OK, so somewhat delayed in the presentation (nearly 4 months, but then things move slowly in the Middle East - "Shway, Shway" as they say), I seem to have finally cracked the 'linking in some photos' thing.
So, here are some photos of Jack from his 2nd birthday party. Which was on 5th of February.
Of course, if this link works (and I am placing great faith in my limited IT skills when it comes to setting stuff like this up), and readers are complimentary (reviewing the number of comments I am used to receiving on this site takes many nanoseconds out of my day) then perhaps more will follow.
Meanwhile, as regards these photos of Jack...? I taught him everything he knows!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Nonsense Verse
A recent 'post-bathtime, pre-bedtime' conversation with Jack:
Daddy (while wiggling big toe of Jack's foot): This little piggy went to...
Jack: ...market.
Daddy: And [moving systematically to the next toe, as is the tradition] this little piggy...
Jack: ...stayed at home.
Daddy: This little piggy had...
Jack: ...rose beef. [Giggles]
Daddy (by now, in a mood of parenting induced euphoric bliss, thinking to himself that there is nothing better in life than having kids): And this little piggy had...
Jack: NONE!!!!!!
Daddy: And THIS little piggy.....
Jack (looking pensive, searching for the most appropriate activity that could be occupying this final swine): ...had soup.
Who knows?!
(P.S. While we're on nursery rhymes generally, why was it decided that the closest analogy to something going 'round and round a garden', is a teddy bear? In our house, the only thing that goes round and round the garden is the ant killer.)
Daddy (while wiggling big toe of Jack's foot): This little piggy went to...
Jack: ...market.
Daddy: And [moving systematically to the next toe, as is the tradition] this little piggy...
Jack: ...stayed at home.
Daddy: This little piggy had...
Jack: ...rose beef. [Giggles]
Daddy (by now, in a mood of parenting induced euphoric bliss, thinking to himself that there is nothing better in life than having kids): And this little piggy had...
Jack: NONE!!!!!!
Daddy: And THIS little piggy.....
Jack (looking pensive, searching for the most appropriate activity that could be occupying this final swine): ...had soup.
Who knows?!
(P.S. While we're on nursery rhymes generally, why was it decided that the closest analogy to something going 'round and round a garden', is a teddy bear? In our house, the only thing that goes round and round the garden is the ant killer.)
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Saints preserve us...
Straight off the mark, barely 4 minutes after the final whistle blew, here I am being optimistic about the 2007/8 Championship season.
So we lost on penalties to Derby. Let's face it, the Championship is where it's at these days.
The Premiership has not been the same this last couple of years since all the best teams left.
And who really believes that football is all about money these days anyway.....
So we lost on penalties to Derby. Let's face it, the Championship is where it's at these days.
The Premiership has not been the same this last couple of years since all the best teams left.
And who really believes that football is all about money these days anyway.....
Monday, May 14, 2007
Words and Pictures
A man more gifted than I in the ways of IT has kindly informed me of a clever way in which I can upload pictures to this blog. Having not yet found the time to sort that out properly, you'll have to contain your excitement a bit longer. Watch this space....
However, in the meantime, and purely to wet your appetites, I have at least discovered a way to insert pictures direct into my posts. So, herewith a nice picture of our little bundle of joy, in dapper attire, from when he served as ring-bearer at Adrian's (Michele's brother) and Anita's wedding a couple of weeks ago:
However, in the meantime, and purely to wet your appetites, I have at least discovered a way to insert pictures direct into my posts. So, herewith a nice picture of our little bundle of joy, in dapper attire, from when he served as ring-bearer at Adrian's (Michele's brother) and Anita's wedding a couple of weeks ago:
He did at least have his shirt tucked in for some of the service.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
The end of an era
What a shame it is that, in response to the news that Tony Blair is resigning, that most of the main news networks (BBC, Sky, etc.) have decided to go out and gauge the opinion of the general public as to what Blair's legacy might be. Narrowmindedly, but predictably, and without any tongues in cheek, most seem to believe that it will be the Iraq war. Really?
The only columnist I have read today who seems to have correctly assessed the likely Blair legacy was this one. I believe that Tony Blair has been, on the whole, a good prime minister. For two main reasons:
1. Because there are aspects of modern life that are far too large and complicated to ever be fixed by any government, whatever their party, despite the best worded pledges: the NHS because it suffers at the hands of private healthcare and because no government will ever have enough money (without raising taxes) to cater for an ever expanding population, raise nurse pay and cure all of the inherent bureaucracy problems that pervade this outdated public service; crime, because parental responsibility is the real root cause of juvenile delinquency. A leader speaks for the nation (and Blair does this well) and cannot (and should not) be held accountable for everything that goes wrong on his watch. Ministers come and go, and a few have made mistakes (including probably the PM - he's only human) but to hold a torch to his every move and statement, waiting (and in many instances trying to provoke) a mistake is counter-productive and detrimental to good government. But unfortunately, this is now common practice in the media. Accountability should be allowed to develop and, in time, evidence itself, not be challenged and antagonistically tested every minute of every day.
2. Because of the Iraq War. Too much is made of this. Tony Blair is not responsible for Iraqi insurgent terrorists killing their own each day. Had the war been wrapped up sooner, there would not be the criticism there still is today. To say that Blair followed Bush into an illegal war is wrong; we are one of the world's leading economic nations with a duty to assist where we can. America is an important ally with the same duty; we were obligated to go into war irrespective of what America did. And, as far as British involvement is concerned, I don't understand on what basis people consider the war to be a mistake. If the mistake is to be measured by casualties, in the 4 years since it started the UK has lost 148 troops. The Falklands War lasted 10 weeks, was considered a success, and yet 260 troops were killed. So perhaps the war is considered a mistake because it has not yet been won? Again, this is the fault of the insurgents, not the coalition. To bring it to a speedier conclusion then should perhaps involve more troops, not less. And Tony Blair is not the maker of military strategy, so should not be deemed responsible for how the war is fought.
It annoys me when the uneducated man on the street is asked his opinion and blindly follows the views of the tabloid press when making statements like "Blair's legacy will be his failings in Iraq." To go into war was a brave decision, to stay and see it through for 4 years was a braver one. Tony Blair has always been front and centre in defending the decisions he has made, and during a very difficult and fast-changing decade. He has on occasion nobly accepted responsibility for mistakes that were not his. When Princess Diana died his sentiment was perfectly attuned to that of the nation, and again on 9/11.
By contrast, Gordon Brown lacks the charisma to be a leader in the same mould; more academic, less dynamic. Politics is about to become boring again under his leadership.
Which will leave room for David Cameron to continue building the same brand and style of fresh faced optimism that brought Blair to power 10 years ago. If the public buy into that again, and elect Cameron as PM at the next election, it will only be a matter of time before the knives come out.
The only columnist I have read today who seems to have correctly assessed the likely Blair legacy was this one. I believe that Tony Blair has been, on the whole, a good prime minister. For two main reasons:
1. Because there are aspects of modern life that are far too large and complicated to ever be fixed by any government, whatever their party, despite the best worded pledges: the NHS because it suffers at the hands of private healthcare and because no government will ever have enough money (without raising taxes) to cater for an ever expanding population, raise nurse pay and cure all of the inherent bureaucracy problems that pervade this outdated public service; crime, because parental responsibility is the real root cause of juvenile delinquency. A leader speaks for the nation (and Blair does this well) and cannot (and should not) be held accountable for everything that goes wrong on his watch. Ministers come and go, and a few have made mistakes (including probably the PM - he's only human) but to hold a torch to his every move and statement, waiting (and in many instances trying to provoke) a mistake is counter-productive and detrimental to good government. But unfortunately, this is now common practice in the media. Accountability should be allowed to develop and, in time, evidence itself, not be challenged and antagonistically tested every minute of every day.
2. Because of the Iraq War. Too much is made of this. Tony Blair is not responsible for Iraqi insurgent terrorists killing their own each day. Had the war been wrapped up sooner, there would not be the criticism there still is today. To say that Blair followed Bush into an illegal war is wrong; we are one of the world's leading economic nations with a duty to assist where we can. America is an important ally with the same duty; we were obligated to go into war irrespective of what America did. And, as far as British involvement is concerned, I don't understand on what basis people consider the war to be a mistake. If the mistake is to be measured by casualties, in the 4 years since it started the UK has lost 148 troops. The Falklands War lasted 10 weeks, was considered a success, and yet 260 troops were killed. So perhaps the war is considered a mistake because it has not yet been won? Again, this is the fault of the insurgents, not the coalition. To bring it to a speedier conclusion then should perhaps involve more troops, not less. And Tony Blair is not the maker of military strategy, so should not be deemed responsible for how the war is fought.
It annoys me when the uneducated man on the street is asked his opinion and blindly follows the views of the tabloid press when making statements like "Blair's legacy will be his failings in Iraq." To go into war was a brave decision, to stay and see it through for 4 years was a braver one. Tony Blair has always been front and centre in defending the decisions he has made, and during a very difficult and fast-changing decade. He has on occasion nobly accepted responsibility for mistakes that were not his. When Princess Diana died his sentiment was perfectly attuned to that of the nation, and again on 9/11.
By contrast, Gordon Brown lacks the charisma to be a leader in the same mould; more academic, less dynamic. Politics is about to become boring again under his leadership.
Which will leave room for David Cameron to continue building the same brand and style of fresh faced optimism that brought Blair to power 10 years ago. If the public buy into that again, and elect Cameron as PM at the next election, it will only be a matter of time before the knives come out.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
And furthermore...
...it just struck me that it was this day, 4 years ago, when very same friends came to a church in Redhill to witness Michele and I get married. The irony(?) of the timing of my previous blog entry then, is a little surreal.
Of course it's only just 3 May here - 1.00am in fact. Wonder if there are any card shops open.....
Of course it's only just 3 May here - 1.00am in fact. Wonder if there are any card shops open.....
Friends: They'll be there for you...
One of the sometimes depressing things about living abroad, particularly as we move into our 5th year away from the UK, is the gnawing sense that friends we've known for years are starting to forget us or drift away through sheer lack of frequent contact. I like to delude myself that life at home continues exactly as it did before we left (mainly because I am not present to witness the changes that inevitably occur as we all move on, grow up, start and end relationships, buy houses, get married, have kids, etc). I am often just as much to blame for not making as much of an effort to keep in contact with those who were once great mates as, to be fair, some of them would probably agree they are to. And I recognise that since it was us who made the break from the UK, perhaps the greater responsibility to keep contact flowing is ours.
But then every now and again I am seriously buoyed by experiences such as the one we had in the Lord Raglan a week or so ago (about which I have been meaning to write something here ever since, if only to encourage those who read these ramblings to feel rightly pleased with themselves). I don't think I am overstating it to say that I was genuinely moved to find that, with a simple bit of last minute texting, practically everyone who was in Wokingham that I would like to still call genuine good friends made the effort to come out and see us on a random weekday night. And for me, it was a truly great night to catch up with everyone.
For those who were there it was probably just another evening out, although many said that they too had not seen some of the other attendees in some time. I was really pleased to have been the catalyst for this rather impromptu little reunion and I left with a big smile on my face knowing that, even despite over 4 years away and less than satisfactory contact with most people during that time, my friends of old are still just as good friends now. It seems like we collectively reached a point at some time years back (who knows when) when we had all known each other for so long that we had become somehow destined to reunite every so often, and in a manner where we can fall straight back into the same mutual comfort in each other's company without having to go through embarassing small talk first.
I was dead proud to call my Wokingham friends 'friends for life', and hope to see them all again soon. Love you guys!
Right, enough gushing. Anyone fancy Saints for the Premiership??
But then every now and again I am seriously buoyed by experiences such as the one we had in the Lord Raglan a week or so ago (about which I have been meaning to write something here ever since, if only to encourage those who read these ramblings to feel rightly pleased with themselves). I don't think I am overstating it to say that I was genuinely moved to find that, with a simple bit of last minute texting, practically everyone who was in Wokingham that I would like to still call genuine good friends made the effort to come out and see us on a random weekday night. And for me, it was a truly great night to catch up with everyone.
For those who were there it was probably just another evening out, although many said that they too had not seen some of the other attendees in some time. I was really pleased to have been the catalyst for this rather impromptu little reunion and I left with a big smile on my face knowing that, even despite over 4 years away and less than satisfactory contact with most people during that time, my friends of old are still just as good friends now. It seems like we collectively reached a point at some time years back (who knows when) when we had all known each other for so long that we had become somehow destined to reunite every so often, and in a manner where we can fall straight back into the same mutual comfort in each other's company without having to go through embarassing small talk first.
I was dead proud to call my Wokingham friends 'friends for life', and hope to see them all again soon. Love you guys!
Right, enough gushing. Anyone fancy Saints for the Premiership??
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