Uncategorized Blogroll, Excitement, Internet, Leisure, Random stuff, WOW, Writing 2:14 am
The view counter for the Barracks hit 10,000 at some point in the last 2 hours 15 minutes, and as of 30 seconds ago was on exactly that.
Now to get you buggers posting responses.
Addendum- I’ve only just spotted the spellchecker, and full screen editing of posts, after 21 months! I should really play with it more to see what else it does.
Uncategorized D'oh, Excitement, Experience, Public Services 4:03 am
Had a bit of an incident at about 11:30pm last night- my wife knocked the cooker and somehow switched on the hob. This caused a shallow frying pan to over heat, and the oil in it ignited. This in turn set fire to a plastic saucepan handle. When the fire alarm went off I rushed down stairs (everyone was in bed or going, or reading blogs), and ran into the kitchen. I turned off the hob, soaked a towel, throwing it over the flaming fat, and managing to cover the plastic handle at the same time. I then opened the kitchen window. I was in the kitchen for about 30 seconds to a minute.
I then called the Fire Brigade (despite my wife saying “why are you doing it that if it’s out”.) They checked everything out and called a paramedic for me because of the smoke inhalation. While waiting they put me on oxygen, partly because I was coughing (due to the acrid plastic smoke).
The paramedic checked my O2 level in my blood, and then took me up the hospital. They checked my heart rate, and blood pressure which was 170 over 130! They were a little concerned. 20 minutes later this had dropped, but was still high. Because it was smoke inhalation I was put on pure oxygen for an over an hour. Another blood pressure test was more normal (high end of acceptable), and a blood test (“This will hurt”, “I give blood”, “This will hurt”. It did- turns out taking blood from an artery is a bit more hit and miss than taking it from a vein) showed no carbon monoxide.
I returned home (at 3 in the morning) wide awake, but with a sore throat! House smells and the toaster has been condemned by the Fire Brigade (was close to the fire), along with the two pans in question (traitors). They apparently have conducted a risk assessment (classing my 12 year old as a ‘Hazard’, much to his amusement), giving advice, and put up a couple of new smoke alarms.
Uncategorized Humour, Internet, Random stuff, Weird 12:20 am
Uncategorized Wargames, wargaming 11:16 pm
My prefered scale for mass battalions wargaming is 10mm, as you get, well, mass battalions.
Line of Battle
Pike Stand
The Regiment of Foote rules are written with Peter Pig’s 15mm figures in mind- and state 4 to a base. On the same 3cm x 3cm base I get 16 pike men. I feel it looks far more like a pikeblock. My units are 100 bodies, not 24.
Uncategorized Current Events, Islam, Middle East, Rant, Religion 10:59 pm
More tit for tat killings, and it is the innocent who suffer, not the ones casuing the violence. The problem is that Hamas is committed to the destruction of the Israeli state. A BBC article – Here
I am not condoning Israeli actons, indeed the state of Israel was born from terrorism against the British (I used to have a friend who had a hobby of getting thrown out of historical sites by correcting the tour guide’s spin and gloss. In Israel he pointed out that the ‘two brave Jews’ hanged in a particular prison were there for planting bombs in a British barracks that killed soldiers). However the reality is Israel is not going to go away, and rocket attacks and suicide bombings are not going to advance the Palestinian cause one jot.
There will never be peace until both sides commit to respect the original borders. I can not see this happening in the near future, with a mix of Islamic lunacy and militant Zionists setting up ‘settlements’ because ‘God said so’.
1st The US MUST negotiate with terrorists. Wars end in negotiation. The British government negotiated with the IRA despite ‘policy’. Of course it will never be that simple- there is a chance of a democratically agreed united Ireland- there is no chance of ‘no Israel’.
Hamas and other extremists need to agree for an Israel. In return for that there will have to be massive investment making sure that ‘New-Palestine’ is a viable country. I don’t just mean aid, I mean a proper infrastructure. The reason Hamas is DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED is that it is about the only organisation running schools and hospitals for the Palestinians.
Once attacks on Israel stop the US can use its muscle to force Israel into acting responsibly.
Of course none of this will happen without both sides being willing to compromise. And while ‘God’ is directing both sides’ land-claims this won’t be anytime soon.
Last Hussar's Barracks 