Interesting. As a rule, when the Gorse Fox books a hotel, the confirmation comes back identifying the room as a "Twin Bed" or "Double Bed" and Breakfast. This week it says "Single Bath/Shower". Evidently the bed and breakfast were not available ! GF looks forward to seeing what awaits him at the hotel!
[File under: Diary]
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
The Gorse Fox is back in Worcester for a couple of days. The omens are not good... the tea trolley (well it is the Civil Service) had sold out of flapjacks. GF has a penchant for flapjacks and those made in the canteen here, and distributed on the tea trolley are particularly good and succulent. GF will sit here and sulk for a while.
[File under: Diary]
[File under: Diary]
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Topical Quote
The Odious Deputy Prime Monster, on 29th March 2006, during Prime Minister's Question Time uttered this timeless classic:
Ooops... got them both wrong John.
[File under: John Prescott]
"That was my education and I was responsible for it. but I would sooner get the words wrong than get my judgment wrong."
Ooops... got them both wrong John.
[File under: John Prescott]
The Trouser Quandary Resolution: The Smell Of Stamp Collections
Young David at The Trouser Quandary Resolution: The Smell Of Stamp Collections has a way with words.
Gorse Fox likes his description of dawn in the West Midlands:
Gorse Fox likes his description of dawn in the West Midlands:
To see the sun rising up from behind the tupping sheds and the soft susurrations of the slowly awakening hairstylists as they mutter to each other of the holidays taken in their dreams. Then there are the low rumblings from the distant lawyer sties as the awakening lawyers calculate the possible fee structure from suing the sun for its callous disruption of their sleep.
Melanie Phillips's Diary
The Gorse Fox has always been immensely sceptical about the the hype over anthropogenic climate change... and the way in which the it has been seized on by every pseudo-scientific pressure group in order to further their own agenda.
Recently, a number of eminent scientists wrote to Canada's Prime Minister to dispute this theory. Melanie Phillips's Diary republishes the letter, and more interestingly the qualifications of the signatories. These are people who have actually studied the science, noty people who depend on discredited computer models.
Furthermore, she tells us "Meanwhile, the New Zealand Herald reports that a group of leading climate scientists has announced the formation of the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition, aimed at refuting what it believes are unfounded claims about man-made global warming" and they said "many scientists and economists were concerned that the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had an effective monopoly on public announcements on global warming. ’Its statements go largely unchallenged -- or go largely unchallenged in a format that will carry weight with governments, the media or the general public' "
Go read the article in full.
[File under: Global Warming, Climate Change]
Recently, a number of eminent scientists wrote to Canada's Prime Minister to dispute this theory. Melanie Phillips's Diary republishes the letter, and more interestingly the qualifications of the signatories. These are people who have actually studied the science, noty people who depend on discredited computer models.
Furthermore, she tells us "Meanwhile, the New Zealand Herald reports that a group of leading climate scientists has announced the formation of the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition, aimed at refuting what it believes are unfounded claims about man-made global warming" and they said "many scientists and economists were concerned that the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had an effective monopoly on public announcements on global warming. ’Its statements go largely unchallenged -- or go largely unchallenged in a format that will carry weight with governments, the media or the general public' "
Go read the article in full.
[File under: Global Warming, Climate Change]
Monday, May 01, 2006
Gorse Fox's deck has ground to halt... the next stage of the build requires some lifting, positioning and the cementing of support posts. GF cannot do this alone, so will try to tempt Sir Lancinglot with the promise of cold beer next weekend.
[File under: DIY]
[File under: DIY]
An Ode for the Silver Vixen
The Gorse Fox has just spent some quality time with the iron and a pile of shirts. Ironing seems to free the mind... this was the result:
(The Silver Vixen is a dedicated a talented needle-woman and enjoys quilting, embroidery, patchworks and so forth)
[File under: Sewing,Quilting, Patchwork]
I was worried at first, I thought she had gone.
The house, it seemed empty, the lights weren't yet on.
I needn't have worried, I soon heard her say
"Is that you darling?" then "What is the day?"
I said it was Friday, she said "That's a shame.
I started on Tuesday. This patchwork's to blame"
"I lost track of time as I started to sew;
I get quite engrossed as you very well know."
Four days had gone by, she was wasting away.
She'd been quilting by night, and been quilting by day.
Surrounded by bobbins of cotton and silk, and only refreshed by hot tea with skimmed milk.
She thought at the start that an hour it would take her; But now she's a quilt covering most of an acre.
(The Silver Vixen is a dedicated a talented needle-woman and enjoys quilting, embroidery, patchworks and so forth)
[File under: Sewing,Quilting, Patchwork]
Sunday, April 30, 2006
The Fox's Den
The Gorse Fox has been playing with SketchUp and managed to create this scale version of the house in West Sussex that he shares with the Silver Vixen.The dotted construction lines can be removed, but GF still has to draw the windows and doors, and add the other textures.
Shakespearean Insulter
Gorse Fox likes to point you, dear reader, at useful websites (like Google's SketchUp). Today he brings you the Shakespearean Insulter. Going to that site just now the Gorse Fox received the following quote:
"There's no room for faith, truth, nor honesty in this bosom of thine. It is all filled up with guts and midriff."Given this week's news about the Prescott... Gorse Fox had to chuckle at its currency.
The little corner of West Sussex which is inhabited by the Gorse Fox and the Silver Vixen is immensely tranquil. Part of this tranquility is achieved by adherence to a covenant that is signed by by all the residents. This covenant directs that the weekend should be peaceful and that the use of noisy equipment should be limited to Monday through Friday... though in exceptions, it could be permitted up until luncthime on Saturday. Adherence to this means that we can sit outside without the drone of lawnmowers, strimmers, chainsaws, and so forth... indeed all we can usually hear is the sound of birds and the lapping of the waves on the shingle beach.
The Gorse Fox is therefore limbering up in readiness to build the last of the deck frames, using nothing beyond normal hand tools - quaint, but neighbourly.
[File under: Diary]
The Gorse Fox is therefore limbering up in readiness to build the last of the deck frames, using nothing beyond normal hand tools - quaint, but neighbourly.
[File under: Diary]
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Gorse Fox, as you probably know, likes Google and its tools and products. The latest offering from their stable is Google Sketchup. Gorse Fox has been playing with this and thinks it is another excellent tool.
What is it?
It's a 3D sketching tool. It allows you to draw in virtual 3D space but creating standard 2d shapes (rectangle, circles, arcs etc) on a 2d plane, then enable you to extrude the shape into the third dimension. Go download it. Run the tutorial, and you will very quickly be able to create your own 3d models.
[File under: Google, Sketchup]
What is it?
It's a 3D sketching tool. It allows you to draw in virtual 3D space but creating standard 2d shapes (rectangle, circles, arcs etc) on a 2d plane, then enable you to extrude the shape into the third dimension. Go download it. Run the tutorial, and you will very quickly be able to create your own 3d models.
[File under: Google, Sketchup]
8th Circle of Hell - another candidate
Gorse Fox read this morning's paper, and there on page 47 was a clear candidate for the 8th Circle. Celebrity lawyer (known as Mr. Loophole) managed to free a millionaire on a technicality.
The driver was prosecuted for drink-driving and has served a three-year ban before for drink-driving. In this incident he caused a road traffic accident that nearly wiped out a family. Then he ran away and was found in a field claiming he was looking for a phone to summon help. He refused to give a breath test... but a blood test two hours later showed him to be almost twice over the limit.
The snivelling little lawyer said the client should have been charged with failing to provide a specimen. There was no dispute as to whether he caused the crash, or whether he was drunk. The cretin of a judge allowed this defense.
This is not justice. The Gorse Fox hereby condemns both the lawyer, the judge and the driver to 8th Circle of Hell without parole or reprieve. These snivelling, bottom feeders are a disgrace to society and a affront to human dignity.
Update: the lawyer is quoted:
Sorry, mate. That's where we differ. They deserve to feel the full force of the law and you should be doing everything in your power to ensure they do. But, Gorse Fox recognizes that as a lawyer you probably have little concept of morality. He also wanders how Mr. Loophole would feel if this driver, free and driving again, ploughed into him or his family?
[File under: Motoring Law]
The driver was prosecuted for drink-driving and has served a three-year ban before for drink-driving. In this incident he caused a road traffic accident that nearly wiped out a family. Then he ran away and was found in a field claiming he was looking for a phone to summon help. He refused to give a breath test... but a blood test two hours later showed him to be almost twice over the limit.
The snivelling little lawyer said the client should have been charged with failing to provide a specimen. There was no dispute as to whether he caused the crash, or whether he was drunk. The cretin of a judge allowed this defense.
This is not justice. The Gorse Fox hereby condemns both the lawyer, the judge and the driver to 8th Circle of Hell without parole or reprieve. These snivelling, bottom feeders are a disgrace to society and a affront to human dignity.
Update: the lawyer is quoted:
"people who drink and drive are despicable" but believes his clients are entitled to his best advice, without moral judgement
Sorry, mate. That's where we differ. They deserve to feel the full force of the law and you should be doing everything in your power to ensure they do. But, Gorse Fox recognizes that as a lawyer you probably have little concept of morality. He also wanders how Mr. Loophole would feel if this driver, free and driving again, ploughed into him or his family?
[File under: Motoring Law]
Gorse Fox has spent the day recycling a huge pile of wood (delivered yesterday by a nice chap with a lorry and big crane) into small pieces of wood and huge piles of sawdust. This rates as just about perfect, as far as the Gorse Fox's idea of fun is concerned.
He now has 3 of the 4 frames, that will form the base of the deck, built.
[File under: DIY]
He now has 3 of the 4 frames, that will form the base of the deck, built.
[File under: DIY]
Friday, April 28, 2006
Trains that were built 7 years ago.... one year before the current disability legislation are being withdrawn from service because the Disability Police have determined that the electronic signs are 3mm smaller than they should be.
Now without trivialising disability, isn't this unbelievably stupid? Let us make the assumption that 1% of the travellers are visually impaired... 1) they've been managing up to now; 2) thousands of non-impaired passengers will be inconvenienced (just in case)....
Just switch the damned signs off entirely.
Gorse Fox wants to go and hit something.
[File under: Nanny]
Now without trivialising disability, isn't this unbelievably stupid? Let us make the assumption that 1% of the travellers are visually impaired... 1) they've been managing up to now; 2) thousands of non-impaired passengers will be inconvenienced (just in case)....
Just switch the damned signs off entirely.
Gorse Fox wants to go and hit something.
[File under: Nanny]
Gorse Fox stopped for lunch. He gazed out of the kitchen window, waiting for the kettle to boil. A neighbour hove into view dragging her dog, which she walks briefly every day. Nothing strange there.
But what was the young boy doing, dressed in a full bio-hazard suit, wandering along about two paces behind?
(Apologies: Gorse Fox couldn't get to his camera in time for a piccie).
[File under: Whimsy]
But what was the young boy doing, dressed in a full bio-hazard suit, wandering along about two paces behind?
(Apologies: Gorse Fox couldn't get to his camera in time for a piccie).
[File under: Whimsy]
Gorse Fox always thought Jeff Randall was a bit of an arrogant pompous prat who, because he worked for the BBC, thought he was more important than reality dictated*. However An Englisham's Castle referred the Gorse Fox to his piece in the Telegraph.
Ooooh, yes. Jeff you're beginning to rise up in estimation
Ok... you may have just peaked.
* This is a flaw that is evident in all people that the Gorse Fox has ever encountered at the BBC. One day, he'll lift the lid and reveal what he really knows and thinks about them!
[File under: Politics]
...if we used commercial criteria to assess Labour's record in power, some of its ministers would be in serious trouble. They wouldn't get through the door of a speakeasy, much less the British Standards Institution.
Ooooh, yes. Jeff you're beginning to rise up in estimation
Now, has anyone in the Labour Party or Government gone over the loans scandal? Or recent education screw-ups? Or the immigration debacle? Or the tax-credit over-payment fiasco? Is anyone likely to go?
Come off it. Ministers love to urge businessmen to clean up their act, but you couldn't trust this mob to clean a kettle.
Ok... you may have just peaked.
* This is a flaw that is evident in all people that the Gorse Fox has ever encountered at the BBC. One day, he'll lift the lid and reveal what he really knows and thinks about them!
[File under: Politics]
Yellow (Road) Peril
Adam Smith Institute Blog reports that Dave the Chameleon wants to do something about the school run, and American-style school buses may be a solution.
Gorse Fox commends the idea.
Indeed the ASI go further and recommend in one of their publications The Paratransit Light Vehicle picking up customers from their home and taking them to work. The idea was not taken up.
Gorse Fox says it's a shame... he would use the service between his base in West Sussex and Worcester.
Gorse Fox commends the idea.
Indeed the ASI go further and recommend in one of their publications The Paratransit Light Vehicle picking up customers from their home and taking them to work. The idea was not taken up.
Gorse Fox says it's a shame... he would use the service between his base in West Sussex and Worcester.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Science has gone too far
Gorse Fox reads with horror:
Now what's the point of that? Where's the fun? Gorse Fox thinks that science has gone a step too far. Enough is enough.
[File under: Whimsy]
The Holy Grail of the food industry has been found. The flatulence-free baked bean
Now what's the point of that? Where's the fun? Gorse Fox thinks that science has gone a step too far. Enough is enough.
[File under: Whimsy]
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