quote:

Originally posted by Ann Wilkinson:
cats, dogs, canary, budgie, gerbils, bantams

Suprisingly, the body of that politician you always detested has never been discovered!

As both of you are probably aware, the practice of blessing animals was originally pagan. The Vikings used to line up six of their finest animals plus a captured prisoner and parade them before the God ´Odin´ prior to going into battle.

Firstly, they would dig a pit twenty foot by ten foot by six foot deep with a ramp inside and lead the animals and the human one by one into the pit where the blood sacrefice would take place.

Upon completion all the bodies would be left to blood drain for two hours after which, they would individually be strung up from the trees and left for Odin to see their appreciation of him and receive his blessing.

When Christianity asserted itself the practice of blessing the animals continued along with other pagan traditions but no bloodshed.

Think I´ll get back to my cup of tea

Ron.

Thanks Ron - I really wanted to know that!

One thing I cannot stomach is the part of sacrifice in any religion -parts of the O.T. make me disgusted even tho' I Know a lot of it is a folk history how can anyone think that a Creator -be he/she Odin, Jehovah or whatever wants such destruction -I am with the Buddhists on this one.

What is the pagan view?

quote:

Originally posted by Ann W.:
...I am with the Buddhists on this one.

But don't they believe in preserving all life? So that it's as wrong to swat that mosquito as it is to sacrifice a goat?

My own personal belief is that in history we did a lot of things through ignorance that we now know are unnecessary and unacceptable. I don't have a problem that we did those things but I would have a problem with some of them still going on. As I'm not a vegetarian, I can't argue with the killing of animals per se but I can have a problem with the humaneness of the methods used.

PS - Ann, we gave up with burying our pets because of the likelihood of moving house and having to leave them behind to be dug up and destroyed/discarded by new residents. We opt now for cremation and discreet beech "coffins" with name plates.

I actually know someone who buries his pets in a casket and when he moves -takes them with him.

I was once with him at one such reburial -in a garden easily seen from the road and expected at any minute to feel the 'long arm of the law'
'What 'ave we got 'ere then? I was being given lodging after leading a Quiet day and was accompanied by a nun, two vicars and an elderly lady!

Some moments one never forgets!

(Like the meeting where the pompous Treasurer leaned back in his chair revealing the fact that he had forgotten to do some essential part of his attire up -but that is another story...)

quote:

Originally posted by Ann W.:
(Like the meeting where the pompous Treasurer leaned back in his chair revealing the fact that he had forgotten to do some essential part of his attire up -but that is another story...)

Wasn't there a female film version of this entitled'Basic Instinct'?
I arrived home today,having experienced the quickest 6 weeks holiday on record. Isn't it amazing, how the work days are in adverse and sometimes drag like hell? My risibility of nature tends to weaken as work day approaches. However, office work will be my burden for a few weeks,my left leg having done battle with ridiculous Spanish pavements twice in 7 days, The pavements won hands down-literaly!. Therefore, my 'Long John Silver' impersonation is quite genuine but seeking cheap parrot!

Ron.

You're not having Joey, even though he goes cheep and he's a parrot, albeit a very small one! Well, a budgie is a parrot...

Sampling too many Spanish wines Ron?

I'm sure the onlookers at Miss Stone's revelation did not burst into hopeless hysterical giggles as three of us did -the more we tried to stop the worse it became - not an enthralling sight as you might have guessed by the reaction. The vicar called for prayers and the Dr gave us a lecture on self control ( and then said, 'Thank heavens I thought it was me')

Oh dear the embarassment.

I used to have an old English gamecock that sat on my shoulder - long gone to his great pen in the sky but I could have a go at training another.

Ann,

Could the gentleman who was responsible for the hilarity at evening prayer, appropriatly, be described as a 'Fly by night'?

Ron.

Very droll Ron.

It took years for me to live down -every time I went into the local shop -..."here comes the one who laughs at a chap who has forgotten to 'arrange his dress'"

If he hadn't been so arrogant we probably would not have got the giggles.... but there.. I have been know to bring a monastery to a standstill its a gift you know -chaos follows me around!!

I stay away from digs -the body would probably be a murder victim al la Pascoe and Daziel.

Ann, Ooban,Ref;Parrots;Thank you for your various considerations on this subject, but I only expect the best from ladies of such 'poly-math' qualities

I enclose the following clips for your perusal;-

A little girl goes to a toy shop and asks the price of the Barbie teach doll, the Barbie doctor doll and several others. “They’re 20 pounds each,” says the assistant, “all except the end one, that’s 100 pounds.”
“Why is that?” asks the little girl.
“It’s the Barbie divorcee doll. It comes with Ken’s house, Ken’s car and Ken’s computer.”


Believe it or not, the following headlines did get past the editors into the papers last year:

• Something went wrong in jet crash, expert says.
• Police begin campaign to run down jaywalkers.
• Is there a ring of debris around Uranus?
• Panda mating fails; veterinarian takes over.
• Miners refuse to work after death.
• Juvenile court to try shooting defendant


Ron

This morning, I did something absolutely stupid, which I have never done in my life before.
I put Petrol,about 2 gallons in a Diesel car!
As an Engineer I work on colour indication, so how the hell I mistook green for yellow, I don't know.
I have been driving a petrol car for the past five weeks, but that's no excuse. There was two gallons of diesel in plus two gallons of petrol.
A breakdown truck took it away and the garage has just phoned to say it is ready to collect alongside a £145 bill plus the platform truck that took it away. I'm having a bad start to this year.
Walking along the road with friends in Palma. I came upon a Spanish round grid. Needless to say, that when we fit a grid, be it round, square or oblong, it is bedded in flush with the road surface. Not in Spain. They have a 2ft diameter grid, with a 3inch wide by 2ins deep moat encircling it.
Walking and talking, I put my foot in one of these.
My body carried on, but my leg did not, my foot being trapped. Must have twisted the bones around the left knee. I could hardly walk for two days.
Seven days later, walking with a limp and talking, I did not see the pavement on the left suddenly drop at 45Degs. Therefore, when I put my left foot where the paving had been. There was nothing but space for the next 8 ins. I go down again on my left knee and banging my right just for luck.
At present, I can, with difficulty, drive an automatic car, but walking is near out of the question. Possibly, medical advice and examination might be adviseable.

There used to be a fella' on here, who supported some obscure football team in Stoke-On-Trent. He was also a fan af the late and very dead'Elvis Prestley' Well, if you are reading this Steve, you would have been overjoyed to have been in Hobart, Tasmania two weeks ago, where they held an international Elvis look and singalong contest lasting all week.
!47 of the top entrants from all over the world. But imagine having to endure the sight of all those hidious white suits.

Ron.

There has been an enormous growth in Elvis impersonators since his death. At the current rate of increase, by 2032 (iirc) one in three people in the world will be an Elvis impersonator... Take a look around you and work out which one of your colleagues it will be!

Oh Ron, you have my sympathy. But I couldn't resist a giggle . Medical attention IS probably called for, but I don't think this will address the "blonde moment" issue... you'll just have to put that down to age!

It would seem that you are safer at work Ron - but you are not alone in the petrol situation I know someone else that did the same.

(Jenni -as a life long blonde tho' now silver - oh those blonde jokes and one has to smile wearily at each one. I once replied' ' no, its the bottled blondes that are dumb' but that didn't prove a popular reply as I was surropunded by several at the time and just hadn't thought what I was saying)

Ron just hint that it is a wound mysteriously sustained in one of the trouble spots and you will be alright for drinks!

quote:

Originally posted by Ann W.:
' no, its the bottled blondes that are dumb' but that didn't prove a popular reply as I was surropunded by several at the time and just hadn't thought what I was saying)

There's another one here, Ann! I'm just trying to keep the silver at bay and it's a lot easier starting from a light blonde base than from a mousy blonde!

Well, sitting here, looking out of the window,everything is white. The snow flakes are falling faster than the bullets of a Uzi machine gun. Any minute, I expect Charlie Chaplin to appear with an old boot as in a scene from 'The Gold Rush' This is not my scene at all.
Yet only 2 hours away, the sun is shining and the temperature is around 70F, I could do with beaming up to the Equator or the South seas!
I find it quite incredable, that having worked in the most desease ridden, venemouse infected and hostile parts of the globe, I have never piked up anything, yet I visit a Civillised county such as Spain, and cannot escape accidents.
This morning, I called at the local hospital and had my leg X-rayed. Result, a torn muscle,a hairline fracture,a few more items and fluid around the knee. They plasted up the leg from ankle to knee and thus it will stay for six weeks. Umm, I thought it was sore

Ron.

So that's another long holiday for you, Ron!

(Every cloud.... )

i asree Jenni, It's time to relax

On this day in 1258 The Mongols took and destroyed Baghdad.

1942 The first gold disc sprayed with gold by the record company RCA Victor was presented to Glenn

2000 All of the hostages on the Afghan Boeing 727, which had been hijacked on 6 February, were released at Stansted Airport, Essex, England. Police arrested 21 people who were apparently directly involved in the hijacking. They also investigated the possibility that the hijack was a ploy for several of the passengers to seek political asylum in the UK.A government spokesman stated that they will not be given asylum and will be posecuted as criminals. Yeah?

Today is the birthday of Robert Wagner, actor. He is 77 years old.

On this day -Victoria married Albert

Darnley died

Students rioted for 3 days in Oxford in 1355 in a dispute over wine

Does your wife have to push you in a bath chair to the pub Ron?

Alas, Ann. The family bathchair is now somewhat of a relic since it's days of glory when it was launched from 'Cammel=Lairds' Number 6 slipway in 1842!.
I sit on the back seat of a car with my leB stretched out. My day is taken up with office work.-boring!
I have been reading various comments by the new Arch Bishop of York. A brilliant man, not frightened to make un-politically correct statements.
In my opinion, he is a breath of fresh air to the C of E. What a pity his boss lacks his foresight and the outspokenness which he posesses.

On this day in 1797 Over 1,000 French troops, led by Irish - American general William Tate, made an unsuccessful attempt to invade Britain, on the Welsh coast.

941 German General Erwin Rommel arrived in Tripoli, Libya, to take control of German reinforcements and stiffen Italian resistance to the British.

Today in 1809 Charles Darwin, English scientist
Was born.

On this day in 1929 Lillie Langtry, English actress,died.

quote:

Originally posted by RonW:

941 German General Erwin Rommel arrived in Tripoli, Libya, to take control of German reinforcements and stiffen Italian resistance to the British.

I had no idea the campaign in North Africa lasted so long. No wonder everybody was shagged out by the end.

Aye Fil, it appears that Rommel had undergone his basic training with yhe Vikings during their battles with Alfred, even though they were mostly Danes. However, as the song says'There is nothing like a 'Dane'

Ron.

Today
Catherine Howard was executed (foul old man, Henry, she was only a teenager ugh!)
Wagner died
Christabel Pankhurst died and Waylon Jennings

In 1998 the warmest February day in England was recorded -19.6 -has it been surpassed this year?

and -The Massacre of Glencoe took place

On this day in 2006 the Welsh Rugby Union released the national coach who had seen them through a Grand Slam win, so that the team could get back to playing the Welsh way.

What exactly constitutes the 'Welsh Way'?
given that I don't begin to understand Rugby anyway but my son-in-laW is an addict.

We all know what today is -there are enough people trying to make money out of it
but
also
on this day
Captain Cook (1779)died and P.G. Wodehouse (1975)
The Bank of England was nationalised (1946)
Wilson became leader of the Labour Party (1963)
Great Ormond Street admited its first patient (1852)

Tobacco advertising banned in UK (2002)
(wasn't there an exception if you owned racing cars?)