Lightweight

I was going to do a bit of a political post today about the decline of the American Empire, but to be honest I’m just not in the mood. I think all the late nights and early mornings are taking their toll in that respect. So instead of expounding, I’ll invite you to have a look at the article (here) yourself and the comments which follow it.

Instead, tonight’s post is going to be somewhat lighter-weight; starting with the conclusive proof that TV evangelists are complete wackos. Pat Robertson, who has created a massive television ministry in the US, yesterday proclaimed on national TV that the United States should assassinate the president of Venezuela, essentially because he’s not a supporter of the US. It’s strange; I am not usually to be found arguing for a return to ‘traditional values’ but I have to admit Thou Shalt Not Kill always seemed like a good one to me!

Understandably, the US Government has distanced itself from the comments – after all if it were open season on democratically-elected, but unpopular, presidents of American nations I suspect the South Lawn would be littered with snipers…

Robertson is today trying to walk-back his comments, saying that by ‘take him out’ he actually meant ‘kidnap’ (yeah, right!) which presumably, in his universe, is also an acceptable way of treating with the Head of State of a sovereign nation.

Indeed; another one on the crazy-American list.

Today’s really big news, however, has to be the return of K-9 to Doctor Who. Yeayyyyyyyyy!!!! The BBC released the news this morning. I guess this probably doesn’t mean much to my US readers, but the robotic dog K9 was one of the icons of my childhood. I even tried to build one out of old cardboard boxes when the Doctor Who comic published the design drawings. Alas it didn’t come to much. But now, maybe they’ll start merchandising K9 and I can get a talking model to sit on the mantelpiece opposite my Dalek! Hehehe! Suddenly I’m ten years old again!

Finally, back in the adult world (or are we??), this from The Register caught my eye. The first surprise was people wanting a 99p coin – the thought had never even crossed my mind. Although, maybe that’s because I’ve never had a problem with 1p coins accumulating in my pocket until I have five or ten of them and can put them towards buying something; I certainly would never throw them away. That was the second surprise; I can’t believe people really do routinely throw money away no matter how little it is worth, but apparently a good portion of people do. Talk about the ‘convenience society’!