Charles Barkely

Do you think he practices this at the range? www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuZPIVpxNtE

I've been out of the country for too long because I didn't know he had gotten so fat.

A Clinton Whitehouse

I have to admit that I'm not a fan of Hillary but target="new">this has some appeal.

Let's make more of an effort in our effigy making

I'm sure some of you have been following the Celebrity Big Brother racism row that has erupted across Britain and India. Jade Goody and others in the CBB house made some very inappropriate remarks about Bollywood actress (and bone fide celebrity) Shilpa Shetty.

Apparently, protesters in India are burning effegies of Big Brother executives.

Now, I always like a good effigy burning. Nothing expresses anger like the burning of a hastily thrown together flammable life-sized doll.

But, I think they should at least look kind of like a human. Not like this:



This image, courtesy of metro.co.uk looks like they are trying to burn an effigy of a oversized cartoon cigarette, not a television executive.




Here is an example of a good effigy.











You can clearly make out the distinguishing features of a human. The builders have even managed to add a hat, which is a nice touch and shows a keen eye for detail. By the way, this is an effigy of Malcolm Glazer (here's an anti-Glazer website and a bit more of a sober analysis can be found here).

All I'm saying is if you are going out in front of the world and making a serious point, you want to look presentable. At least make the head out of a stuffed pillow case.

There's an R in paraphernalia?

Isn't paraphernalia and odd word?

I mean, look at the way it is spelled... all of those A's! And where did that R come from?

Plus, all it means is stuff, or maybe stuff associated with stuff. You almost always use it in conjunction with drugs (e.g. drug paraphernalia) and when I say 'you' what I mean is reporters and the police.

The name Barbara

Where does the name Barbara come from?

Does it come from the word barbarian? That would be unfortunate.

Barbarian comes from the Greek word Barbaros, which means foreigner. The Greeks considered anyone who couldn't speak Greek to be a barbarian. Apparently, the Greeks could only make out bar bar bar from the ramblings of foreigners. Kind of like watching the Spanish channel and all you can make out is the name of some product, say Crest toothpaste or Fleichmann's margarine.

I suppose Barbara could come from a more pleasent definition of barbaros, simply "foreigner", and not the modern definition of barbarian, namely an uncivilised, uncultured, unwashed qwijibo.

The world may never know... unless it does know, which it apparently does.