Back to school - time for excuses

I think that this list was sent to me by a friend who teaches in the US. I've been hanging onto it for a moment and decided to share it after rereading it today. It brought tears of laughter to my eyes.

Ashamed to be British

Can you imagine the thoughts of people abroad when they see scenes on TV of children in the UK as young as 8 years old fighting in a cage? One of the fathers defended himself by saying the practice is not illegal. This makes it okay, does it?

The fights take place in a social club where alcohol is served to adults.
These boys aren’t boxing and they aren’t using martial arts which involve discipline and training.

What kind of parent allows a child to do this? We’re supposed to protect our children and help them to grow up into responsible adults. Everyone knows what happens when children of that age are recruited into armies. They become ruthless killers because they are too young to have learnt the difference between good and bad.

I’m putting a poll up in the side bar for a week. I hope you’ll give me some feedback on this in the comments too- or am I just a soppy mother hen?

Mmmmoo!

I just don’t know what to say about this milk bottle label. I grew up on a farm and I like cows, but sexy?

How to earn money the hard way

This weekend Dom and J-M came to stay. As always it was lovely to see them and they cooked me a birthday meal in advance. Salmon and spinach lasagna as Dom isn’t eating meat.
On Sunday we got up really early, braved the weather and held a stand at the local ‘Loft Empty’; a kind of boot/garage sale. I took along one or two odd postcards to sell (I haven’t got a licence to sell just those on a stand) and some old plates, DVDs and perfume. Dom and J-M sold some chairs; their new flat is a little small for all of the chairs that they’ve acquired. Well, it poured with rain, became hot and sunny, the wind picked up and then it rained again and so on, all through the day. The sun burnt my nose and Dom was surprised to find that she’d been burnt too when they arrived home. I covered the cost of the stand. I don’t think I’d like to spend too many days trying to earn a little money that way.
The house is always so empty when they go home

Knees

Friday was the day of my first visit to the rheumatologist about my knees. I had to wait rather a long time but he was very nice once I got to see him. He told me that my knees were in the early stages of arthritis. It was best to avoid anti inflammatory drugs if possible and that I should benefit from having gel injected into my knees. The gel is also what they use to fill out face wrinkles. He doesn’t off that service; he said. He also prescribed a form of glucosamine for me to take. If the gel works I shouldn’t have any more problems. Although he recommended that I didn’t take up mountain climbing. I will have three sessions of gel during the month of October.

Another page is turned

Olivier came home this weekend to collect his papers to use while he’s waiting for his driving licence and everything he needs for another year of study. He’s packed up the Renault 5 with all of his gear and headed for Poitiers. As I write this I’m waiting for a message to confirm that he’s arrived in one piece. I bet he unloads the car first.

Next week he’s starting a part time job in KFC’s. You know, I’ve never tasted Kentucky Fried Chicken before. We’ll be popping up to see Dom and J-M’s new appartment in a couple of weeks hopefully. Perhaps I’ll get to try some then.

He  just phoned to say that he arrived safely.

Gentle Otter

This week Keith at A Taste Of Garlic wrote about a non French blog for a change. Now I’m directing you to a post on that blog about something happening today – not in the middle ages. If you have a minute please send a few words of support. Don’t forget to have a look at the rest of the blog while you are there.

Not people, socialists

I haven't got anything agaists Socialists.  I made an error in my post about Greenpeace.  The banner read "85% of Socialists"

We saw a report on the news about a giant turbine being taken out to sea and sunk.  It will produce electricity and will change the direction of its movement as the tide comes and go.  If it is successful there will be more.  Unlike wind turbines you can't see them at all.