So, for the first time in a long time, we British have done the right and decent thing and sent a powerful message. Well 62% of us sent a message, and that is pretty powerful, at least it is a clear majority. The message? That we are disgusted by the bullying behaviour with racial undertones that poured out of the mouth of 3 stupid girls on a TV Reality Show. The reality of it all is that the behaviour of the perpetrators was real, it was not an act, it was how they themselves thought. And that reality represented what some people in the UK also think. I have heard it myself as others talk about the incidents and I confess that there does appear to be a racial element to the behaviour, but I think it is more than that.
I think that it is something that the Romans first taught us around AD65 and we learned the lesson, but not quite well enough, but boy we really took it on board when the French came over in 1066 and gave us finishing school. We learnt the art of bullying as a nation, hell, we built an empire on it. The sad actions of 3 stupid women just represent the ghosts of Roman and French classes that as a Nation only 62% of us seem to have moved beyond as we approach by bi-millennium and millennium anniversaries of those defining lessons.
You will notice I haven't mentioned the names of the three tormentors of Shilpa Shetty, and nor shall I. They deserve to be forgotten and buried, and mentioning their names, even in a little read blog, only goes to perpetuate them.
Assuming that TV company C4 did not brief Shilpa before the televised interview with the word stumbling Davina McCall, her reaction on hearing of the furore was indeed magnanimous and simply reinforced my view that Shilpa is probably simply a lovely person who happens to be a highly successful actress, (and a failed model it seems). Shilpa can go from strength to strength in her career, but I suspect that she has the power to do more. She has the power to weaken further the underlying bullying that once made Britain great, but that needs to be abolished as we move forward to a United multi ethnic and multi racial Britain. There are 38% of the population still to win over. If Shilpa's speech as winner was anything to go by, she can indeed do it, helped and abetted by the disappearance from all public memory of three stupid women.

Posted a bit of a story extract on my Sensual Romance blog yesterday, It is a bit hot possibly for this blog.

Interesting to look at where my viewers come from, and I extracted the following stats which are not complete because I am a tight wad and only use the free version of the software, and therefore it only stores the last 100 entries, but nevertheless, welcome readers one and all. I shall try to improve my written English for those of you that are not native speakers.

Perc. Country Name
31.03% United States
21.84% United Kingdom
11.49% Canada
5.75% France
5.75% Saudi Arabia
4.60% Australia
4.60% China
2.30% Netherlands
2.30% Italy
1.15% South Africa
1.15% Belgium
1.15% India
1.15% Korea, Republic Of
1.15% Austria
1.15% United Arab Emirates
1.15% Greece
1.15% Spain
1.15% Norway

Whilst looking at earthquake regions (as you do when you are planning your annual holiday), I came across this really useful map of Earthquakes. It shows all the recent equarthquake events worldwide in the past 14 days, with a focus detail on the last big one. It showed 1 event in the last 14 days around where we are looking to take our holiday. Food for thought
2007-01-21 11:46:08
5.7
mb
9.60 S
57.33 E
20
South Indian Ocean

I hope that soon the meds and my bod stabilise, I can tell you that they sure as hell haven't just yet. I am down to 15st12lb, which is a move in the right direction, still at least 14lb to go before I am happy.
What a fuss there has been in the media this week over Goody and her covern of bullies. Looking at it all, I think that the media have proved themselves to be more racist that Goody was. Let me explain. Whilst it has been over 40 years since I was at school and experienced a similar thing, I can still vividly remember being the victim of similar behavious. It wasn't because of my skin, it was that a small physical blemish made me different. Couple that with the fact that be roots were (from generations before me) in the [working] class and I then lived in a nice middle class suburbia, and you can begin to see the similarities. One loud mouth who knows no better yet for some freak of genetisicm is able to hold attention and sway people around, and then talk so loud and gives no opportunity for defence can soon command a baying mob. That is exactly what Goody did in big brother, and C4 (the broadcaster) should have controlled it, but didn't, didn't because initially they just saw it as ratings.
Many racially sensitive people viewed it more as overt racism than ugly bullying, and rather than describe it for what it ws, the media seized on a hot potato and rode the racism train. It is sad that Goody can now defend her self against being a racist by being 'mixed' race herself, rather than having to defend herslef for ugly and despicable bullying for which she has, and can have, no defence.
Her two covern cohorts whould be afforded the pleasures of a public baying, and personally I hope that all three never grace our screens or printed media ever again.
It is a pity that if that does happen it will be for the wrong reason (racism) and not the real reason which pervades society (bullying).
But then we brits have been bullying the world for centuries. We will seemingly never learn.

I know that many of us are wary of flooding especially at this time of the year, I only live a few hundred yards from the River Severn. This Link shows you the areas that are classified as flood risk. It has a very expandable map, covering much of the world. Look and see if your house is a risk (buy sandbags, move upstairs, tether an emergency boot to roof!), or even if the neighbourhood you are thinking of moving to is at risk (move elsewhere instead?)

An update on the meds. After 4 weeks on the Avandamet I had gained over a stone in weight, pushing me over the sixteen stone and adding over 2 inches to my waist. Apart from the fact that trousers don't fit and shirts are tight, the biggest threat to my health is, according to my diabetic specialist nurse, the extra weight around my abdomen. It is this weight in particular that seems to affect the ability of the body to produce sufficient insulin and to deal with the sugars in the system. It seems strange to me that the very drug that is supposed to resolve my diabetes problem is actually exacerbating it.
My GP has prescribed Xenical (120mg orlistat) alongside the avandamet to help me lose weight. After taking it for two weeks, I haven't lost weight, but I have seemingly stopped putting it on. I have stablised at 16s 2ib and a 39" waist. That is over a stone heavier than I want to be, and 2 inches more around my waist than is healthy or advisable.
What at first I put down to the xenical, i.e. an absolute need to be no more than 3 paces from a toilet, I now suspect was food poisoning. Two days after starting the xenical I was suffering greatly from the gallops (actually, more of a slow knees together shuffle, in a quick sort of way), and I strongly debated whether I would be able to cope with xenical, but that only lasted around 48 hours, and now I am back as I would normally be. With the violent lower gut / stomach pains I had as well, I am now more inclined to put that down to a gut infection of some sort.
Ongoing I have blood sugars averaging at 6.9 around 3 hours after food. My BP is averaging 150/90 and I have no energy, absolutely no energy to do anything. It is a struggle of willpower to get up and go to work. By midday, I am absolutely wasted, and I am in trouble if this is the long term future for me. Right now, I don't even have the energy to write, hence the authoring has slowed down to a virtual stop. My mind is still active, I just really can't be bothered to type much.
So it seems that I shall need to review my meds once more when next I see my GP.

I know I haven't blogged much authory or travel stuff just recently, My eyes have been doing their diabetic playing up thing, so the ideas are staying in my head, not on paper at the moment.
My daughter appears to be being broken up from by her BF. That is a totally crap thing to happen, I'm just glad she lives nearby so I can lend her some shoulders if required.
At the moment she is trying to buy a car which will help them both if they stay together, but also give her a degree of independance and security if they don't. She went to the bank for her loan, they are charging her 20% (YES TWENTY PERCENT) for loan insurance. NAT WEST SHAME ON YOU THAT IS A COMPLETE RIP OFF!!!! I have suggested she goes back to the bank as soon as it opens and tell them to politely locate it where the sun doesn't usually shine.
My niece found my MYSPACE site and (politely)suggested I change it. She pointed me to a few places and so I have downloaded a few layouts. But I now appear to have a virus, despite uptodate antivirus package, so I am busy doing a full deep scan to get rid of the trojan I have picked up. Gosh it is a scary world out there. Served me right for being vain and downloading some beautifying code.

Reality TV? Anything but reality I think. Take last nights 'The Two Of Us'. When it came to the final three, do we know in advance who the judge will be? I have been able to predict who it will be before we were told, and no surprises, guess who he/she saves. I am not saying it is fixed, but, really, come on. The judges are operating to a formula, and that token Jackson really wants retiring - he cannot get through a single sentance without stumbling over his words. I shall only remain watching as ling as that Kiwi dancer is in it, he is really entertaining.

Then there is celebrity big brother. Oh dear oh dear oh dear. I thought the year that dancer won it was dire, this year plummets to new subteranean low. Jade bloody and her boyfriend and her lunatic mother? Oh please. And that idiot singer from what ever band it is? No. Guess what? That is it for this household. Having watched every BB amd CBB from dayone, I have seen the decline and now demise. No more. My time is more valuable. Sorry companies that advertise, I shall no longer be subjected to your advertising around and between these utterly dire programmes. I always thought that O2 had the best BB adverts anyway. And whilst only a 1000 or so people read this blog, my voice has been heard.

SO in the past 12 months I have given up on Celebrity love island, Celebrity Big Brother, Big Brother, A Strictly dancing thing that didn't have celebs in it hosted by that Graheam Norton bloke, Pimp My Ride Uk (oh dear that was so awful) and that motor bike thing from New York.

David Attenborough produces, for me, the most real TV I have ever seen.

Look at the following, how sinful results for me, I pretty much didn't surprise myself.

Your Deadly Sins

Lust: 100%

Greed: 20%

Envy: 0%

Gluttony: 0%

Pride: 0%

Sloth: 0%

Wrath: 0%

Chance You'll Go to Hell: 17%

You'll die while in the throws of passion - the best way to go.

http://www.blogthings.com/howsinfulareyouquiz/">How Sinful Are You?

Again having a quick scout around the blogiverse as I get my thoughts around the next part of my novel, I happened upon the following idea. Not sure how it will work, but I think it is worth a look.
Blogsvertise

Whilst surfing today, as I hoped for inspiration and distraction from the nausae, I stumbled upon a couple of things to share:

Your name in Russian Just happened upon this site, it is incredible, these people do know how to show you your name in Russian. Excellant stuff.

Also spotted today that made me smile was the newspaper generator You put in your own heading and story and it gives you a folded newspaper picture. Neat I thought.

Horrible looking accident yesterday on the M5, just where the M42 joins. Looked absolutely horrendous, Northbound carriageway closed, ambulances and all in attendance. I am sure the atrocious driving rain couldn't have helped. It put a damper on the day, couldn't help thinking of those involved and their friends and relatives.
Mom seemed to enjoy her early birthday visit, even if I was taking time up that could have been spent reading my novel!
The mix of meds does leave me feeling quite nauseous and disinclined to do anything, and it absolutely puts a clamp on the imagination. I may dig some photo’s out and do a few travel blog entries instead. Watch this space.