Wellies

Nobody is quite sure what the Pope meant with his comments on the use of condoms: some are portraying it as a major shift of Vatican policy, the Vatican itself is playing it down.

Morland in The Times suggests that the comment is probably not as radical or realistic as many might hope.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/seealso/2010/11/daily_view_pope_condones_condo.html

Wellies

Nobody is quite sure what the Pope meant with his comments on the use of condoms: some are portraying it as a major shift of Vatican policy, the Vatican itself is playing it down.

Morland in The Times suggests that the comment is probably not as radical or realistic as many might hope.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/seealso/2010/11/daily_view_pope_condones_condo.html

Cool, Man

The Met Office has announced that it is likely that Winter will start early this year. It officially starts on 1 December apparently (I always assumed that it started on the shortest day; I’m not sure why), but there is a possibility of temperatures falling to -10ºc (14ºf) by the end of the week, which is both rather chilly in UK terms – I know that some of my readers in particular in the northern US and Canada will be folded over in mirth at the thought of these temperatures being classed as cold, but hey, maritime climate, you know – and also somewhat early. About six weeks early for the worst of the cold in this country as a rule.

Now obviously, the worst is expected in Scotland and the North East, but I would expect it to get rather chilly down here in London and the South East too. Even if it’s five degrees warmer, it puts us nicely below freezing point.

Anyway, while I am generally happier in colder temperatures than I am the heat, I have already noticed that our new house is rather chillier than the last two places I have lived. Both the Athenaeum Club and The Carpathia benefited from being flats above shops and having another flat on either side, which helped insulate them. Now we are on the ground and semi detached and I think that while our brickwork is rather sturdy (1862 vintage or thereabouts), it is probably not cavity wall. Tonight we will most likely fire up the central heating for the first time as a test. We have used a halogen heater a couple of times in the living room to take the chill off, resorting instead to extra layers, but if the mercury is going south it is time to try something else.

Be that as it may, I am rather looking forward to cooler weather for entirely different reasons. My lackey, a Nigerian lady of slightly more advanced years than me has mentioned the fact that she is wearing two pairs of trousers since it has got colder (and it’s still above freezing). I am hoping that by Friday, if the weather forecast is accurate, she will waddle into the office looking something like the Michelin Man.

I’m a rat, I know, but I can’t help it: the mental image is too funny.

Cool, Man

The Met Office has announced that it is likely that Winter will start early this year. It officially starts on 1 December apparently (I always assumed that it started on the shortest day; I’m not sure why), but there is a possibility of temperatures falling to -10ºc (14ºf) by the end of the week, which is both rather chilly in UK terms – I know that some of my readers in particular in the northern US and Canada will be folded over in mirth at the thought of these temperatures being classed as cold, but hey, maritime climate, you know – and also somewhat early. About six weeks early for the worst of the cold in this country as a rule.

Now obviously, the worst is expected in Scotland and the North East, but I would expect it to get rather chilly down here in London and the South East too. Even if it’s five degrees warmer, it puts us nicely below freezing point.

Anyway, while I am generally happier in colder temperatures than I am the heat, I have already noticed that our new house is rather chillier than the last two places I have lived. Both the Athenaeum Club and The Carpathia benefited from being flats above shops and having another flat on either side, which helped insulate them. Now we are on the ground and semi detached and I think that while our brickwork is rather sturdy (1862 vintage or thereabouts), it is probably not cavity wall. Tonight we will most likely fire up the central heating for the first time as a test. We have used a halogen heater a couple of times in the living room to take the chill off, resorting instead to extra layers, but if the mercury is going south it is time to try something else.

Be that as it may, I am rather looking forward to cooler weather for entirely different reasons. My lackey, a Nigerian lady of slightly more advanced years than me has mentioned the fact that she is wearing two pairs of trousers since it has got colder (and it’s still above freezing). I am hoping that by Friday, if the weather forecast is accurate, she will waddle into the office looking something like the Michelin Man.

I’m a rat, I know, but I can’t help it: the mental image is too funny.

Baccy

Despite UPS’s erratic delivery mechanism that sometimes concocts an entirely different address to that it’s supposed to use I have now taken delivery of my latest consignment of snus, so I am set up into the New Year.

On a whim I ordered a couple of cans of Jakobsson’s Wintergreen flavour on special offer and now rather wish I had ordered a few more: it tastes great. I may have to ration my use of these pouches. It will be 3 or 4 months before I need to make another order.

Baccy

Despite UPS’s erratic delivery mechanism that sometimes concocts an entirely different address to that it’s supposed to use I have now taken delivery of my latest consignment of snus, so I am set up into the New Year.

On a whim I ordered a couple of cans of Jakobsson’s Wintergreen flavour on special offer and now rather wish I had ordered a few more: it tastes great. I may have to ration my use of these pouches. It will be 3 or 4 months before I need to make another order.