It must be awful to be an animal, have something wrong with you, and not be able to do anything about it. A couple of days ago Betty the cat was subject to great sneezing fits, rather unnatural it would seem and in the evening Chris noticed something sticking out slightly from one nostril. We thought it might be an insect and he and Douglas tried with tweezers to remove it but of course she wasn’t having any of that. So it seemed a visit to the vet was in order the next morning but, in the morning, a little more of the obstruction was protruding and Chris managed to get hold of it and pull. Out came a two inch or more blade of grass! How on earth it got up her nose in the first place is difficult to imagine and it must have been truly the most uncomfortable experience. What could have happened of course was that she was chewing it, sneezed, hiccupped or coughed and it went into the nasal cavity to work itself out through the nose. I can’t think how else it could have got there.
So the English footballers went down to their old nemesis Germany by four goals to one. Oh, dear! How are the mighty fallen! One has to admit though that it was just not their day and they were truly out of luck, especially when a perfectly legitimate goal was disallowed by the Uruguayan ref and his linesman. This would have brought the scores level at two all but it would seem the injustice of it was a cause for loss of heart and who can rightly blame them? Will the referee apologize for his mistake? Fat chance. Just as the French cheated to knock Ireland out of the running the German goal keeper admits the ball went over the line but he resumed play so fast he fooled the referee. This was cheating but will the arrogant Germans apologize? Fat chance. As a journalist wrote, forty thousand pairs of eyes saw the goal, two pairs didn’t. Now all sorts of excuses are being made to explain the English team’s poor performance beginning with they were all tired but as far as the English fans are concerned they are simply a bunch of overpaid prima donnas.
I see scientists have discovered liquid water on Mars. What do they mean by liquid water? I was under the impression that water is a liquid so why don’t they just call it water instead of being so precious? I presume solid water as opposed to liquid water must be ice but is it too much to ask that they merely call it ice? Then of course there is steam. What is that? Aerated water? Why can’t everything still be in plain straightforward language instead of tarting it up to make an impression? We all know about the train driver who is now called a locomotive engineer or the rat catcher who is now a rodent operative but what about the South Wales Chief Constable who called a motor horn an audible warning instrument? Pathetic really.
Ten people have been arrested in America accused of being Russian spies and one is still on the run, so there you are, we all thought the cold war was well and truly over. Russia of course denies it completely.