Category Archives: General
Something blue?
As some of you will be aware, I write another blog on behalf of Party Lights, an event lighting hire company. While looking for things to write about I recently came across a novel idea – there is an old Armenian wedding custom apparently, that while the bride is getting dressed, her bridesmaids sign the bottom of her wedding shoes. It is said that the name best preserved at the end of the night will be the next one to marry – much like the familiar custom of throwing the bouquet at the reception. If you decide to do this, why not use blue ink and take care of the “something blue” at the same time?
Singletons, might I suggest you make sure you sign the bit under the arch of the foot as that will obviously not get the wear and tear the bottom of the sole will!
Perhaps not the best possible taste?
I think it is probably safe to say that most people are aware that it is now 100 years since the Titanic hit that infamous iceberg and the results have been very well documented so there is no need for me to expand here. I am sure that most people also know that the Titanic was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast before being taken to Southampton to start its maiden (and final) voyage.
I can’t help but wonder what the councillors of Antrim Borough Council were thinking when they used an inflatable sinking ship in one of their parks on this particular anniversary? The slide was among a number of facilities provided to entertain children in Lough Shore park last Sunday.
A number of people complained that the timing was in bad taste but in an official statement the council responded by saying that it had been provided by a private contractor and no offence had been intended.
Oh well, that’s alright then!
Unlucky for some?
Today is Friday 13th April and it got me thinking about why we are so superstitious about the number 13 and why it considered to be such a problem when Friday falls on the 13th day of the month?
A fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia which comes from the Greek words for Friday – paraskevi, Thirteen – dekatria and Fear – phobia
Unlucky 13: It is considered unlucky to have 13 at a table or in a company. The number 13, in the Christian faith, is the number of people at the Last Supper, with the 13th guest at the table being the traitor, Judas.
So why else are people superstitious of the number 13?
- A witches coven consists of 13 members.
- Tarot Card number 13 is the Death Card, depicting the Grim Reaper
- There are 13 steps leading to the gallows.
- 13 knots in a hangman’s noose.
- 13 feet which the guillotine blade falls.
Added to this, Fridays have been considered an unlucky day since the medieval times. It is generally considered bad luck to start anything on a Friday – a new journey, job, marriage, business project, giving birth, moving house. It is unlucky to cut fingernails and hair on a Friday and in Britain, Friday was the conventional day for public hangings.
Furthermore,
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Muslims tout Friday as the day that Allah created Adam
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Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit on a Friday and later died on a Friday
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Christians consider Friday as the day on which Christ was crucified by the Romans
On that basis, without wishing to tempt fate any further, I am heading back to hide under the duvet until it’s all over … till the next time!
Domestic Abuse – no laughing matter
There has been much written about domestic violence and, most recently, we have heard that Dennis Waterman had “punched and slapped” his ex-wife Rula Lenska during their marriage, giving the pathetic excuse that ‘It’s not difficult for a woman to make a man hit her’.
Too often though, we forget about the men who are abused by their female partners and this is no less of a crime.
Violence is about control and whoever is the perpetrator needs to have that control taken away, as happened today when a woman called Tiffany Baillie was jailed for 3 years after stabbing her partner, Gregory Todd, in the back after a night out drinking. She had admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent at a previous hearing.
So why did Mr Todd bring an engagement ring to court with him today? Well apparently he was hopeful the Judge would allow Baillie to walk free.
Despite suffering serious injuries, including damage to his colon, a kidney and his pancreas, after Baillie plunged a kitchen knife into his back, probably while he was asleep on a bed, emergency surgery and 3 months in hospital, this poor deluded individual now wants to marry his attacker!
One can only hope that over the next few years while she is safely locked away at Her Majesty’s Pleasure, Mr Todd can be persuaded to smell the coffee and make for the hills!
The Trams Fiasco
After working in Edinburgh for several years, I don’t now have the need to go there very regularly. On Friday night, however, I was meeting a friend for dinner and once again I was shocked at the devastation that has been caused by the ongoing saga of the Edinburgh Trams!
A potted history for those not in the know:
In 2007 when the SNP government took over from Labour/LibDems, there were a few outstanding matters which demanded attention. One in particular was the demand from the Unionist parties for a tram system in Edinburgh. Or perhaps that should read a tram rail because the proposal was for one tram line only serving a very small part of Edinburgh. The vote regarding the Edinburgh trams was outdone by the Unionists and at that point John Swinney said the (SNP) Scottish government would give £550million to the project and not a penny more.
Having originally been scheduled to be up and running by February 2011 the projected completion date is now sometime in 2014. The whole project has been a disaster for Edinburgh. The streets are still in “dug up” progress and have been for several years. Edinburgh looks like a war zone and it’s such a shame because it was once a very attractive city.
For the record, most people are against the trams because the capital city had a bus service which surpassed any other city and did not deserve to be usurped by a tram system which would not provide a service to 90% of the Edinburgh population.
If the trams are ever up and running, it is proposed that the service will operate every 10 minutes with a journey time claimed of “approximately 20 minutes from Haymarket to the Airport”, with service from 06:00 to midnight Monday to Saturday (07:00 start on Sunday).
Currently the Airlink bus services the Princes St to Airport route. Departures are every 10 minutes between 7am and 12:40 am. A 24 hr service operates, departing at 15 and 30 minute intervals before and after this main period respectively. Journey times are 30 minutes from Waverley railway station (about 10 minutes East of Haymarket) to the Airport.
Bearing in mind the aforementioned figure of £550million, it begs the question – who did the original cost/benefit analysis?
Breaking News
I stumbled across this video today – the Easter story told as a news report by puppets – hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Inflation-busting increase of the day
So it has been announced today that Royal Mail postal prices are increasing from 30th April 2012.
Both first and second class stamps will go up 14p from April 30 to 60p and 50p respectively. That’s a 30% rise for first class and 39% hike for second. (Inflation was 3.4% last month according to the Consumer Prices index.)
With the number of letters posted every day down from 84million six years ago to 59million today, this is probably not the best idea they’ve ever had. As people increasingly turn to alternative carriers and electronic communications, surely Royal Mail must realise their future is, at best, doubtful.
Today’s announcement by Ofcom that the Royal Mail now has the freedom to set their own prices is surely the natural progression towards full competition and privatisation of postal services where customers will pay more and efficiencies will be sought in the interests of profit not services.
The end of a chapter
A chapter in my life finally ended yesterday when my ex-husband died at the relatively young age of 54. The love had long gone but it is still sad news. He was a strange and complicated man who was very difficult to get on with and there are sadly more bad memories of our time together than good. I don’t want to be regarded as hard or un-feeling but the debts I carry to this day as a result of his appalling behaviour will perhaps help people to understand my feelings are somehow weirdly detached rather than feeling upset.
This doesn’t alter the fact that he was too young to die. Sadly, his abuse of cigarettes, drink and goodness knows what else had contributed to his early demise and the indignity of dying a slow and probably painful death in a hospice is not something you would wish even on your worst enemy. I would therefore just like to dedicate this poem to Richard Colin Bernard Heywood:
“The clock of life is wound but once
And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop
At late or early hour.
To lose one’s wealth is sad indeed
To lose one’s health is more,
To lose one’s soul is such a loss
That no man can restore.
The present is our own,
So live love, toil with a will
Place no faith in ‘tomorrow,’
For the clock may then be still.” (Robert H Smith)
Thursday fun
It’s Thursday, the sun is shining, all is good with the world so here’s a joke for you all that made me chuckle!
“The people of Dubai don’t get to watch the Flintstones but the people of Abu Dhabi Do!”
BOOM!!!
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