Trafalgar Day in London

Nelson's flagship, Victory, is an enormous black battleship that is tied up on the west side of Portsmouth Harbour. I noticed it a few weeks ago and couldn't take my eyes off it as we passed it in the harbour. High black masts, brown detailing. What must it be like to have nearly 30 of those all in a row, high sails snapping, cannons blasting, smoke billowing everywhere?

7000 French and Spanish casualties to 700 British, including Nelson himself, who stood on the deck in full uniform with all his gold braid, making himself an easy target for an enemy sniper. His uniform - and underwear! - is in a case at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. I remember seeing it when I was little and trying to understand - why is his underwear there too? I understood why Emma wrote her name on his gloves, which were also in the case. She wanted to be linked with him for all time.

There are tons of ceremonies today. The famous signal will be "hoisted" on the Victory, a wreath will be laid and then the Queen will dine on board. Hope the rain clears by that time.

What does it all mean? I am still a student of British culture, still working at understanding things, still getting caught out!

A friend called up yesterday: "I've been reading your blog. Don't you have a lot to say."

That's a very British comment. It can be taken any way you want, as it's merely a statement of fact. Tone helps. So does context. But self confidence is a key requirement for survival here. Something I've noticed as well - Brits will make very mean personal comments. This means either they don't like you or they really really like you. So, still learning.

"Women in advertising? they wimp out and go suckle something"

Oh dear, some creative director was at a "private" dinner in Toronto last week and made this rather unfortunate comment. I don't doubt that he said it and I don't doubt that he meant it. Everyone needs to get over their fear of working women, the alternative is way too medieval and Islamic for my taste, I'm just saying. You can read more, if you want to, here.

Travelling man

Russell Davies, compere extraordinaire at the APG awards night, has a great post up about how to pack for business trips, read the whole thing here.

Online Magazines

A friend tried to convince me, more than two years ago now, that people would want to get up in the morning and have all the newspaper articles they were interested in printed out and waiting for them to read on their way to work. Yes, Jayne, you ARE a genius.

Now I believe it. I've subscribed to a few online magazines and last week signed up for "The Weekly Standard". I think it was about £10 for the whole year, an amazing bargain. I hope this means that Michael Yon, who is allowed to work in Iraq because he's "credentialed" with them, has whatever it is that's needed if you get kidnapped.

Whatever the Guardian and the Irish government offered to Rory Carroll's kidnappers should also be available, to him and to all the journalists in Iraq, should the worst happen. Money changing hands? Criminal activity allowed to continue? Whatever it bloody well takes. I'm glad Rory's been released and I hope the way his release was obtained is available to everyone else now.

"News story" in quotes

Perry at Samizdata.net has an interesting response to the psychological games being played in Afghanistan these days, including this alternative headline: "US Forces start epidemic in Afghanistan". Perry's all "...and the reason this happens is because we are...enemies!"

One comment:

"...because the shadows of the soldiers run east/west (and always will unless we've changed orbit)......the media narrative about specifically facing the bodies west to disrespect Muslims is false"

But they're all interesting, read everything here.

Joan Rivers

Yes, I listened to her passionate reaction to that Darius guy, who I've never heard of by the way, is he "big"? He probably didn't expect the reaction he got because most Brits would be so flabbergasted to be accused of being racists that they'd go all quiet and offended and wouldn't verbally lash out, like Joan did. She rocks.

Word of the day

A chum signed me up. Today the word is "neologist" -

"one who coins, uses, or introduces new words or redefines old words in a language."

That's a challenge I can't resist. So more later.