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Archive for May, 2010

More British & American

Posted in 1 on 19/05/2010| Leave a Comment »

Both British & American English- 1 (the most popular article here) and British & American English 2 (inexplicably less popular) have had extensive additions today. A section on toilets / restrooms has been added to the first, and more on spelling added to the second.

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Moving House 2

Posted in Uncategorized on 12/05/2010| Leave a Comment »

I know people miss “Comments” but do click on the comments on “Moving Hous.” David from Australia has contributed a transcript of what might have been said in the palace while waiting for the politicians!

On another point, I mentioned the colour of ties as significant in the debates. Over the five days of negotiations Brown wore a mauve or purple tie. When he resigned he wore red. On BBC’s Newsnight after the resignation, spin doctor Alistair Campbell mentioned that Gordon Brown had people searching out a red tie for his farewell speech. So this sort of symbolism does matter and people do think of it..

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Moving house

Posted in 1 on 11/05/2010| 2 Comments »

Posted one hour after David Cameron became the 12th Prime minister of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.

Well it’s resolved.  The election is finally over

But on these sorts of occasions so many questions come to mind. What’s the etiquette of deciding to call upon the Queen at her home to offer your resignation at 7.30 p.m.? Personally, I resent people turning up unexpectedly when I’m having dinner, and the Queen is 84 years young. She’s clearly accepting it graciously. But I wouldn’t dream of disturbing people of that age just before, during or just after their evening meal. Gordon Brown seemed determined to upstage the expected announcement of a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition,which had been timed for 8.30 p.m., but even so …

Then of course the Queen had to wait for David Cameron who got rather longer time with her. Did she and Prince Philip snatch a meal in the fifteen minute gap? Or were they served dried-up warmed-up supper later?  Did the parade of politicians interfere with the royal TV viewing perhaps? Did Prince Philip manage to get the timer going on the TV recorder in time? The nation needs to know.

Then you have to think of David Cameron going back to No. 10 Downing Street. There’s no transition time in Britain, just 30 minutes. Former minister Nigel Hesseltine told the TV audience that he would be immediately whisked off to be briefed on the security codes for nuclear weapons.

But what then? Gordon Brown was intent on clinging on to power only a couple of hours earlier. But the new Prime Minister and family have to stay there in Number 10. Were the staff rushing around to change the beds? Was there a rush to get the ring off the bath and the hair out of the plug-hole? The Prime Minister’s apartment  at the top of the house is allegedly self-financed. Did the Browns leave a welcoming bottle of milk in the fridge? We moved into one house to find milk and butter in the fridge, a loaf of bread and a wedge of cheese, and a bottle of fine red wine and two lovely wine glasses on the table. We resolved to do that whenever we moved out in future.

Or was Gordon unscrewing all the light bulbs and putting them in a box on the way out? He always had a parsimonious streak. The first flat we ever owned that happened. The previous owners took all the light bulbs. We moved in on a summer Saturday and it was virtually dark with no shops open before we noticed. We spent our first night by candlelight.

What it means for the TV reporters is the return to a nice warm studio after days standing outside 10 Downing Street and the offices of the various political parties and the Houses of Parliament. This has been the “live outside broadcast” election where for some reason the TV producers decided you can only talk about politics while standing out in the street on a bitterly cold night with a full film crew. It seems that we, the viewing public, can’t follow that it’s about politics unless we can see that the reporter is actually standing outside Number Ten or Big Ben.

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Article on copyright …

Posted in Uncategorized on 04/05/2010| Leave a Comment »

I’ll draw attention to the newly-posted  article on copyright and photocopying of educational materials. This is a question that often leads to debate. Feel free to comment.

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