperatures we've seen in two weeks: +9C. Elsewhere in the country, the mercury will reach the dizzying heights of 11C. That will send the snow melting in no time at all.
Anyone using the Firefox browser to access their Hotmail account will be unable to do more than read one message; you can't do anything else after that. Hotmail will give you a message: Please refresh your browser window. When you access your Windows Live Hotmail account from more than one computer, we ask you to sign in again to help keep your account private and secure and that's about all. An error thread has been commenced here, and any users are requested to leave their Hotmail address on there. I've used Hotmail for exactly 9 years, without major problems until now. Accessing the service through Internet Explorer goes without a hitch.
Miep Gies, the Amsterdam woman who helped to hide Anne Frank during the Second World War, is celebrating her 100th birthday today. She is displaying modesty about her role in helping the persecuted Jews, saying others did far more. Anne Frank kept a diary, which Mrs Gies hid after the girl and her family had been taken to a concentration camp. Anne died there in 1945; her father published her diary in 1947.
Anyone using the Firefox browser to access their Hotmail account will be unable to do more than read one message; you can't do anything else after that. Hotmail will give you a message: Please refresh your browser window. When you access your Windows Live Hotmail account from more than one computer, we ask you to sign in again to help keep your account private and secure and that's about all. An error thread has been commenced here, and any users are requested to leave their Hotmail address on there. I've used Hotmail for exactly 9 years, without major problems until now. Accessing the service through Internet Explorer goes without a hitch.
Miep Gies, the Amsterdam woman who helped to hide Anne Frank during the Second World War, is celebrating her 100th birthday today. She is displaying modesty about her role in helping the persecuted Jews, saying others did far more. Anne Frank kept a diary, which Mrs Gies hid after the girl and her family had been taken to a concentration camp. Anne died there in 1945; her father published her diary in 1947.
Saturday, 14 February 2009
Evening notes
It is reported tonight that former BB contestant Jade Goody only has months to live, following a diagnosis of metastatic cancer - cancer that has spread. Her partner has proposed to her, and she is getting her affairs in order. You can only admire her bravery - I have never pulled any punches in the past in voicing my less than favourable opinion of this celebrity, but in a situation like this, I am prepared to alter my view.
On an equally gloomy note, I was reminded of Torvill and Dean's ice-dancing triumph in Sarajevo in the Winter Olympics of 1984. Their 4-minute routine to the strains of Ravel's Bolero has gone down in the history books, but in my mind, the name Sarajevo has become synonymous with brutality on a breathtaking scale in the early 1990s. One of its perpetrators, Radovan Karadjic, is currently standing trial in The Hague on an indictment of war crimes; number two, Ratko Mladic, is still at large.
It made me quite ill today to view a picture of a woman who had not cut her fingernails in 30 years. They had grown to a combined length of 28 feet (8.4 m) - and she lost them in a car accident. How on earth can you live with nails like this?
Right folks, I'm off to bed - hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day.
On an equally gloomy note, I was reminded of Torvill and Dean's ice-dancing triumph in Sarajevo in the Winter Olympics of 1984. Their 4-minute routine to the strains of Ravel's Bolero has gone down in the history books, but in my mind, the name Sarajevo has become synonymous with brutality on a breathtaking scale in the early 1990s. One of its perpetrators, Radovan Karadjic, is currently standing trial in The Hague on an indictment of war crimes; number two, Ratko Mladic, is still at large.
It made me quite ill today to view a picture of a woman who had not cut her fingernails in 30 years. They had grown to a combined length of 28 feet (8.4 m) - and she lost them in a car accident. How on earth can you live with nails like this?
Right folks, I'm off to bed - hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day.
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