So you think you’re cultured?

Can a dead man turn fifty?

liligans So you think you're cultured?

In a hideout somewhere on this planet there’s a man blowing out fifty candles today, that is if he has the strength to do so. Osama is not a well man and it’s quite possible that he’s connected to a dialysis machine or that he is no longer with us.

Now let’s imagine that Osama is still alive. Is he enjoying turning fifty surrounded by a loving family who are singing “Happy Birthday” to him? Is he celebrating the occasion in a downtown resort?

I seriously doubt it. Saddam was found down a hole. Al Zaquiri scurried around from hiding place to hiding place, unable to relax for a minute. So things don’t look so cheerful for Osama either.

But, does it really matter if Osama bin Laden is dead or alive?

No, not in the least, because it suits both sides to pretend that he is alive. The terrorists want to pretend that the leader of Al Qaeda is still strong and vital. Naturally they want to promote the myth that Osama is invincible because they have a lot at stake in glorifying him.

It would be quite a letdown for the truth to come out that Osama was really a weakling who was nothing like the ancient Arab warrior his people would like him to be.

As for the West, it doesn’t give a damn whether he is still alive but is happy to focus on his evil deeds, which are many. He personifies all that is loathed in the civilised parts of the world and even when he is dead he will still be reviled. Perhaps it even suits the West to promote the myth of a living Osama who is yet to be captured and dispatched.

However, since Al Qaeda has now become a franchise whose product is terror, Osama has long been irrelevant in the organisation.

One doesn’t have to be a genius to conclude that since Ayman Zawakiri, his Second in Command, is doing all the media appearances, that the birthday boy is not up to it. In fact, he hasn’t been doing much of anything lately.

Two Cheers for International Women’s Day

liligans So you think you're cultured?, Society

Just when you thought that political correctness could not get any sillier, here come the Spaniards with a gesture to end all gestures. From now on, women can cross the road with full recognition that they are equal to men…when it comes to traffic signals, that is. Continue reading →

Cate Blanchett – Too much of a good thing?

liligans Films, So you think you're cultured?

In the Eighties and Nineties, there was hardly a French film that did not feature Gerard Depardieu. Fine actor that he is, it got to the stage that when a new French film came out I would ask, “Apart from Depardieu, who else is in it?”

The Aussie actress, Cate Blanchett, seems to be doing a Depardieu at the moment. Currently, there are three films with her in them. I fear she’s going to outstay her welcome if she doesn’t pace herself and resist taking on more roles until we have recovered from a Cate overload. Continue reading →

It’s all about me, me, me!

liligans So you think you're cultured?, Society

In a previous blog I wrote that it was ridiculous to have more babies so that in time they could look after the older generation. I suggested that it would be more cost-effective to encourage immigration of adults, rather than waste precious resources on educating children and teenagers.

In support of my view is the result of a 24 year study of college students at San Diego State University in the U.S

Day to Day, February 27, 2007 · College students today are more narcissistic and self-centered than a generation ago, according to a study released by San Diego State University. Students’ scores on the study’s Narcissistic Personality Inventory have steadily risen since the test was introduced in 1982.

In their study, researchers trace the phenomenon back to the “self-esteem movement” that began in in the 1980s. And, they say, young people’s self-regard is fueled by current technologies such as MySpace and YouTube.

Study psychologists worry the trend, attributable to the influences of schools, media and parents, could be harmful to personal relationships and American society. The study says narcissists are more likely to have short-lived romantic relationships and lack empathy.

Continue reading →

Why are women so mean to men?

liligans Society, What Pisses me off

I had some interesting responses from women who had read my previous blog on the decline of men. “Serves them right!” was the typical response and I hope that this is merely a knee-jerk reaction that women have to any discussion about men.

it is fashionable to put men down and this is reflected in advertising where men are portrayed as being incompetent, useless, coarse and let’s face it, perfect candidates for the position of village idiot. Continue reading →

Counting Sheep

liligans So you think you're cultured?, Society, What Pisses me off

There’s hardly a day that goes by when we aren’t bombarded with another medical report concerning the dangers of not getting enough sleep.

We’ve been told that unless we get enough sleep we will become obese because the hormone that suppresses appetite is produced only during sleep.

Lack of sleep leads to premature aging, loss of libido, inability to concentrate, high blood pressure, depression (or is it that depression leads to insomnia?) etc etc and now we hear from Bob Stickgold from the Harvard Medical School that people who have slept have a better recall of facts than those who haven’t. In other words, an all night study marathon will not be of any benefit for a student. He would do better(25% better)to have a good sleep before an exam.

Isn’t it amazing how attitudes have changed! I remember when we were being warned not to spend too long sleeping because it would lead to obesity. Now the opposite is being spouted and I have to wonder who is correct. How much sleep is enough sleep? We are even being advised to catch a nap during the day.

At this rate we’ll only be getting out of bed to change the bedlinen and grab a bite to eat. Continue reading →

Warning to all Iraqi insurgents

liligans So you think you're cultured?, What Pisses me off

Be afraid! Be very afraid, cause Prince Harry of England is coming to get you. Cornet Wales, as he is called, is primed and eager to rout the enemy.

He intends to be treated just like any other soldier.

There will, of course, be a group of SAS guards in the royal vicinity, but apart from the guards and the special food and the royal barber and the royal batman, Harry will be treated no differently.

His campaign will avoid the city areas of Iraq for “logistic” reasons and his tour of duty will be mainly in the sandhills somewhere “safer”.

You’ve seen Harry in Nazi uniform, now you can see him in British uniform and it’s quite possible that you’ll see him in flowing white robes just like Lawrence of Arabia.

Watch this space for photos of Harry dressed like a terrorist with a keffiyeh, once he’s been captured and is suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.

Is it possible that the Queen of England is proud to be sending her grandson to Iraq because she secretly hopes that the insurgents will capture him and dispose of him? He would then be revered as a hero instead of as the black sheep with a questionable parentage. It’s been done before. Send the prodigal into battle and hope he disappears.

There’s something about Harry, all right. Where Harry goes can trouble be far behind?

A Convenient Cult

liligans Politics, So you think you're cultured?, What Pisses me off

On the long road from Brisbane to Sydney, you’ll find young Sarah Bishop. She’s busy running the 1000 kilometres for a good cause, as she told the reporter from the TV station on the 19th of this month.
Her purpose is to bring attention to the problem of global warming. And she is even rotating four pairs of sneakers to achieve this.

Is Sarah’s gesture really necessary? Continue reading →