Monks Get Cross

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7718596.stm

When Monks attack!

Health and Safety gone nuts

The Burger Van at local football matches do the same thing - not give out half cooked chips, though that is true. No, what I'm talking about is the practice of removing plastic bottle tops after you've bought them.

Upon asking a Burger Van proprietor why this was necessary I was told that it was because of health and safety. There was a worry that the bottle tops might be used to throw at players/refs. She told me this as she was handing me my change in the form of pound coins - ideal missiles for throwing at the players/ref, and more likely to cause real harm.

No health and safety concerns over coinage eh!

Tempted to use the 'C' word

After all the hubbub concerning the BBC and Ross/Brand I was surprised to hear the 'C' word uttered tonight, and by none other than Jeremy Paxman!

Right in front of a guest and directly into his lapel mic Paxman said that McCain 'Could' win the election. I was shocked and immediately contacted the Daily Mail.

The idea of McCain winning is as appealing as contemplating a third Dubya term. What's most frightening about the prospect of John McCain becoming President is not him or his policies per se, but his age. And it's not an ageist thing. The worry is that a man of his age might die in office, and then the Hockey Mom would become President. Sarah Palin in office would be a de facto George W third term.

There seems to be a genuine sense of hope in America today - a sense that a new start might be in the offing. A sense that the utter fuck-up of the Bush Disaster will be consigned to history, or at least will be dealt with, but that might take more then two terms to do.

I've never been so excited about a US election before. I only hope that what happens tomorrow becomes the catalyst for real change both in America and consequently in the world.