Dawn

Dawn

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Danish history; The Anglican Church; G. S.; Spanish fun; German reticence; Silly dogs; and Silly people.

Sometimes one stumbles across things that just have to be shared. Did you know that the word Bluetooth is an anglicised version of the Scandinavian Blåtand/Blåtann, the epithet of the tenth-century king Harald 1 of Denmark and parts of Norway who united dissonant Danish tribes into a single kingdom. The implication is that Bluetooth does the same with communications protocols, uniting them into one universal standard

Gay marriage is a big issue in the UK at the moment. It's interesting (nay, amusing) to hear Anglicans arguing that marriage is for life. This from the members of a Church founded by Henry VIII for the sole purpose of ending his first marriage so he could wed the "Great whore", the hapless (and subsequently headless) Anne Boleyn.

Greg Smith and Goldman Sachs. Is it a coincidence that they share the same initials? I rather doubt it.

From time to time one reads a Spanish headline you'd never get in the (less fun-filled?) UK. Like today's Three dead after shooting in Badajoz brothel. And I don't mean that there's no place called Badajoz in the UK.

Talking of having (what some would regard as) fun . . . Here's a list of Spanish fiestas during 2012. Or some of them at least.

And here's a fascinating article on how Germany is dealing with its de facto leadership of Europe. A German friend confirms its total accuracy. Which can't be completely correct as it's in a newspaper.

This is the latest canine champion at Crufts. It appears to be part of the breed standard that the poor creature can't see where the hell it's going. Incidentally, the breed is called Lhasa Apso, which sounds like a variety of tea from the hills of Tibet. Perhaps the purpose of all that facial hair is to hide embarrassment.

Finally . . .

Scene at a British Bus-stop

The man in front of me waits patiently, as I do. It's Sunday and today the buses don't come every five minutes, as they do any other day of the week. But it's sunny and warm. And springlike. So neither of us cares.

A couple come round the corner and walk towards us. Seeing the man in front of me, they both break into smiles. As they get close, the man extends his hand to be shaken. The woman - anticipating not even a single kiss on the cheek - does the same. But her hand is ignored, surely unwittingly, and so she gently retracts it and puts it behind her back. They all talk and laugh for a minute or two but the woman gradually edges away from the man in front of me and, after a decent interval, her partner says his farewells and joins her.

I'm left wondering whether she'll tell her partner about the suffered slight. But I suspect not.

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