Stan's the man

It's been a busy week thus far. My internet connection continues to be consistent only in its inconsistency, so deprived of a regular web fix I've been catching up on work and on the myriad of TV shows that I've recorded but yet to watch. At least we've had no further power cuts.

It's also been a good week weather-wise, and today some of my students came out with me to take some photographs of a Flat Stanley we'd made for The Grade 1s and 2s at Melanie's school in Kingston. We decided that a more appropriate, Inuit style name for him would be Stanwillie, and it was interesting to learn from my students that there is no real word in Inuttitut for 'flat.'

Both the students and myself enjoyed taking Stanwillie around town and we took some good photos, but none as good as this one, which shows the one-dimensional, cardboard figure in Washington D.C.:

Not sure who the small guy with the green tie is, though.

Hello Goodbye

So, America finally has its first Irish President in the shape of Barack O'Bama....sorry, what's that? Oh, apparently that's not right, but whatever the heritage of the new Commander-in-Chief, today was certainly a momentous day in history. Obama was suitably statesman-like, Aretha Franklin put a whole new spin on God Save The Queen and George Bush just looked plain bewildered by the whole affair; the whole notion of people actually cheering in his presence must have been a most novel experience.

Apparently it's traditional for the outgoing President to leave a note tucked inside the desk in the Oval Office for the new incumbent. I have it on good authority that the note left by Bush was written in crayon and consisted of the following short message:

'Tag - you're it! And no tag-backs.'

God bless America.

Who throws a shoe?

It's not often that anybody gives George Bush credit for anything, but I couldn't help be impressed by the way in which he dodged that shoe missile yesterday. It was an incredibly accurate throw, favouring the 'heel over toe method' as opposed to the 'spinning sole' technique, but Bush's cat-like reflexes enabled him to avoid the hit without even spilling his beer (had he had one).

In fact, I rather think that the President must have been practising for such an eventuality, and I can reveal here an excerpt from the Secret Service training video that he used:



In all seriousness though, the great and good CNN has just revealed that the Secret Service are indeed going to add 'how to deal with an assailant armed with a shoe' to their training regime.

I'm sure Barack Obama will now sleep more easily at night.