So exciting to hear Stephen Fry talk about Singlish on Q.I., although the way he explains it makes it seem that Singlish is all about changing the r’s to L’s.
watching ant and dec’s SNT…. is it me or is Ant’s forehead getting higher? i think it’s Ant… the taller one.
The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright—
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.
The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done—
“It’s very rude of him,” she said,
“To come and spoil the fun!”
The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead—
There were no birds to fly.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
“If this were only cleared away,”
They said, “it would be grand!”
“If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year.
Do you suppose,” the Walrus said,
“That they could get it clear?”
“I doubt it,” said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.
“O Oysters, come and walk with us!”
The Walrus did beseech.
“A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each.”
The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head—
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.
But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat—
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn’t any feet.
Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more—
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.
“The time has come,” the Walrus said,
“To talk of many things:
Of shoes—and ships—and sealing-wax—
Of cabbages—and kings—
And why the sea is boiling hot—
And whether pigs have wings.”
“But wait a bit,” the Oysters cried,
“Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!”
“No hurry!” said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.
“A loaf of bread,” the Walrus said,
“Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed—
Now if you’re ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed.”
“But not on us!” the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
“After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!”
“The night is fine,” the Walrus said.
“Do you admire the view?
“It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!”
The Carpenter said nothing but
“Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so deaf—
I’ve had to ask you twice!”
“It seems a shame,” the Walrus said,
“To play them such a trick,
After we’ve brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!”
The Carpenter said nothing but
“The butter’s spread too thick!”
“I weep for you,” the Walrus said:
“I deeply sympathize.”
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
“O Oysters,” said the Carpenter,
“You’ve had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?’
But answer came there none—
And this was scarcely odd, because
They’d eaten every one.
Finally uploaded the photos from Christmas… including the turkey!
Not bad for my first attempt at roasting a turkey! A little burnt on the top, coz i decided to glaze it with more olive oil and it started to fry instead. But other than that, nice!
Note to self: If ever roasting a turkey again, remember to plan it for a dinner party, NOT a lunch party! So that I do not have to wake up at 6am just to put the turkey in the oven!
The roasted veggies were brilliant too! thanks to a modified jamie oliver recipe.
Next project: Roasted rack of lamb… yum!
Tonight will be the brightest and closest full moon since 1993.
Tonight is the perigee - the closest the Moon gets to Earth during its ecliptic orbit. As a result the Moon will be 30% brighter and 14% larger. The time when the Moon is its furthest away from Earth is the apogee.
These events usually occur once a month, but due to the irregular orbit the exact distance varies over the year. Also, the moon’s phase differs.
Ed Krupp, director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles said: “Typically we don’t have the full moon phase and perigee coinciding at the same time, so that makes this event particularly special.”
At a distance of 221,560 miles (356,566 lm), tonight will be the closest lunar perigee since 1993. Quite interestingly, the Moon’s farthest apogee this year will be on Boxing Day, when the Moon will be 252,650 miles (406,601 km) away from Earth.
The unusual closeness of tonight’s Moon will result in higher-than-average tides, but measuring the other effects of the perigee is harder to discover. Most casual observers will only notice the Moon being brighter rather than being larger.
Krupp added that one of the best things about this event is that anyone in the world can watch it without the need for special equipment. All that is needed is clear skies. He said: “If you are charmed by the idea of seeing the biggest and brightest full moon visible in 15 years, be ready to go outside at sunset and watch for the rising Moon in the east. Or stay up all night and watch as the Moon rides through the overhead skies—either way it will be a beautiful sight.”
Story from National Geographic via the QI website
or so says the news on Absolute radio. But it is really really bright and round, pity it could be well captured on my camera
In an article about Jeremy Clarkson’s joke about truck drivers murdering prostitutes -
“The Iceni Project, a charity which had helped some of the murdered prostitutes in Ipswich, previously criticised the remark.”
I’m really interested to know how they help dead prostitutes….
1) clean up room
-throw all my A level/ university notes and text books away.
-create a bon fire, if necessary
2) Bake
-trial-run for christmas cookies
-Possible choices: mini apple crumbles, meringue, good ‘ol butter cookies
3) Think of ways to decorate my room
-find that perfect shade of green to paint the walls
-need a pretty way of displaying my photographs (they are works of art!!)
4) Learn to sew
-Bags, little plushies (octopus will be the first project), maybe a skirt
-Something tells me that this one is gonna take a while
