For reasons too boring to go into I was doing a quick bit of research on Magna Carta. Salisbury Cathedral has a copy and on their website I came across this paragraph. I was struck by the last two sentences, having just been reading about 'rendition', Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib et al:
"Magna Carta is Latin for “The Great Charter” the famous agreement made between King John and his barons at Runneymede in 1215. It is beautifully written in Latin on vellum (animal skin) and contains some 3,500 words, many of which have been abbreviated. It established, amongst other principles in law, that no free man may be imprisoned or prosecuted without fair trail before his equals. The basic principles of the Magna Carta have been incorporated into the Constitution of the United States of America."
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
We wuz robbed!
Italy v Australia. Score 0-0, we're in the third and final minute of extra time with just 5 seconds left.
An Australian defender is on the ground in the penalty box, an Italian falls over him...and the referee signals a penalty!
A penalty!?
According to the laws of the game, a penalty shall be awarded if a player commits any of the following inside the penalty area:
*kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
*trips or attempts to trip an opponent
*jumps at an opponent
*charges an opponent
*strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
*pushes an opponent
*tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball
*holds an opponent
*spits at an opponent
*handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area)
This follows on the heels of the appalling performance of referees Pol and Ivanov. The fans and the players deserve better than this.
An Australian defender is on the ground in the penalty box, an Italian falls over him...and the referee signals a penalty!
A penalty!?
According to the laws of the game, a penalty shall be awarded if a player commits any of the following inside the penalty area:
*kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
*trips or attempts to trip an opponent
*jumps at an opponent
*charges an opponent
*strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
*pushes an opponent
*tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball
*holds an opponent
*spits at an opponent
*handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area)
This follows on the heels of the appalling performance of referees Pol and Ivanov. The fans and the players deserve better than this.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Beautification Tips
Handy hints for when you want to beautificate something.
Find an area with well-established greenery, preferably lawn & flower beds and a nice pathway. If it also has shrubs and/or trees it’s even more suitable.
Dig up the pavers and pile them artistically, rather than neatly, on the flowerbed.
Dig several large, deep holes in the centre of the lawn, being sure to pile the sand up on the flowerbeds next to the piles of pavers. Make sure enough there’s enough to also cover at least 45cm of the trunk of shrubs/trees.
Place red & white plastic cones around your beautification project. String a line of red & white plastic pennants along the line of cones.
Leave for as long as possible to mature.
It is important to note that to be truly successful the finished project should not look as good as the original it replaced.
Note: No visible activity is permitted, so working at night is recommended.
Find an area with well-established greenery, preferably lawn & flower beds and a nice pathway. If it also has shrubs and/or trees it’s even more suitable.
Dig up the pavers and pile them artistically, rather than neatly, on the flowerbed.
Dig several large, deep holes in the centre of the lawn, being sure to pile the sand up on the flowerbeds next to the piles of pavers. Make sure enough there’s enough to also cover at least 45cm of the trunk of shrubs/trees.
Place red & white plastic cones around your beautification project. String a line of red & white plastic pennants along the line of cones.
Leave for as long as possible to mature.
It is important to note that to be truly successful the finished project should not look as good as the original it replaced.
Note: No visible activity is permitted, so working at night is recommended.
Friday, June 23, 2006
Criminal stupidity...again.
Driving from Dubai Marina into Al Sufouh Road at 3.30 this afternoon, a European female driver pulled alongside me. I stopped for the red traffic light, she slowed, changed her mind and drove straight through.
At the next traffic light outside Mina Seyahi, where a U-turn is clearly shown as not allowed, she decided to do a U-turn in front of oncoming traffic.
I bet the young child in her car was mightily impressed.
At the next traffic light outside Mina Seyahi, where a U-turn is clearly shown as not allowed, she decided to do a U-turn in front of oncoming traffic.
I bet the young child in her car was mightily impressed.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Due process?
On Guantanamo:
Bush said 200 detainees had been sent home, and that most of the remaining 460 are from Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Afghanistan.
"There are some who need to be tried in US courts," he said. "They're cold-blooded killers. They will murder somebody if they are let out on the street."
450 people are still being held without even being charged with anything (only 10 have been charged) some for four years so far. Yet Bush can declare to the world that they are cold-blooded killers who will commit murder if they are released.
Due process means nothing, US and international law means nothing, innocent until proven guilty means nothing.
This is what people are dying to defend, and to impose on others?
Bush said 200 detainees had been sent home, and that most of the remaining 460 are from Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Afghanistan.
"There are some who need to be tried in US courts," he said. "They're cold-blooded killers. They will murder somebody if they are let out on the street."
450 people are still being held without even being charged with anything (only 10 have been charged) some for four years so far. Yet Bush can declare to the world that they are cold-blooded killers who will commit murder if they are released.
Due process means nothing, US and international law means nothing, innocent until proven guilty means nothing.
This is what people are dying to defend, and to impose on others?
I'm still irritated...
There is absolutely no excuse for the media making mistakes in their chosen language.
Here's another example of sloppy, unprofessional work. The English-language 7Days not bothering to check things.
Getting it right really isn't difficult, just hire a competent native English speaker to proof-read.
I guess it's just yet another example of the 'it doesn't matter, they've paid their money' attitude so common in the companies we have to deal with.
Here's another example of sloppy, unprofessional work. The English-language 7Days not bothering to check things.
Getting it right really isn't difficult, just hire a competent native English speaker to proof-read.
I guess it's just yet another example of the 'it doesn't matter, they've paid their money' attitude so common in the companies we have to deal with.
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