Back in June

Surrogate of the day

Close your eyes and think of the Irish (vote)...

Not forgotten...

Paean Asclepius ("the healer" Asclepius) was a son of Paean Apollo. He was cut out from his dead mother Coronis' womb and put into the care of the centaur Chiron as Apollo was too busy to look after the child. Chiron taught him the art of medicine, enabling him to become the god of healing. His medical skills led to his demise: he was able to bring people back from the dead which so annoyed Zeus that he killed him. Asclepius' symbol was his staff entwined with a snake and the constellation Ophiuchus (the serpent bearer) is named after him.

Queen of my garden

Photo of the day

When life imitates art...

The elements are all there: a rape, Greece and the bull as a symbol of financial markets...

Bravo Bendandi

Whilst many people were partying in Rome yesterday in defiance of Raffaele Bendandi's earthquake prediction, an earthquake, very sadly, was hitting Lorca in Spain. I know little about Raffaele Bendandi. He lived from 1873-1979 and was a keen astronomer. He believed that planetary alignments have a gravitational impact on the earth's crust and can cause earthquakes. He used his theory successfully to predict the earthquakes in Avezzano in 1915 and Le Marche in 1923. He predicted there would be an earthquake in Rome on 11 May 2011 and another in May 2012. May be an idea to avoid Lorca next May.

Happy Birthday Buddha!

It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.

Poem of the day

A Poison Tree

I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I watered it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine.
And he knew that it was mine,

And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

William Blake

Boys and girls in blue

Just to underline Anon's point about Philip Treacy...

April hats

I know none of you has confessed to reading Gormenghast but B&E do remind me of Cora and Clarice...

in memoriam Osama bin Laden

So. Farewell then
OBL
Pariah of the West.

May Day took you
and Henry Cooper.

Perhaps when
you're both

At the gate
of St Peter,

Henry will
give you a last

Punch.

(With apologies to E.J.Thribb)