You Must Be From Away

A recent one of Maj-Gen Sir Roy Redgrave who as a 19 year old officer won the Military Cross for bravery in the last week of world war 2, for example.

A commenter sums it up best:

I forward obits like this one to American friends who cannot understand why I have never become an American citizen after living in the USA for 22 years. How could I?

I felt very much the same way after the 2nd cricket test between England and India last week.

Ian Bell, one of England’s batsmen, was given out in very unusual circumstances on 137 runs.

The Indian team unanimously decided that it wasn’t in the spirit of the game and had him reinstated.

I forward stuff like this one to German acquaintances who cannot understand why I have never taken up German nationality after living in here for almost 40 years.

How could I?

Posted in Too good to miss | Tagged daily telegraph, obituary, Sir Roy Redgrave | Leave a comment

Why would you prefer?

Posted on 10 August, 2011 by jb

This generic motivational poster on the wall of your office?

Or this letter of appreciation?

HT Letters of Note

Posted in Too good to miss | Tagged Kennedy assassination | Leave a comment

Well, if that’s the case…

Posted on 10 August, 2011 by jb

Crikey.

I unsubscribe from one of National Bank’s email notifications and the CEO drops EVERYTHING to thank me PERSONALLY and INSTANTLY for not being able to send me information about his bank.

I wonder where I can unsubscribe from HIS unsubscription thank-you mails?

Maybe I’ll be rewarded with competent service.

For a change…..

Posted in Brain farts, This is New Zealand | Leave a comment

Exactly

Posted on 9 August, 2011 by jb

It’s the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, starting next month.

Adidas, the official outfitter of the All Blacks (New Zealand’s national team, if you’ve been on Mars for the past century or so…) is selling replica kit for $220 a shot and isn’t THINKING of reducing the price.

You can buy them in the USA and the UK for roughly half the price.

They’ve pressured US stockists to prevent them for shipping to New Zealand.

“Rugby legend Sir Colin Meads said he couldn’t understand why it would be more expensive to buy an All Blacks jersey in New Zealand, where demand was higher.” quoted a newspaper.

Exactly.

(The fact that Adidas is actively degrading its brand image appears to have escaped them….)

Posted in Bastards, Don't ask me | Tagged Adidas, All Blacks, RWC | Leave a comment

Up the down staircase

Posted on 9 August, 2011 by jb

It’s like the way water circles the plughole, really.

Clockwise in the southern hemisphere, anti-clockwise in the northern.

The Coriolis effect, I’m told.

The same thing should logically happen with spiral staircases.

If you drive (or walk) on the right, you should go up (and down) on the right.

Opposite applies if you drive on the left.

So shouldn’t architects be designing spiral staircases accordingly?

As in: NOT LIKE THIS ONE at the Apple Store in Frankfurt?

You SHOULD be going UP the staircase closest to the central column, using the narrowest part of the tread and let people coming DOWN use the wider (and safer) area of the tread.

But no – drive on the right, walk on the right.

Maybe they were cheaper in Australia.

Maybe it’s the Coriolis effect after all.

Maybe our resident architect can put us right…