Pain(e) and Truth

 A visit to Thetford, to dentist and optician, since you ask. 

While waiting for the dental  numbing to subside I visit the gold statue of Thomas Paine, appropriate as Mrs Wikipedia tells me he was born Thomas Pain, but I digress. The plinth on which the imposing figure stands contains an inscription 

"IT IS AN AFFRONT TO TRUTH TO TREAT FALSEHOOD WITH COMPLAISANCE"

Hmm! One or two could do with remembering that. Isn't it so Donny?

(This advert is sponsored by Buddist Pizza Enterprises.

No Cats or pets or other small animals were harmed in its production!)

 

Felinity

My parents had a saying that some thing or person was useful in a house where there was no cat.
You may take this surreal and gentle barb any way you wish! I am not a great lover of cats (Oh god no! We will be plagued now by cat lovers and the anti cat defamation society, by the owners of Tiddles and Pussy Willow and all manner of the felinatious fraternity. We should publish a retraction- immediately...Ed!)

... However, I  was taken by this fellow the other day.

I offer my sincerest apologies if it is a female or LBQTRSVP or some other thing! I was reluctant to pursue the matter further!

Horses for Courses

And a very good morning to yourself. I'm assuming we will pass over the flying visit by Frankie, as an appropriate subject for discussion.
Frankie goes to Holy Wood, in fact.
Oh oh. Smart boy wanted! No I was thinking how the blessed Tess performed in the dancing department recently.
Well I think there is no doubt that the degree in colouring in was useful discovering Africa as a place for an activity holiday.
Brutal, have you no compassion for the woman at all? She may be facing a run off with that animal Boorish Johnstown!
Not in those heels, she won't.
Our bank holiday seemed to revolve around horses of a different stripe!
Are you sure they weren't zebras?
No I'm sure it's spots before the old eyes not stripes since you ask! Rather, we watched some fine fillies and some fillies in their finery on Saturday at Euston ( the Hall, that is, not the station) and on Sunday we were greeted by a performance from the massed bands of the Knettishall ponies. A pictorial comparison will suffice no doubt.

Smart phone wanted? I never had you down as a silver techie. It seems I was mistaken. There's my bus, I'll be off then.

White Lace?

Insect with feathers?

Deer, dear, dearie me!

An article in the Grauniad about the problem of the deer! To cull or not to cull?
A web of interests and lives.
Cull the landowners (humanely of course...Ed?)
But they include  the  communities such as the  Assynt Crofters’ Trust
Undoubtedly jobs  are hard enough to find and retain in such places.
Hat tip to Bob Mc F and the Grauniad for this
(Sensitively done I thought. Congratulations all round. We will make a blogger out of you yet...Ed!)

Yes. I thought the alternative title for this post:-
Wild swivel-eyed eco-communists destroy local jobs after instruction from long term beardie sleeper, Czech, mole!
was a bit long.

Postcards from Purdah 5

Ever think about where all those shy and retiring animals go? The Yeti, snow leopard etc.
Spotted in Norfolk (Groan...Ed)

Bee off with you

Another couple of books to tide us over a pretty wet bit (careful...Ed!)
First The Bees by Laline Paul.The Grauniad link gives a good flavour and don't be put off by the SciFi/Fantasy categorisation.
Second a more factual consideration of bees, bumble bees this time, A Sting in the Tale by Dave Goulson. Again I am indebted to the Grauniad for providing finger easing reference material, more time for reading and taking pictures of wee bees!

(I am concerned about the over use of a certain left leaning, organs of news and liberal propaganda. I am also concerned about the over specialisation on the minutiae of whatever takes your lepidopteran fancy. This blog stands four square as a mirror to society leaning neither to the left nor the right, offering opinion only on the basis of the tested evidence, sound judgement and a broad view of the world. Furthermore...Ed)

Buzz off!

Horses and Sticks

Our beloved washing machine of many years service has been 'Pritted'
Phwatt, I hear you ask, is pritted when it is at home?
It has come to a sticky end. (Arrgh...Ed. Surely not original)
Are you jokin? Pelagerism is a dreadful cross I bear willingly!

In the meantime here is a nice snap of Jacob which we took on our  day out at the seaside!

A grand fellow, is he not?
could do with a few more like him, eh  Mr Ed...!

Spring is Here

Blossom Forth

Resolution

That time of year folks. Get the pen and paper out, or the tablets!
Short of inspiration for what to do? The late Mr Guthrie had a few ideas, allegedly!

No. 5 Take Bath.

Yep! Tried it last year, wasn't bad.
Might do it again this year.

Many thanks to Brain Pickings.

Dog-whistle Blowing

I have been conscious recently, partly because of my super-power hearing, of an enormous number of dog-whistles being blown. In the interest of brevity I leave you to select your favourite examples. However, Buddhist Pizza Inc. our parent company, registered, as you know, in the canine islands is pleased to offer the following service.
Dog-whistle blowing.
Should you wish to blow a dog-whistle but be of a nervous disposition or in delicate employment, marital or financial circumstances BPdogblower.org is here to help. Payment of the usual fee to our finance director and accounts receivable wallah would be much appreciated.

Alternatively in these straitened times you may wish to do this yourself.

You do know how to blow a dog-whistle don't you?
You put the dog to your lips and blow!

Too Good to Miss

Simon Hoggart in the Grauniad managed to slip in Theresa May's pussy, and there was a snap of the leopardskin shoes. So far so no 'Cat Woman'. Let me be the first!

Deer Management

An interesting post, as always, from Susan McCarthy. I love the title -

Act casual, act vegetarian!

I will be pulling the leg of my vegetarian friends and relations for some time about that.

There are other ways of dealing with the beasts, of course!

Sluts and gonifs

I have to confess that I did not know what a gonif was. Susan McCarthy helpfully, provides a link in her blog commenting on the moral failings, allegedly, of dinosaurs.

Well no one is perfect. I have been known to indulge in Vin Santo myself and give voice but sluts, gonifs and divine retribution?

To think it could be so!

Hmm!
Another cracker from Susan McCarthy

And a nice flower

for Easter.

The price of cat litter

Thanks to Open Democracy for this story about Sahkalin, the people, the bears, and the increase in the price of cat litter because of the crisis (33% overnight since you ask).

I must admit I haven't checked the weather but I guess it is business as usual...

a powerful cyclone with abundant snowfall has hit Sakhalin

Many thanks to Ksenya Semenova.

The Birds

Ok figure this one out.
Starvelings gather and they could be musical or menacing.

Carnage

I am not now, nor have I ever been a vegetarian. I'm weak I know. In my defence - I eat very little meat and ensure that it comes from Happy Cows etc. When this argument was advanced to a small child questioning the propriety of being a carnivore it brought forth the answer that surely you should eat the unhappy cows and leave the happy ones! But I digress, as always.

I must confess to feeling a bit unsure when, red in tooth and claw, some carnivore devours a poor defenceless beast, alive, whole even, in close up on a tv nature programme. So if you suffer from nervous dyspepsia and/or extreme paranoia do not click on this link 'A Killer Advances'
Gardeners among you may enjoy the tale that is told before the picture, another cracker from
Susan McCarthy's Blog.

Where Sheep May Safely Graze

A few days off; aren't they all?

Glastonbury at the solstice. I didn't go up the Tor for sunrise being, uncharacteristically, sound asleep. Those that did said it was like a drunken football match! I chose to go up the Tor solo, steady on chaps, and had a pleasant bimble in the sun, even being wished a happy solstice by a woman who ought to have known better. Later I had the privilege of sitting on the slopes of the Tor in a refurbished, mobile, shepherds hut. I shared a teabag, and looked out from the hut and saw this.


Sometimes, for the strangest of reasons, you can feel incredibly lucky and blessed.
As I may have said on a previous occasion:- Gracias a la vida

We then went off to see the shepherd castrate two of the little lambs that had been quite happily nuzzling their mum. Ouch!

Politicians do not lie!

You may find this hard to believe but the above is not true!
We all had our doubts about WMDs now there is documented evidence that those nasty Republicans are harnessing Weapons of Mouse Destruction. Susan McCarthy has a blog about mice or more correctly the absence of mice that nails the political process. Being a zoologist I guess she is very familiar with the lower forms of life and their slimy habits.
Susan's projection of how mice might spend $30m is fun and the San Francisco Chronicle gives space for Congresswoman Jackie Speier(Democrat California) to add a measure of perspective about the process and the worthy burghers of San Francisco.

You do have to watch those mice though. Wee sleekit cowerin' timorous beasties they may be but turn your back in a recession and they have got their bewiskered noses in the trough.