The illusion of change.

I posted this almost a year ago in reference to President Trump’s apparent indifference to the legal and ethical limits of power. How sad to now repost the same statement with reference to the absurdities and moral corruption displayed by the UK’s political parties, personalities and their abuse of the parliament itself.

“It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter’d your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil’d this sacred place, and turn’d the Lord’s temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? mace Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress’d, are yourselves gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors.

In the name of God, go!”

Oliver Cromwell – April 20, 1653

View from a Rhino House: globalization bounds ahead

The English word “shitstorm” is now so commonly used by Germans that the country’s most popular dictionary has added it, in its latest edition.

The latest edition of the dictionary defines the word as “a storm of indignation expressed via the internet, sometimes accompanied by offensive comments.”

This is slightly different to the English meaning, the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) defines shitstorm as “a situation marked by violent controversy” – tending to a wider, non-technology usage. It seems Americans are too polite to descend to using such profanities.

When she was asked, during a press conference last year, if internet users should have some kind of driving license, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: “Yes but I won’t make any suggestions here. Otherwise we’ll get a total ‘shitstorm’ tomorrow.”

The word was named “Anglicism of the Year” by a national panel of language experts in 2011, who said it “filled a significant gap in the German language”.

Germans also use the word “candystorm” to refer to an outpouring of approval for public figures. That word has yet to enter the dictionary, on the basis its use is only occasional & sporadic.

I only Shakespeare was here — If only Shakespeare was here

View from a Rhino House: “a dream of a hotel”

UK finance minister Gideon “George” Osborne is the public figure that most often appears in Briton’s nightmares, a study has found.

Conservative party member Osborne, whose full title is “Chancellor of the Exchequer”, was booed during a medal ceremony at the Paralympics this summer in London & has been the central target of public criticism for austerity measures which have seen cuts to welfare budgets, increasing unemployment & a freeze in public sector pay.

Gordon Brown, the former Labour chancellor & prime minister, came second in the survey conducted by hotel group Travelodge, which asked 2,000 guests about their nightmares.

The former glamour model Katie Price, also known as “Jordan”, beat a number of politicians & sporting figures to come third.

“Suffering from nightmares that involve the chancellor, money & losing a job are a true reflection of how the hard times have affected our well-being as well as our money”, a spokeswoman for Travelodge, said.

Presumably there was a different reason for those instead dreaming about a woman with orange skin, pneumatic silicon breasts, & a gift for self-promotion that would make a US presidential candidate look like a retiring wallflower.

I once spent a night in a Travelodge, I won’t say “slept in” because the bed was so hard & narrow there was not room to inhale without ending up on the floor & wedged against the non-functioning radiator – hoping that the maid would come before the frostbite & gangrene set in. The bedroom floor also leaned to one side making sleep more of an exercise in mountaineering than is usual – even in a budget hotel.

As for the “en suite” facilities I shall only say the words “plastic insert” & point out that pissing was best achieved by leaning back against the wardrobe on the other side of the room & aiming carefully.

Maybe Travelodge customers are more prone to nightmares than others?