The Scribbler

I recently purchased a DVD box set of the Spaghetti Westerns, so I thought it would be an interesting idea to look back over my last twelve months and recall the events that were good, bad and ahem....ugly! The Good Watching Michal (6) teach herself to read over the summer, to the extent that by the end of the year, she is at the same level as her seven-and-a-half year old sister. Celebrating ten years of marriage - and being truly amazed that my wife has still managed to stick by me. G-d the woman is courageous. Successfully completing my NQT qualification and becoming a "real" teacher. The trip to Liverpool (possibly the highlight of the year). Finally buying that laptop I'd promised myself. Celebrating my parents' 45th anniversary. Helping my mother choose a new Tom Tom satellite navigation system and knowing that as a result, her arguments with my dad will have immediately halved. Getting a nice pay-out from the insurance company after one of our cars was written-...

I'm in a meditative mood. I'm thinking about the things in life that I believe in one hundred percent. One of these is my rock-solid belief in the existence of G-d and His constant presence in the world. Another is the willing acceptance of the tenets of Judaism, through which I choose to live my life. Aside from that, there's not much else I can say that I truly believe in to the same extent (and I'm not talking about relationships with family etc). With all this in mind, I will add one more belief - the execution of Saddam Hussein was something that had to happen. Why do I add this ugly event to such an exclusive list? Let's start from the premise (as I do) that Saddam Hussein was one of the few people on earth who could be termed as being genuinly evil. He is directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of people, not through neglect or misadventure, but in the full knowledge that, what he was doing was, in his twisted mind, the absolutely correct course of ...

My dad and I took three of the girls, minus Dassi to see this movie. The parts that I did see (when I wasn't ferrying either Michal or Shira to the toilet) were pretty impressive. The singing and dancing scenes were sensational and the bit where they fall off the top of an ice shelf and free-fall into the void below, was truly eye-popping. In the world of CGI animation, a new standard has been set because this film was visually breathtaking. However, proceedings were seriously let down by a derivative story-line and rather awkward "message" (for a kids movie) about human interference in the penguins' Eco-system. I think my kids were too young to really appreciate the flick and they didn't get that much out of it. Parents of young children beware! I recommend the movie, if only for the animation, soundtrack and astounding choreography. Shame about the 'plot' though. Teacher's Rating ***

I can relate to this. Can you?

I booked tickets on the phone for a friend and myself. I needn't have bothered as we were the only ones in the cinema. I don't think I've ever been privy to a private viewing before, but it was certainly an experience. What's more, if you're going to have a screen to yourself, it might as well be for a movie that reeks of quality and Flags of Our Fathers is such a film. Watching this movie, one couldn't ignore the input of Steven Spielberg, who was joint producer. At times, this seemed like a parallel version of Saving Private Ryan , from the similarly staged beach scenes (minus the startling sound effects that made the former movie so memorable) to the deployment of washed out colours. The cast is uniformly superb, in particular Ryan Philippe, whom I hadn't rated too highly previously. He went beyond the 'pretty boy' image and delivered an achingly believable performance as John Bradley, through whose eyes we witness the soaring highs and plunging ...

Remember about that party I told you about two posts ago? Well, before the mother of all headaches burst its way into my cerebellum, I was having a really interesting conversation with an expatriate Iraqi Jew, who has been in the UK for seven years. He is convinced that the real reason why the Americans and British are staying in Iraq, is to use the country as a launch pad for an attack on the Iranian nuclear facilities. I was thinking about this and came to the conclusion that he might have a point. It would certainly make a lot of sense, granted that both countries (and most of the rest of the world, including quite a few Sunni Arab dictatorships) have no interest whatsoever in seeing Shiite Iran go nuclear. In fact, the recent declaration by Egypt et al that they want to acquire such weapons (presumably to counter the Iranian threat) seems all the more understandable, granted the danger that a nuclear Iran would pose to the region - and for that matter, the rest of the world. I th...

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I came back this afternoon from a friend's baby celebration with a thumping headache. I don't know where it came from but after taking some paracetamol and sleeping it off, it returned to it's hiding place. This is all very well and good, but it's now 00:30 and I'm wide awake and raring to go. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to spend the rest of night peering through the garden window looking for Santa. And a Merry Xmas to all of you who celebrate!

This afternoon, I asked Shira (aged three) where her bottom was and she replied: "Here it is, behind me!"

It has been a very special night for Michal as she attended her very first sleepover (aside from staying at grandparents, which doesn’t really count). I can’t wait to see her enthusiastic response when I pick her up! It’s definitely moments like these that I thank G-d I’ve been given the gift of children.

School's finished for 2006 - yay. It was so much fun standing around the kitchen this morning at 7.30 in my dressing gown, knowing that I didn't have to rush out into the dark, foggy morning (second day of fog - what's going on here?) within the next fifteen minutes. I'm looking forward to two weeks of school-free tension. Instead I'll have to keep the kids from killing one another, keep the wife sweet, make sure the parents are happy. Then again, I've been told that going out into the brisk (foggy) morning air is also quite therapeutic...

Ahmadinejad said yesterday: "Today, it is the United States, Britain and the Zionist regime which are doomed to disappear as they have moved far away from the teachings of God." I can't tell you how much better that makes me feel. If his understanding of the 'teachings of G-d' are that you should build nuclear weapons, actively support terrorism and deny the Holocaust, I'm more than happy to subscribe to any religion aside from his. However, at least we Zionists are now in good company. People of the US and UK - welcome to our club!

I have never rated Jimmy Carter very highly. The truth is that Israel and Egypt were itching to make peace in 1978 and this would have happened irrespective of whom was sitting in The White House. The fact that it happened to be Jimmy Carter is coicidental. Remember that he came into Office after "battling" against Gerald Ford, a lame duck president if there ever was one. Hell, I could have even beaten Ford! Were it not for Watergate, Carter would still be growing his peanuts. I don't like the man, never have. His one term of office is not particularly memorable and the debacle of the kidnapping of Americans in Iran, justifiably brought his pathetic political career to a grinding halt. Recently however, he has outdone himself in showing what a sad old fool he is by bringing out a book with the 'enchanting' title: Palestine, Peace Not Apartheid . In this useless tome, he blasts Israel (excuse the pun) for her "shameful" treatment of the Palestinians. I me...

So the Palestinians are going around killing each other instead of the Jews. Am I bothered? Not one tiny bit. In fact, I give them my blessings to continue for as long they like.

My good friend, Larrythelamb very kindly gave me a ticket to the Quo Concert at Wembley Arena last night, as his daughter had not been able to attend. I have to say that I'm not much of a fan, but hey, what the hell! So we went, his son, brother and a friend and I. The evening didn't start that well, granted that the support bands were pretty horrendous. The first proudly exclaimed that they were Australian and I spent the next half hour waiting for them to get the first plane back home. In fact, they were so bad that I left the auditorium twenty five minutes in. Quo came on at 9 pm and apparently performed a "stunning" set. Not knowing their songs didn't really help and all I could hear was one excrutiatingly loud song after another. Saying that, people were having a great time, so I know that I was pretty much alone in my negativity. I took it for about an hour until I feel the need to walk out, head throbbing and feeling myself becoming partially deaf. One of ...

The wonderful Jewish festival of Chanukah will be starting tomorrow night. More than two thousand three hundred years ago, another meglomaniac called Antiochus tried to wipe us out. The Hasmonean boys told him where to go and despite all odds, we rescued Jerusalem from his clutches. The temple was ours and Chanukah was born. Antiochus also wanted to "wipe us off the face of the earth" through trying to force us to take on his alien (Greek/Syrian) practices. Surprise surprise, he failed. Some things never change and if Ahmedinejad thinks he can succeed where so many others have failed, maybe he should stop organising moronic conferences and start researching the fate of his predecessors. Hitler didn't manage to finish us off, concentration camps and all. My Chanukah message to him and anyone else who thinks he can "wipe Israel off the face of the earth" is this - go read your history books. Happy Chanukah dear friends - as the old song goes, we will survive. We...

By Yigal Carmon, President of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). Today, December 14, 2006, a symposium titled "Holocaust Denial: Paving the Way to Genocide" was held at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. MEMRI President and Founder Yigal Carmon spoke at the symposium. To view Iranian Holocaust denial clips, please click here. The following are his remarks: The persistent Holocaust denial of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad raises a vital question that needs to be addressed: What function does this denial serve in the ideology of the Iranian regime and in its strategy? The answer to this question bears cardinal importance to the future of the State of Israel. When we, at The Middle East Media Research Institute, collect and analyze the statements made by Ahmadinejad and others in the Iranian regime, we can distinguish two major goals, both of which lead to the same conclusion: the Iranian regime's Holocaust denial is not a manifestation of irrational hatred, but ...

I have sent this email to the numerous Iranian Embassies dotted around the world. "Dear Sir, My grandmother lost virtually every single member of her family in the Holocaust. I am therefore appalled to read that Iran, a country with a notable history of tolerance and acceptance of all nations should be hosting a "conference" which gives a platform to some of the most anti-semitic and racist human beings on the planet. I wish that the Holocaust had not taken place. I wish that over six million people had not simply vanished between the years of 1939 and 1945. I wish that one and half million children had been given the chance to grow up and contribute to the world, instead of being murdered - simply because they born Jewish. You are an Ambassador for your country. You have a duty to present your country in the best possible light. I therefore ask you to do everything in your power to educate yourself and your countrymen in what really happened during World War II. Go to A...

An anagram of "eleven plus two" is "twelve plus one"!

You won't be surprised to read that I'm not the only who feels disgusted by the behaviour of these so called "Jews". Have a look at this piece from the Totally Jewish website: One of the most senior members of religious anti-zionist sect Neturei Karta was this week facing total isolation from the Jewish community after attending Iran's Holocaust conference. Manchester-based Rabbi Ahron Cohen has long courted controversy as the mouthpiece of the British arm of Neturei Karta, appearing alongside controversial figures considered to be enemies of the Jewish people. But anger in Manchester reached fever pitch this week after it emerged he had visited the internationally-condemned meeting in Tehran. Indeed, feelings were running so high that the Manchester Beth Din issued a statement on Tuesday condemning Rabbi Cohen’s involvement and questioning his status as a rabbi. The statement said: "'Rabbi' Ahron Cohen has for a long time been ostracised by the vast...

The presence of "orthodox" Jews at the Tehran Holocaust Conference makes me sick to the stomach. These men are a disgrace to everything that our nation stands for and believes in and most importantly, by allying themselves with a bunch of neo-Nazis and Islamic extremists, they totally violate the memory of every single Jewish person who died in the Nazi genocide. If I ever have the misfortune to meet these ghastly pieces of shit, I will spit in their vile faces and do everything in my power to ensure that they were excluded from every single Jewish gathering that they wished to attend, including counting them in as members of a Minyan (a quorum of ten males over 13 required to make up a prayer congregation). They should be immediately ex-communicated and buried in a separate plot - if at all. For all I care, their bodies can rot in the street. They are not worthy of calling themselves members of the Jewish people. Let's kick them out!

Just to inform you that I've replaced the polls on this site with a new bunch, so please feel free to start voting afresh. The questions are randomised with the hope that you will come across a new one each time you visit (don't all rush at once as I could only think of six topics!!!) I am however particularly interested in reading your responses to the teacher-parent query.

Tali managed to come home proudly wearing the "gold sash for best behaviour and achievement" in her year group. How she managed to get this is an mystery to both Dana and myself as she hasn't exactly been deserving of such an honour at home. If anything, we should be getting this prestigious award for demonstrating remarkable patience in the face of reckless and determined adversity from our soon to be eight-year-old. Like everything in life however, when you gain you also lose. On this occasion, she swallowed one of her front incisors - hence the photograph below (and also check out the aforementioned sash).

Anti-Semites head for Iran to query Holocaust By Colin Freeman, Chief Foreign Correspondent, Sunday Telegraph President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran is to give a personal audience to a delegation of foreign academics – including Britons – attending a Teheran conference that will question whether the Holocaust took place. President Ahmadinejad will welcome delegates. The two-day "Review of the Holocaust: global vision" conference, which begins tomorrow, is expected to include more than 60 foreign researchers from 30 countries, including known anti-Semites and Holocaust deniers. Ahmadinejad has caused international outrage by describing the Holocaust as a "myth" and calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map". Despite condemnation of Teheran for hosting the conference, foreign delegates arriving in the capital have said that they are hopeful of a personal meeting with the Iranian president. Fredrick Toben, a German-born Holocaust denier who lives in Austral...

A long running bone of contention between the wife and I, revolves around our differing tastes in music. Whereas she likes keeping up with the latest bands, hits and such like, I'm very happy to stick with what I know and more importantly, like. You can put forward reasoned arguments for both camps. However, since this is my blog (!), I will simply state that, if I ever heard music in the charts that matched the musicianship and quality of the people that I like to listen to, I would readily give the new bands/singers a chance. However, when I'm humming songs by people like Lennon and McCartney, Paul Simon or Bob Dylan, these unfortunate newbies have a pretty high bar to reach. Their case has not been helped by the superlative recent offerings emanating from some of the aforementioned gentlemen. I say this, because I am currently listening to the latest Dylan production, Modern Times and without exaggerating, it's an absolute stunner. Paul Simon's recent album Surpris...

A woman goes to the post office to buy stamps for her Chanukah cards. She says to the clerk, "May I have 50 Chanukah stamps?" The clerk says, "What denomination?" "Oh my G_d," the woman says, "has it come to this? Give me 16 Orthodox, 22 Conservative, and 12 Reform."

(c) The Times "I don't think we're in Kensal Green anymore, Toto". There are certain things in life that just don't happen: Children will never come into a classroom in my school and sit down quietly. Vegetarians won't suddenly be swayed by a McDonalds ad to bite into that oozing cheeseburger. No-one will ever be interested in talking to the nerd who walks into the party and announces that he's just got a cracked copy of Office 2007. And Tornadoes don't suddenly appear in suburban North West London streets. Well, you wouldn't thought it would you - until it happened yesterday morning. I mean, what the hell. Where did that come from? I've heard of freak weather conditions but tornadoes in Kensal Green? Why Kensal Green? Why not the vast open spaces of Hampstead Heath? Or the flat land that consists of Norfolk? But Kensal Green??? Now, please don't get me wrong. I don't have anything against Kensal Green. It is a perfectly habit...

Please click on the cartoon to view it properly.

On a wall in a ladies room . .. "My husband follows me everywhere" Written just below it . " I do not" Q. Why are married women heavier than single women? A. Single women come home, see what's in the fridge and go to bed. Married women come home, see what's in bed and go to the fridge.

I've spent the most wonderful afternoon in the company of my father. He wanted to take me out for my birthday and so we went to an American Diner for lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon not doing very much but chatting and basically chilling out. It's a shame we don't do this more because it was so lovely to spend the time just with him. It is afternoons like these that make our lives on earth worth all the hassle we have to put up with. For a few hours, there was nobody else to come between us - my father and I.

We've just come back from playing this murder mystery game. There were four couples and each of us took on the role of a character. I was Bo Jalais, the grape-grower and dressed up for the part (including the essential black beret). However, Dana, as Tara Misu absolutely stole the show with her ravishing outfit and frighteningly authentic Italian accent. I won't spoil events by revealing the identity of the murderer, but this really was an evening to remember. The Italian cuisine (Dana's spaghetti and meaballs) was also the perfect addition to a wonderful soiree and immense fun was had by all. The fact that this also doubled up as my birthday party made it all that more special. Mamma Mia!

This is a short video describing the challenges faced by Israel from these terrorist organisations. Well worth watching. To view, please click here.

Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of George Harrison's passing. The world without him is a much sadder place. We miss you. Peace.

Forty years ago this month, The Beatles recorded their most complex track. Robert Webb reveals how 'Strawberry Fields Forever' took shape in the studio 29 November 2006 It was 40 years ago, in November 1966, that the four Beatles, chilled after a recuperative break, rolled up at EMI's Abbey Road studios to begin recording their eighth album. They'd had enough of touring, churning out the hits to shrieking fans who couldn't tell which song they were playing, let alone whether it was in tune. Spurred on by their experiments in sound on Revolver, notably "Tomorrow Never Knows", the new album would comprise songs that could be performed only in the studio. They had a flexible timetable and no ceiling on the budget. They couldn't wait to turn us on. The project would morph into Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Paul McCartney's grandiose plan to send out a fictitious touring band in their place - on vinyl, instead of on the road. It ended up ju...

Every now and again, the gums around my lower wisdom teeth start to get inflamed and the pain is positively horrendous. I really should get them removed, but not having the nerve (geddit?) to go through a whole operation, I cowardly reach for the Neurofen and wait for the pain to pass. Two days in and the pain was driving me up the wall. It's bad enough having to cope with a toothache, but doing so whilst trying to teach is tantamount to climbing up the north face of Everest with a blindfold, in a blizzard. Lunchtime arrived and I begged Dana to get in touch with a dentist and arrange an appointment ASAP. When she called back to say that she'd managed to get me a 3.45, I didn't think twice and ignored the fact that I'd have to go along the private route to enjoy this privilege . I begged a senior colleague to cover the last 15 minutes of my final lesson and after he begrudgingly agreed, I managed to get out of school in time to arrive at the appointment. I can't re...

Just as a point of note, in case you hadn't noticed, I tag nearly all of my posts into subject areas, so that you can follow the continual flow of topics related to (e.g.) school or even movies I've seen recently. If you click on the yellow tag entitled "labels", you will be able to read all the posts relating to that particular topic. Saying that, I wasn't sure what to tag a post about tagging...

I think the highest praise I can give this movie is that it is the first Bond flick I've seen (and I've seen 'em all many times) that actively reminded me of the early Sean Connery era. For the first time in EONs (and yes, that is a pun for you fans out there), a James Bond movie concentrated on the man himself instead of the every increasing slew of silly gadgets and OTT computer graphics. This is probably due to the fact that it based on an original Ian Fleming story - at last! The comparison with the Connery era was no accident. Looking at the locations (and the beautiful use of the DB5), you were eerily transported back to those early adventures...Nassau ( Thunderball ), Venice (From Russia With Love) and even the use of the Casino Royale itself (anyone remember the first few scenes in Dr No at the Casino?) - gave over the message that Bond was back - and Daniel Craig was no flash in the pan (a la George Lazenby ) My only complaints: a) The worryingly excessive use ...

I would imagine that I approached this album in the same cautious way as any other dedicated Beatles' fan. Having heard it a number of times on the radio or off the beatles.com site, I'm a now a firm fan. There are moments of sheer beauty on this album, for example, the segueing of the opening bars from Blackbird into a fully blown version of Yesterday . The entire medley (all 80 minutes of it) does take some getting used to, but once you've listened to it a number of times, I don't think you'll be too disappointed. True, some combinations don't work as well as others (I wasn't particularly enamoured with the combination of Octopus's Garden and Goodnight ), but hearing the terrific version of Within You Without You coupled with the amazing drumming in Tomorrow Never Knows was nothing short of jaw dropping. This album needs to be listened to in one sitting to be really appreciated. The danger was that this project would turn out to be a rehash of the ...

Have a look at this.

This is the text of an email I received this morning: "Al-Jazeera launches a pan-Arab English TV channel Dear friend of JerusalemOnline , We would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your constant support of JerusalemOnline. JerusalemOnline’s primary goals are to strengthen the relationship between Israel and English speakers around the world and to bridge the informational gap that exists in the international media today. In addition – we try to improve Israel's image in the world by providing our viewers with honest and balanced content. Israel and its worldwide supporters are facing a new challenge. Last week we learned that Al-Jazeera is about to launch an English language offshoot of its pan-Arab television channel on November 15th. Al-Jazeera's plan is to broadcast its news content in English, on television and via the Internet, all in an effort to promote its agenda around the world. To read more about Al-Jazeera plans - click here This latest...

Daniel Doron, THE JERUSALEM POST Nov. 13, 2006 The leaders of Iran, the ayatollahs, keep threatening that Israel, the Little Satan, and its master, the Great Satan - America - will be vanquished before long (three to five years?) by a triumphalist, nuclear-armed Islam determined to establish Allah's rule even at the cost of martyrdom. Yet the world does not seem too exercised. In fact Russia and China lend Iran a helping hand. How serious is this threat, and, if it is serious, how to face it? At least part of the answer to these questions may involve factors, religious, nationalist and economic, that are not commonly discussed. Living in a secular culture, most of us underestimate the determination of true believers. We forget that only recently a relatively civilized Europe was engaged for centuries in the most bloody religious - and then ideological - wars. So we do not fully appreciate how martyrdom-seeking fanatics may take extraordinary risks and ignore the restraints that a b...

The way you view this film will very much depend on how you feel about this character mocking your average American....and yes, making him/her look pretty ridiculous and at times, frighteningly racist. However, if you look beyond the surface, you will find that there's quite a lot of depth to the character created by a very proud Jewish young man, called Sacha Baron Cohen. This is movie that works on many layers. I really really enjoyed this film. At times, I laughed so hard, there were tears in my eyes but I also cringed when I was meant to and at the end of day found myself feeling rather sorry for Mr Baron Cohen's brilliant creation. Borat will either leave you feeling hot or cold. Fortunately, I went with the joke and had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Teacher's Rating *****

This was taken two weeks ago....aren't they gorgeous? (of course they are!)

In case you can't see the writing, the legend says: "Exit 324 Closed. Sucks to be you, but I got fired today so don't expect any help".

This is a bit of historic (nay, histrionic) post for me as it is the first written on my spanking new laptop (hooray I hear you cheer? Or maybe not). It's great having a portable pc, along with the freedom of being able to get my emails anywhere within reasonable reach of my wireless network. Did I just mention wireless? That wonderful invention of the twenty first century? Let me tell you about wireless (grunt, thump). I'll say it three times: Damn, damn, damn wireless. It has taken me a day to set the bloody thing up. Don't get me wrong. There was nothing wrong with the equipment (besides the befuddling instructions which I still don't understand) - it was just the glut of totally incomprehensible material that I read on how to, not so much set it up, as secure it. Oh yes. Securing it. I didn't have a problem finding the signal once I'd got the router configured (well, sort of). My laptop sprang to life...unfortunately to the keen attention of probably every ...

While walking down the street one day a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance. "Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts,yousee, so we're not sure what to do with you." "No problem, just let me in," says the man. "Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity." "Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," says the senator. "I'm sorry, but we have our rules." says St. Peter. And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goesdown,down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middleofagreen golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends ...

How can it be that my Dassi, born only yesterday has already managed to reach her ninth birthday? Where have I been? What happened to that crying baby? She celebrated her birthday by having her best friend stay over and this morning, engaging in a forty minute treasure hunt for the different components of her present - a mini video camera. Dana's taken them out to the theatre to see "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers", which I'm sure she'll love. Happy birthday Dassi. You're a star.

I found this here. Borat speaks Hebrew Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen substitutes Hebrew for Kazakh in his satirical movie “Borat.” The anti-Semitic Kazakh television personality, one of several satirical creations by Cohen, a British Jew, for his “Ali G” show, appears in his own movie next month. The opening sequence of the film was released Monday over YouTube. In it, Borat takes leave of his ancestral village, telling one resident, according to the subtitle, “Doltan, I’ll get you a new arm in America.” In fact, Cohen says in Hebrew, “I’ll buy you some kind of a new arm.” Borat also parries with his wife in Hebrew. The film covers Borat’s travels through the United States, revealing his own bigotries, sexism and backwardness as well as those of his subjects. Appalled by the success of the character, Kazakhstan’s government has launched a counter-campaign extolling the Central Asian nation’s virtues. Replacing Kazakh with Hebrew is a stroke of genius (granted that SBC probably can't...

When an old lady died in the geriatric ward of a small hospital near Dundee, Scotland, it was believed that she had nothing left of any value. Later, when the nurses were going through her meager possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital. One nurse took her copy to Ireland. The old lady's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the North Ireland Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on her simple, but eloquent, poem. And this little old Scottish lady, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this "anonymous" poem winging across the Internet: Crabby Old Woman What do you see, nurses ........ What do you see? What are you thinking ........... When you're looking at me? A crabby old woman .............. Not very wise, Uncertain of habit, ............. W...

I've joined the forum on the Paul McCartney website and left a few messages of support. I'm sure that some of the information coming out from the other side does have a ring of truth, but I find it impossible to believe that the man who wrote No More Lonely Nights, And I Love Her, Here, There and Everywhere or All My Loving was going around attacking his wife with a broken bottle or pushing her (whilst pregnant) into the bath. The assertion that he made her walk on her hands and knees up a staircase doesn't make sense when you consider that he's spent the last five years or so campaigning for the abolition of (leg demolishing) landmines. Paul McCartney is no saint (is anyone?) but at this time in his life, he really shouldn't have to be dealing with all this crap. He is Paul McCartney, one quarter of a band whose motto was "All You Need Is Love" and the idea that he did all those things to his wife is frankly ludicrous. I hope this sorry affair can be sor...

Martin Scorcese holds a very special place in my movie heart. I believe that he is one of the few directors out there, whose output constantly brims with quality and class. With this in mind, I approached The Departed ... Apparently, this is a remake of the Japanese cop flick Infernal Affairs , a movie that I've heard of but never seen, so am unable to comment on how accurate or successful this Americanization is. What I will say is that the acting by the main protagonists is once again superb. Was I really watching Matt Damon shining in a role? I knew that Dicaprio could act, as can the always reliable Jack Nicholson, but Matt Damon? This guy is spot-on as the main character. The script crackles with more than your average one liners and the story bristles along involving you from the very first frame. My only complaint is the length, which I feel could have been judiciously trimmed. Aside from that, this is Scorcese doing what he does best, telling a story with style, verve and h...

I've come across a website that I'd like to share with you. Somebody has decided to recreate scenes from the bible in Lego. Fortunately, this has been done (with an understandable) tongue in cheek and the result is very very funny. Here's a screenshot of Adam and Eve: Have a look (and a laugh, particularly at the sections deaing with sex) here . Warning: If you take your religious beliefs very seriously, keep well clear!

"Dickhead" "You can't control a class" "You're a terrible teacher" These are some choice comments addressed to me today by some of my delightful Year 11 students. Why the f*** did I go back in today?

The population of the US (according to the US Census) now stands at over 300 million. Just consider the future Hollywood stars born on this very day. ...and to think that I could have made a really serious social comment instead!

I knew that when I finished off my classes yesterday, I’d probably not be in today as the cold virus was starting to get the better of me. You know, the blocked nose, headache etc. So here I am at home, relaxing and recharging my batteries. From experience, I’ve found that it’s best to take a day off when you don’t feel that great, as the kids, bless ‘em tend to wear you down - particularly when you feel yeuchy. This is the first sick I’ve taken in ages and believe me, with the way I feel, I would really rather be in the classroom right now (although I am missing teaching 8J, which is not necessarily a bad thing…)

I don't know whether or not the President of Israel, Moshe Katsav is guilty of rape and sexual harrassment, as suggested by the Israeli Police report released yesterday. What I do know, is that Israel has enough things to worry about, without witnessing the one area of officialdom that really should be above politics. The said holder must, in my opinion, immediately cease from holding office until the accusations have been fully dealt with. Any other course of action degrades both the State of Israel and any of us who still give a damn about her wellbeing. I have to say that I am truly disgusted by what I am finding out about, through reading the (Israeli) media. Yes, Mr Katsav is still innocent until found guilty, but in reality, the whole sordid affair stinks to high heaven. Chaim Weitzman, the first president must no doubt be spinning in his grave, alongside Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister. We Jews should really know better.

Well, this evening saw the end of the festivities with the first stars announcing the return of normality to our daily lives. I enjoy the Jewish festivals a lot. Starting with the New Year (Rosh Hashanah) on the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishri, we enter a time of reflection that doesn't really end until the 23rd of the month (or if you are in Israel, the 22nd) as we finish reading the fifth book of the Bible (Deuteronomy) and immediately flick back to the birth of the universe in Genesis. However, too much of good thing is never healthy and so, now, we are ready to face the new year in the hope that it will be a damn sight better than the one we've just left. The festival of Simchat Torah (literally "rejoicing in the Torah") is floating away as I write (unless you're reading this in the US!) and I feel a rush of relief that once again, I've come through the holidays...and can enjoy the other pleasures that life has to offer (like a full weekend!)

When I spoke to Dana this morning, she told me that a young man I knew of, had tragically succumbed to the brain tumour that had plagued him for the last year-and-a-half. He was not yet 25 years old. Later on, she told me that one of my oldest friends has finally become engaged to a Canadian girl. I couldn't be happier for him...despite the fact that he's totally written me out of his life (for no reason that I can comprehend) . So one man dies and the other finds true happiness whilst I find out about both events on the very same day. How can one reconcile oneself with such opposing pieces of news? Does my joy at the engagement mean that I am negating the tragedy of the death? Alternatively, if I mourn the death of the young man, can I really celebrate my friend's engagement? At this juncture in the Hebrew Calendar, we are about to read the Book of Kohelet - Ecclesiastes . King Solomon tells us that... "Everything has an appointed season, and there is a time for ever...