Team GB - the Number of the Beast (briefly)

It amused me to see that for a short time between the end of today's rowing finals and Karina Bryant getting a bronze in the women's heavyweight judo Britain's standings were 6 Golds 6 Silvers and 6 Bronzes.

Well I hve a puerile sense of humour....

Forget the Olympics it's dinner time

US Moon Flags Photographed

NASA has released  photographs showing that  most of the flags placed by crews of the Apollo spacecraft are still standing on the Moon. Shadows cast by five of the six US flags put up in the 1960s and 1970s are visible on the surface of the Moon. The Apollo 11 flag was knocked over as the Apollo 11 craft began ascending from the surface.

Mark Robinson, an investigator with the Funar Reconnaissce Oribiter Camera (LROC), said: "From the LROC it is now certain that the American flags are still standing and casting shadows at all of the sites, except Apollo 11.

The flags may not have retained their vibrant red, white and blue colours though. Exposure to heat, cold and light may have caused them to fade, Dr Robinson added.

Well there you have it. I doubt that the "hoaxers" will believe a word of it but then they are a bunch of arseholes

Mississippi rednecks show their ugly faces

I missed this a few days ago but I cannot believe that members of the First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs could be so bloody stupid

Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson, an African American couple from nearby Jackson, were all set for to marry last Saturday at a 150-year-old church that they have been attending regularly for months. The sanctuary of the church had been arranged, the rehearsal was set for Friday, invitations had been sent out to friends extending a "special thank you to the First Baptist Church and members".

Then, at about 5.10pm on Thursday evening Te'Andrea received a call. Some of the congregation of the church, which is largely white, had seen a group of black women setting up the sanctuary for the wedding and complained to the pastor.

"If the pastor married her, because they were black then they would vote him out," Te'Andrea was told. The wedding was off.

"When I got the news I couldn't believe it at first," Charles Wilson said  "This is not a matter of colour for me, it's about God, and what better place to get married than God's sanctuary. God's love is colour blind."

Wilson confronted the pastor, Stan Weatherford, and asked him what had happened. According to Wilson, he replied that he had "received all sorts of phone calls, text messages, and it was just not going to happen".

Later, Weatherford told the local channel WLBT News that weddings of black couples had never happened before in the church, "so it was setting a precedent, and there were those who reacted to that". He added: "I didn't want to have a controversy within the church, and I didn't want a controversy to affect the wedding of Charles and Te'Andrea. I wanted to make sure their wedding day was a special day."
 

The ceremony was switched to a neighbouring Methodist church and went ahead with Weatherford officiating without further ado.

Well done those members. They have reinforced the stereotype that Misissippi is a backward state full of inbred, racist, redneck troglodytes. A for the pastor he should not have been so bloody spineless.  He should have told the racist shitstains to get lost. If he faced trouble afterwards then he would have been the one utterly and totally in the right.

I can only imagine that most people in Mississippi are extremely embarrassed by this cretinous action 
 

Fuchsia and raindrops

Stachys in decline

A sea of Sempervivums

Another Zantadeschia

Bee on Echinops

Some Tayside Tragedian

JACK O THE CUDGEL

AFTER the battle of Calais, King Edward returns to fair England,
And he invited his nobles to a banquet most grand,
That the like hadn't been in England for many a day;
And many of the guests invited had come from far away.

The large hall of Windsor Castle was ablaze with light,
And there sat King Edward and his Queen, a most beautiful sight-
To see them seated upon two thrones of burnished gold;
And near the King sat Jack o' the Cudgel, like a warrior bold.

And when the banquet was prepared, King Edward arose,
And said, My honoured guests, I have called you together for a special purpose!
To celebrate our victories so gloriously achieved in France
By my noble and heroic troops at the charge of the lance.

And now, since the war in France with us is o'er,
And Edward, our son, about to marry the lady he does adore,
The most amiable and lovely Countess of Kent;
Therefore, I hope they will happy live together and never repent.

Then King Edward took the Countess by the hand, and said,
Come, Edward, take your bride by the hand, and don't be afraid;
And do not think, my beloved son, that with you I feel wroth,
Therefore, take the Countess by the hand, and plight your troth.

Then the Prince arose and took the fair Countess by the hand,
As King Edward, his father, had given the royal command;
Then he led the Countess Joan to the foot of the throne,
Then King Edward and his Queen welcomed the Countess to their palatial home.

Then the Prince unto his father said, I must not forget whatever betide,
That to Sir Jack o' the Cudgel I do owe my bride;
Because he rescued her from the hands of a fierce brigand,
Therefore 'twould be hard to find a braver knight in fair England.

Then a cheer arose, which made the lofty hall to ring,
As Jack advanced towards the throne, on the motion of the King;
Then Jack fell on one knee before King Edward,
Then said the Monarch, Arise, brave youth, and I will thee reward.

Sir Jack, I give thee land to the value of six hundred marks
In thine own native county of Kent, with beautiful parks,
Also beautiful meadows and lovely flowers and trees,
Where you can reside and enjoy yourself as you please.

And remember, when I need your service you will be at my command,
Then Jack o' the Cudgel bowed assent, and kissed King Edward's hand;
Then the Countess Joan took a string of rarest pearls from her hair,
And placed the pearls around Jack's neck, most costly and rare.

Then the tumult became uproarious when Jack received the presentation,
And he thanked the Lady Joan for the handsome donation;
Then all the ladies did loudly cheer, and on Jack smilingly did fan,
And Sir Walter Manny cried aloud, Sir Jack, you are a lucky man.

Then the mirth increased, and louder the applause,
And the Countess Joan asked, after a pause,
Tell me who has gained the love of the Knight o' the Cudgel;
Then Jack replied, My lady, you know her right well.

She is the lovely daughter of noble John of Aire,
Then, replied the Countess, she is a lovely creature, I must declare;
And I hope the choice that you have made won't make you grieve,
Then Jack kissed the Countess's hand, and took his leave.

And he wended his way to his beautiful estate in Kent,
And many a happy day there he spent;
And he married the lovely daughter of John of Aire,
And they lived happy together, and free from all care.

McGonagall Online is as ever the place for the finest of poetry