It’s not often that Belgium as a country enters our thoughts or crosses our lips, even capital Brussels meaning EU in our minds, as a rule.  But we did raise a glass to Belgium at the weekend. France blocked the introduction of a two-euro coin commemorating the Battle of Waterloo, saying it would receive an unfavourable reaction in France.  Clearly they are still touchy about the defeat in 1815 by an army led by our local hero, The Duke of Wellington. (Our local drinking hole is The Iron Duke).  Belgium got around the ban using a rule that allows EU countries to introduce irregular denomination coins.  Hence the 2.5-euro coin now being minted.  Vive Bruxelles for ensuring that the French meet their Waterloo again.

    Charities are getting some stick over hounding pensioners for donations.  Coincidentally, a ‘chugger’ approached me in Farnham a few days ago. I was standing outside a shop waiting for my wife, making me a stationary target. He was trying to sign people up to sponsor guide dog puppies. It is a charity we have supported in the past, but I don’t like this pushy approach, or the telephone version. The ‘chuggers’ that try to sign you up all have to be paid by their organization and I wonder how much of the donation finally reaches the charity.

   Our crazy mixed up world gets crazier.  A Lesbian couple in Canterbury has alleged that they were banned from a ‘bring your dad to class’ day.  Surely the hint is in the title.  While their son may understand their roles in the family, other children in the class might get confused, particularly if they are part way through sex education. Before the couple begin to scream that children have to understand LBGTQ, we disagree. Most people will never have real understanding of all the individual definitions and more to the point, have little to gain from understanding them.  Needless to say the shouts of discrimination were raised in an instant. A majority of people is relaxed, probably disinterested, about same sex marriages, so why make issues of non-issues.  Because it suits their purpose and what they see as a cause.  At some stage they have to understand that being Lesbian isn’t a cause.  Why can’t they just enjoy their lives, their son, freedom from real discrimination.  The belief that any form of publicity is better than no publicity doesn’t always apply. If other parents react to the publicity it could result in their son being distanced from his peers. Oh dear, have we identified another cause? 

    John Hinkley Junior, the man who shot President Regan, has apparently tried to get a job at Starbucks.  It could easily give a whole new meaning to stopping for a shot of coffee!

    We’re sad to hear that a tourist from the US got mauled to death by a lioness at Gauteng Lion Park.  But getting close up to a lioness with your car window wide open must have seemed like an invitation to dinner. The cat’s behavior was true to type. We hope no action is taken against the lioness.

    A regular topic of conversation when we meet in the pub is the loud background music that now seems de rigueur for modern TV programmes.  It is frequently at a level that makes speech content almost pointless.  Peter Fincham, director of television at ITV now tells us there’s nothing wrong with the background sound level. According to him, it’s our ears that are the problem. He suggests that as we get older, background music sounds louder.  It seems strange that we have no problem hearing when there is no background music.  Perhaps sub titles should become the norm on ITV series. The alternative is to switch channels as soon as you hit retirement! Having referred to the Russell Brand dictionary (see last week) I have to assume that Mr Fincham is well versed in the theory and practice of galimatias!

    We laughed at the news that a mother wants the taxpayer to fund a session at a fat camp for her overweight daughter.  After all, parents can’t be held responsible for their children, it’s a function of the state nowadays. The photograph suggested the girl was simply following in mum’s footsteps.  It brings to mind the NLP mantra.

        If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got