Liberty

It dawns on me: Are the stapler, rubber band and safety pin the weapons of a modern Knight? No. They are the weapons of a modern day serf. It is from this we must seek liberation. "Liberty, Sancho, my friend, is one of the most precious gifts that Heaven has bestowed on mankind" (Book 2, Part 14).

Invention of the Rubber Band

Like everyone else I do enjoy a pleasant distraction from time to time......and today discovered (as part of my quest, of course), that on March 17, 1845, the fist rubber band was patented by Stephen Perry of London. Perry owned the rubber manufacturing company Messers Perry and Co., of London, England. The first rubber bands were made from vulcanized rubber. Interesting. But let us put it in context, that is, a few years after Samuel Slocum patents the stapler (1841) and a few years before Walter Hunt invents the safety pin in 1849. Does this mean anything? I doth not know...but I do knowth that neither stapler, rubber band nor safety pin should make it onto my list of new discoveries...

The World Needs a Knight

This week has still not revealed any new truths...but I remain resolute on my quest. Tommy Chong, I think now after a few days, will not make it onto my list of Chivalrous Knights. He is just too 70s. His fate too silly. Bureaucracy is an evil, an iron cage says Max Weber, but I think it is still not a necromancer as such. Bureaucracy is not a person but a creation of people. So I leave it for now. So to the next week I ride...looking and still searching...comforted by the words: "He was spurred on by the conviction that the world needed his immediate presence..." (Book 1, Part 2, Don Quixote).

Tommy Chong

Back on the donkey. Still pondering those Anglos and Americanos...but stumbled upon this today...more proof of a world gone wrong...and Americanos infected with a security bug. Poor old Tommy Chong (remember him?) has been done for selling drug goodies. No not drugs, just goodies to use drugs! Chong pleaded guilty on behalf of his business, Nice Dreams Enterprises, which made a line of marijuana bongs and pipes. Doing business as Chong Glass, Nice Dreams Enterprises sold glass pipes and bongs that Chong acknowledged were used to smoke marijuana. By that logic we need to arrest those that peddle cig-paper, or phonebooks! For more see article. This leaves me with the words of our beloved Don Quixote, equally true for me: "As all the world knows, yesterday received the order of knighthood, and hath to-day righted the greatest wrong and grievance that ever injustice conceived and cruelty perpetrated: who hath to-day plucked the rod from the hand of yonder ruthless oppressor so wantonly lashing that tender child". Tommy Chong you tender child...I will seek you out and set this right. Oh, noble Knight of the 70s, I think I should consider you for the list of the chivalrous!

Making of Stars

Later tonight: so my questing was over for the day and I decided to sit down in front of the theatre box...and what did I find but a show on the Anglo Soap Theatre awards. Soap Stars galore. I did not know one of them, never heard of them, never mind. But then came an award for the most sexy Soap star on theatre box. Unbelievable, both the people (one female and one male of the species) that one were plain ordinary Anglos - bad accents, whining voices, drink too much ale, just your average person next door. It then dawns on me, the Anglos choose stars based on themselves...the Anglo dream is that every person IS famous (hence the success of reality theatre shows on the box) and is only waiting to be discovered. Across the great pond, the Americanos see it differently...fame makes you into something else, better and improved. So for the Anglos the implicit colonial dream is that you can remain the working class bloke with money (hence the success of Knight of the ball jousting pit, David Beckham). This helps perpetuate the myth that Anglo society is not class-based. Colonialism rides on. The Americano dream is that everything is possible...the class dimension is ever present and success is attainable (sic)...fame is money, money makes you different, even your face can be up for grabs....

Bazima

Still foraging about...came across this maiden called Bazima, she seems to also be on a quest. Relationships...love and all that are here poison. But ah...don't want to get into that just yet....still pondering the pros and cons of bureaucracy (believe it or not) and will leave love for another day. That said, as Don Quxiote notes, all great Knights need a maiden to defend...is that where the truth lies? Surely not.

Bad Cookie

I stumble from my loft out of the hay, and the first connection to the world I find is this, Bad Cookie leaping from my Inbox. I like to think of myself as a rational sane person...out there doing my best, saving people, on a quest, leading the misguided down the path of light and justice...but sometimes...only sometimes...I find myself swayed by the superstition. My cookie says, "Failure surely comes your way". I shiver.

Spokey Wheeler

"My in-tray is ridiculous," says Spokey Wheeler. "I could spend all my time on it. I feel as if I am being asked to stick my finger in a dyke and wiggle it in the most imaginative way possible. I love my job - but the deck feels stacked against me."

Bureaucracy Inflating

Giant sucking sound is bureaucracy inflating, by Zay Smith...methinks I just liked the headline really!

Iraq

Alas, time for me to sleep...perchance to dream. Today has drifted away, and I find myself still preoccupied with the unholy crusade taking place in ancient Iraq by that group of coalition necromancers...this seems to distract me from my quest. I hunt the truth, honour and chivalrous people...I find it easy to list necromancers (today, I was thinking about adding bureaucracy to the list, along with headline grabbing scribes as I mentioned)...but what I really want to add is something positive. Where are the good people? Where are the valiant knights?

Headline Seeking Scribes

Avoiding Armageddon....now there is a novel quest for me. PBS are to run what they call a timely series from Ted Turner Documentaries entitled Avoiding Armageddon, which will explore "the explosive intersection between terrorism and weapons of mass destruction". All I ask, in my most honourable and chivalrous voice, is what comes first the TV hype or the weapons? I think I may need to leave this issue for another day...although I think headline seeking scribes (that is journalists to most of you modern day folk) on the list of necromancers!

Cat Skinning

I was out foraging and look what I found...the BBC News has seen evidence which suggests that cats are being farmed for their skins in the European Union, see article. Interesting. Should this be my quest? Rid the world of cat-skinners?

Worst Britons

I think I am over it now...that is, looking for adventure with too much passion as I was doing last week...it needs to come to me. In the mean, my weekend has slipped by and all I have noticed that some interesting developments in no-so-Great Britain. The mad populous voted on their worst Britons the other night, the results were staggering I think, promoting an instant connection to the list of necromancers. The top ten worst Britons as voted on Channel 4 were:

1. Tony Blair
2. Jordan
3. Margaret Thatcher
4. Jade Goody
5. Martin Bashir
6. Gareth Gates
7. Alex Ferguson
8. 'H' from Steps
9. Gerri Halliwell
10.The Queen

...the rest of the list, top 100 Worst Britons!

I therefore, in the interests of democracy, add the list of 100 Britons to the list of necromancers, although some I think are sweet and harmless, there are others I have never even heard of in my travels...but then again there are some more nasty ones like Herr Blair and Herr (yes, Herr) Thatcher that fully deserve it...although must have come to a shock to Blair as he thinks he is North American if I am not mistaken!