Civet cats and disease...

Just as I was about to continue my journey for a while and leave my journal as I travel (as access is hard), I heard that the new plague sweeping this planet (well sort of if you are hysterical) could be caused by Civet cats. Surely not? Am I the only one out there who is delusional enough not to believe this illusion? Of course, if it turns out to be true it will have have to make it onto my list of "lurking dangers", and I will deny I ever said this....But I think it is safe for now.. Meeeaouw then.....and adieu for a few days. Yours with kindest regards....and as always with deluded but happy wishes....BQ.

Far away...

Ah, how strange to be in places far away. In my dreams and in reality...I am not too sure how much I will say over the next while. I travel through distant lands, the lands of my creation...more to follow once this adventure is over. Right now, I love the atmosphere, the slowness, the heat and the way everyone talks with their hands...more in a few days we hope...but try guess where I am.

God on the other side

No one ever goes into battle thinking God is on the other side (Terry Goodkind, Fantasy Author)...I think this is enough for today...speaks volumes...although, despite my travels I have never some across this author before.

Today is the Pope's birthday...he is getting on...but, it brings my memory back. Do you remember when, Mehmet Ali Agca shot Pope John Paul II at St. Peter's Square on May 13, 1981? The poor old Bull now has to ride around in a glass fishbowl on the back of a truck. Amazingly, the Pope forgave his attacker who hit him in the abdomen, left hand and right arm with bullets from point blank range. What was the reason for this? Now that I cannot remember, but it makes me think of all the conspiracy theories out there...of course, this is not the type of thing a pure Knight indulges himself in...but caste your eyes upon Conspiracy Archive, The Conspiracy Journal and Conspiracy Planet...at least I am not the the only one who lives in an alternative universe.

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.