redfiona99

Why yes, for the first time in ages, there is a part 2

Health:

Beware potential signs of pancreatic cancer - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41817061

History:

Who stole Burma’s royal ruby? - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/who_stole_burmas_royal_ruby

Law and Order:

Hillsborough report urges change of attitude - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-41832657 From the subheading - "The "burning injustice" felt by those affected by public disasters must end, a report on the experiences of the Hillsborough families has found." So far, nothing.

Miscellaneous:

My life as a hostage of al-Qaeda - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/my_life_as_a_hostage_of_al_qaeda

Karen Darke hand-cycles 2,000 miles down N America coast - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41807972

Religion:

Pope Francis admits he sometimes falls asleep while praying - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41829338

Sport:

Football:

Finding Phil Foden: How Man City Captured England's U17 World Cup Star - https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2725220-finding-phil-foden-how-man-city-captured-englands-u17-world-cup-star

Rugby union:

The ticking time bomb the Wallabies face before the Rugby World Cup - https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/oct/31/the-ticking-time-bomb-the-wallabies-face-before-the-rugby-world-cup From 2017, but still true for Australia ... and every other country.

Architecture:

Is Europe's ghostliest train station about to rise again?- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-41445860

Religion:

Highway to Heaven - What one Canadian street could teach the world about religious harmony -https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/highway_to_heaven

Sport:

Fencing:

Lucy-Belle: Meet the swashbuckling fencer - https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/47131943 Newsround is the BBC children's news programme. Therefore, it's always good when fencing gets a mention on it. I have been soundly beaten by both fencers in this clip, and they are both lovely young ladies. Unusually for fencing parents, Mr. Williamson is also calm and considerate.

Horse racing:

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe: Frankie Dettori breaks record on Enable - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/equestrian/41459569

Fandom:

Thor: Ragnarok fight scene but Holding Out For A Hero is playing-https://deadcrushing.tumblr.com/post/171842048979/thor-ragnarok-fight-scene-but-holding-out-for-a Exactly what it says on the tin. Because sometimes fandom is silly and awesome.

Food and drink:

How a footballer became Africa's first Cognac maker - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40587894

Knitting:

The Costume Designer From "Black Panther" Blessed Us With A Pattern - https://www.buzzfeed.com/clairedelouraille/black-panther-costume-designer-released-shawl-pattern

Miscellaneous:

Liu Xiaobo: The man China couldn't erase - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-40585327

Janet Commins: How police caught her killer after 41 years - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-40568522

News:

Grenfell Tower: A shadow over the capital - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40592626

Grenfell planner’s shock at burnt remains - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40571856

Women In Pakistan Dared To March — And Didn't Care What Men Thought - https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/03/15/593549219/women-in-pakistan-dared-to-march-and-didnt-care-what-men-thought

Canadian Civil Rights Pioneer Will Appear On Country's $10 Bill - https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/13/593086064/civil-rights-pioneer-will-appear-on-canadas-10-bill

Religion:

Pakistan’s secret atheists - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-40580196

Sport:

Athletics:

World Para-athletics: Richard Whitehead - marathon man turned 40-year-old sprint star - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/40574441

Cycling:

Tour de France 2017 - Tom Simpson: The British cyclist who pushed the sport too far - https://www.eurosport.co.uk/cycling/tour-de-france/2017/tour-de-france-2017-tom-simpson-the-british-cyclist-who-pushed-the-sport-too-far_sto6251996/story.shtml

Other than the housing thing, which is just generally argh! at the moment, I bring you the following:

1) proteins - argh! Basically producing protein for a colleague, and there's a deadline and foreign travel involved. One of the blighters is not expressing. I can see it thumbing it's proteiny nose at me. This has meant I can't go to a friend's housewarming party in Oxford. Which is very annoying.

2) people criticising the drivers for going to Bahrain and/or their not speaking up about it. Now, I don't know if it's escaped people's attention but for several of the drivers, car driving is just about the only thing they're any good at. I wouldn't expect the little darlings to have thought out opinions about anything other than tire choices. I'm thinking of two in particular who have basically done nothing but drive since they were 12. Even if we discount that this particular bunch of drivers (excepting the 3 way, way, way outliers) skew stupidly young, the mental horizon of most F1 drivers is foreshortened and they're driving towards it at 120 mph.

It also seems to discount that both Nico Hulkenberg and Mark Webber have both suggested that the race might not be a good idea.

And before anyone says, why don't they boycott it, well, shall we see what happened to Force India who didn't boycott it but did cut short their participation in free practice 2, after some of their mechanics got caught up in a riot the day before. Oh wait, we won't see anything, because the cameras mysteriously didn't show their cars. And having your cars shown is the financial life blood of an F1 team, the most expensive sport in the world to participate in. I am not going to expect any team to do anything that's going to put them out of business. And that would be before the F1 governing business sued them for breach of contract.

3) Why yes, poor unfortunate staff member at Smiths having to wear that stupid t-shirt, I will ask you about your e-book reader. I mean your shop must know so much about books, with a whole 3 of it's 8 shelving units dedicated to books. Grr. Argh! (Not the guy's fault but seriously Smiths, either sell me books or stop trying to claim authority.) Don't worry, I did nothing, I just bought my newspaper and went.

4) Mobility scooters. I am aware they are necessary, and a wonderful boon to people who need them, but could we maybe start to institute driving tests? I ask after nearly having my foot run over by some woman who was weaving along the pavement, a pavement I hasten to add a mere 1.75 scooters wide. At least when it's prams running my foot over, it's unlikely to cause a crushing injury. Given that someone in my family circle has recent had to have his foot amputated after a crushing injury, I don't believe my fears are excessive.

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Links:

The Vatican vs North American Nuns - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17794961 I would suggest that the Vatican needs to be careful, as, as we all know, there is nothing in this world more terrifying than determined nuns. (Your blogger went to a nun-run nursery.)

I am sad to hear of the death of Lord Ashley - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-17797677

The most recent iteration of the best ever Premiership XI is still wrong, as they always are - http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2012/04/what_is_the_best_xi_in_the_his.html - but looking at the distribution of the teams played for tells you everything you need to know about why Man Utd have been winning things.

Timeline pictures of the Giant Spectacle over in Liverpool - http://www.littletimemachine.com/gallery/2012/04/sea-odyssey-day-1/ I particularly like the one of the (non-giant) little girl and the Xolo, seventh down.

Would the athiests please stop trying to convert me? I believe in God, but, apparently according to one of them, because I'm not willing to call people that don't Godless heathens I'm merely agnostic and therefore ripe for conversion.

I'm also apparently unable to be religious for the following reasons: I'm gay, I'm a scientist, I'm a rational human being.

What I really love is how the person presenting the argument refuses to accept that God, should he exist and I'm not forcing anyone to believe that either way, might not obey the rules of Physics, for they are the RULES and can never be broken. And she's the one accusing me of having a closed-minded mind-set, because dontcha know, the way we understand physics now is the ultimate and utter of what it's going to be, and it will never change.

I hate people sometimes.