caldrail

Traditionally we Brits get a little baffled and jaundiced about Baseball. To us it's a game of Rounders, something girls play at school and we don't understand the razzamatazz surrounding Baseball whatsoever. It's all rather like Homer Simpson dancing to the Baby Elephant Walk. Think I'll take a back seat and let you guys enjoy your national sport

And probably involved in more conflicts than that. I'm not concerned with the morality of it. Most powerful nations indulge in military or paramilitary activity on some scale or other because that's how such nations safeguard their interests - though it does sometimes backfire, and the nature of the global ideological struggle of the last century demanded responses in secondary fronts, and also since the religiously motivated ideological struggle of this century has resulted in deaths home and abroad, the desire to suppress aggression at source is identifiably strong.

Time to whinge again about the weather. Not because it's particularly bad, but because the weatherment told us the rain was going to lurk over britain for the next week. All those amber triangles were displayed again, warning us of biblical floods and apocalyptic storms. Well... Looking out the window of the library... What a nice day. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and I wish I'd known it was going to be like this beforehand. So what shall I do today? The options are endless. I could wander here, stroll over there, amble anywhere. Since it's such a nice day, I probably will. Work Gathers Pace Yesterday I saw a crew of high-vis jackets walking toward the Old College. How about that? They're going to demolish the building the old fashioned way. No fancy explosives or heavy wrecking balls, just good old fashioned 'rip-it-apart-with-bare-hands'. There was a rash of adverts for building labourers just lately. Across from the library the old cinema is getting a lick of white paint. No sign yet of what they plan for the premises, but they'd better keep an eye on it, because around here white paint is the perfect enviroment for grafitti mice. Meanwhile, up in Old Town, a demolished victorian house is finally being replaced. I've seen other buildings put up in the area that were made to fit in with the olde worldy charm of brick and stone terraces, so it'll be interesting to see if this trend continues. And just along the way from my home, the other side of the anonymous muddy alleyway, the building site there remains static, unloved, slowly surrendering to the relentless advance of trees and weeds. Sounds about right for that part of town. Can Kids Be Quiet? Whilst I sit here typing this stuff, a party of schoolkids have tramped up the stairs and despite the best efforts of the harrassed teacher, they sounded like a herd of cattle with squeaky voices. They've gone downstairs again, having failed to find suitable grazing land, and sure enough once on the floor below the noise of conversation erupted again. Part of me thinks the Victorians had the right idea. Children should be seen and not heard. Give them six of the best for Breach of the Peace! Except we can't, because corporal punishment is illegal. So I guess these kids will also grow up without the slightest idea of how to behave, and in ten or twenty years they'll be vandalising what's left of my car or decorating the neighbourhood in lurid squiggles on any vertical surface. I've just decided what I want to do today. Time to fire up the old guitar and play until my fingers bleed, or more likely, until I get bored of sitting indoors and venture out into the great unknown of Darkest Wiltshire and lap up some ultraviolet. All I need to do is find a quiet spot.

One of the features of the Wiltshire countryside is the crop circle. A pattern made in a field by flattening crops. Since their early days these patterns have gotten quite sophisticated and some are extraordinary to look at. For me it's a part of everyday life in the country. Every year there's a crop circle or two, so no big deal, though I doubt the farmer sees it that way. Why do these circles appear? This morning I've picked up a book at the local library that discusses this very point. It is hilarious. The author talks about why we should forget trying to figure out who did it and why they vandalised a crop field, and instead concentrate on the meaning of the symbol portrayed. Oh yes, meaning. The author goes into some florid glorification of the phenomenon, such as... Once seen, the innate meaning in the structure of all things does change one's view of reality. It breathes life into what seems lifeless and gives meaning beyond purpose. The crop circles have changed the lives of many; they have started a silent revolution in thinking, one that 'en-souls' the world rather than rendering it a living machine or computer program. Crop circles not only speak of elemental shapes and numbers but they also represent themes and illustrate the archetypal principles that underpin them. Labyrinths, mazes. knots, ropes, tethers, spirals, all become part of a symbolic language that lies at the heart of the human psyche. Those who perceive these things embodied in the crop circles and subsequently become aware of them in the wider world will never see eye to eye again with those who do not. For those who only regard them as a prank or scientific curiosity, the circles do not tally with their reality constructs. Each side now inhabits a different reality; one side lives in a rational, logical world, whilst the other lives in a reality in every way the same but deepened by symbol, metaphor, and intrinsic meaning. Crop Circles (Steve and Karen Alexander) Can you imagine socialising with those two? The book is full of this sort of spiritual goobledegook. Implicit in the meaning of the book is a metaphor for mystery. That's the whole point. Regardless of what caused these things, the authors so desperately want to find mystical significance in them and most importantly describe a divide between people who scoff at the symbolism and those who embrace this new religion, and make no mistake, what this book tries to do is advertise a mysticism as a new source of spiritual well-being. There's even a discussion about how microwave energy can flatten wheat stalks, no doubt to pave the way for our alien visitors in UFO's to use as metaphysical paintbrushes on our landscape. Why, why , why, would a species capable of launching themselves across unimaginable distances in space come to earth to draw pretty patterns in a field? If they have a message, why deliver it in the most obscure means possible? The authors would, I suspect, witter on about how human beings must elevate their intellectual awareness before understanding is possible. I really haven't got enouigh patience to find out if they do. They also mention 'orgone', an energy field that surrounds us, binds the universe together. I feel an urge to extend my light sabre already. Feel the orgone, Caldrail. Remember to spell that correctly. It's complete drivel. It really is. I suppose that condemns me to one side of their divide in society but really this book saddens me. I know modern civilisation has somewhat reduced the mystery of the world with science and so forth. There does seem to be a need inherent in us for some mystery in our lives. For me, wondering why some guy in India thanked Princess Di for attending the Commonwealth Games the other day is mysterious enough. For every mystery, there is someone who will exploit it for their own ends. What is more dangerous than a man bearing answers? A man bearing questions. That's why religion, as a system of organising belief, seeks to suppress our curiosity and set out the framework for us. Take my mother for instance. She's a practising christian. To her, religion is part of her life... No, that's not far enough. It defines her life. Yet although she can play keyboards, ask her to play in free expression. Go ahead, just play something. Jam. Express yourself musically.... But she can't. Without some written music in front of her, the keyboard is silent, static, unable to provide any means of expression whatsoever. Her life is all about duty and Conformance. And that is why she identifies with her religion so readily. Well, I'm not interested in the deep inner meanings of crop circles because as much as you meditate about such mysteries, there is no significant message to find. That might make a few people out raise their eyebrows somewhat, since I'm a spiritualist by choice, but to me there's a difference between wondering at the elegance of an 'interference pattern', admiring its shape and form, or even colour in some cases, and applying some undefined message to it that only the true believer could possibly understand. It's simply another artform, created either for a prank or as a sort of rural grafitti, done for the pleasure of its creation or to enjoy the bafflement of others. There, I think, is the meaning of it. Bye Bye Santa I see a group of German Catholics want Santa Claus condemned to the waste bin of society. he's too commercial. That much I agree with. Modern commerce has reduced the festival to an exercise in satisifying junior greed and materialism. After all, with consumer goods so readily available, the christmas gift has little meaning if it doesn't go beyond the normal purchasing strategy of a family. Instead, the Catholics suggest putting Saint Nicholaus as the patron of benefaction and returning the festival to it's former spirit of communal generosity. Fine words, and indeed, fine intentions, but ultimately what difference is there between Santa Claus and Saint Nicholaus?

Yesterday was a complete suprise. Not that Monday happened you understand, I learned long ago that Mondays are inevitable and crop up on a regular basis. Face it, most Mondays are a terrible experience. Weather turns for the worse automatically as thousands leave their front doors for the start of the working week. No, the suprise yesterday was how nice a Monday this was. The sunshine had a lot to do with it. Unlike a blistering hot summer day, there was a cool, refreshing air to it. As mondays go, this was a lazy, hazy day. Everyone seemed cheerful, calm, happy with their lot except perhaps the mother struggling with her rebellious infant. I have never seen so many birds floating on the water at Queens Park as I strolled through there on my way to the job centre. There were even two foreigners asking me to take their picture together. What? In Swindon? I would have loved to spend my time out there on the Downs, but like everyone else it was back to the daily grind and on with the job searching. That said, I really didn't mind. My claims advisor for the day even summoned me to my signing slot by my much debated title. How can you improve on that? Never before has signing on been such a pleasant and sociable experience. Wow. What a day. Death of an Albanian Superstar The americans have recently lost Tony Curtis. Yesterday we lost Norman Wisdom. He was an actor/comedian who genuinely had a knack for making people laugh. A sort of jolly innocence that saw his films become the only western movies to be allowed to screen in Albania, where he was regarded as a superstar. His style of comedy belonged to an earlier age as Charlie Chaplin confirmed by nominating Wisdom as his favourite clown, and he faded somewhat from public view. Whatever your religious beliefs, it's hard not to smile and wonder if yesterdays warm mood was his passing gift.

Has the mystery of the lowered level of water at Queens Park been solved? I notice workmen are repairing the pavement edge that used to meet the water. To be honest, it did need working on, having collapsed in places, but I found it interesting to notice signs of a previous brick lined edge the current pavement was built on top of. That would mean the lake is usually higher than it was when the lake was first created. Not world shaking shaking news, but hey, do you really want another description of birds floating on the lake? Or do you? For Those Who Like Birds Business as usual. The seabirds are ganging up on individual ducks and generally bullying everything that's not bigger than they are. The geese have settled in after ther holiday away from the lake, and the swans are, well, doing swannish things, like floating past regally as swans do. There. That about covers it. Pic of the Day Our weather has turned for the worse just of late. Caught this pic after the rain had stopped a couple of nights ago. Supercars Galore What with the Paris Motor Show and what have you, the latest supercars are displayed in websites everywhere. Some of them do look rather wonderful don't they? Okay, not everyones private parts are stirred by mobile masterpieces, and if I were being honest, supercars aren't always the prettiest vehicles ever made. Is it just me or are there more supercars than ever? Lotus have introduced six new models for crying out loud, one for every niche market they can possibly think of. So what happened to the fuel crisis? Manufacturers seem to want to go out with a bang. There is one manufacturer that has gotten serious about hybrids. Okay, I know Citreon made a big deal of some concept cars, and very striking vehicles they are too, but you can't plop a wad of cash on a counter at your local dealer and buy one can you? Jaguar on the other hand want to have their electrified, and quite electrifying, supercar for sale. Now there is a serious golf cart.

It's difficult for me to draw conclusions because I know almost nothing about US government. I have this sort of hazy idea of how it works via film and television, which I'm sure is a distortion of the truth. There does seem to be a much higher degree of civic credibility required by the americans. Here in Blighty we are still afflicted by old class-system values which mean that people in authority are somehow better than everyone else. I suspect, apart from a badge of office, that the americans have a much more direct attitude, though I do get the impression that wealth is more of a social marker than in Britain, where we see a measure of reverse snobbery toward those better off.

An interesting suggestion, but bear in mind that seaborne trade across the Channel had existed long before the Romans got involved. In fairness, it is possible that some earlier ships routed to Ireland in ignorance, but once the coasts of Britain and Gaul became well known the shorter route across the narrows must have been the popular choice. After all, links between Britain and the continent had existed right from the days when melting ice first split Britain away, and we know that travellers from Europe were visiting religious sites in Britain four or five thousand years ago. In general, it doesn't seem likely that ships routinely routed toward Ireland, especially since prevailing winds would push them toward southwest england anyhow, and in any case, the abilities of early seamen were suprisingly good. The Romans were exceptional in being poor sailors.

In fairness, european nations expect government assistance because socialist governments want us to and have gotten us used to the idea. It's their means of creating a better society, and requires higher taxes not only to fund these services, but as a means of redistributing wealth to those they see as deserving of that assistance. Also, we have come to expect a somewhat poor performance from those we pay taxes to. That's why the public are currently so apathetic about voting in Britain. What's the point? One government is no worse than another. There is the issue of corruption of course. European politics is known for that and in recent decades civil service honesty in Britain has not improved in any way. There was a guy in the local job centre who was firing off about national riots against injustice in society (though I admit, he had a racial motive) and I had to tell him such riots were not likely to spark anything significant, aside from a few burned cars if it got out of hand in one place or another. In Britain, it's the threat of poor publicity that politicians don't like. Once you start manning the barricades, you're against the law and your cause is cast in that light. What politicians don't like are television reports of angry citizens yelling into loudhailers and using up police budgets on keeping demonstrations civil. For that reason, the governments have become very proficient at disarming such moods.

Thank you all for the goodwill. I am convalescing and hope to make a complete recovery by the end of the week

In as much as the Romans were a society based on martial virtue right from the beginning, I agree, however painting them as the villain in every case distorts history somewhat. Yes, it was a society that was far from perfect, but whose is?

Extremely, and hugely incorrect. Druidism is a foreign import that arrived in Britain around 500BC. The claim of an earlier origin in Britain revolves around the assertion by John Aubrey (and his fellow antiquarians afterward) in the seventeenth century that Avebury Circle was a druidic temple, thus Stonehenge got pulled into this myth. In fact, the builders of Stonehenge and the other megalithic sites in Britain and the atlantic coastal region worshipped an entirely different religion, despite attempts to link Druidism to it. There is absolutely no historical or archaeological evidence to support that claim. That doesn't prevent neo-pagans worshipping their chosen faith, but it is a modern reinvention and a distortion of the original. However, any claim to 'right of worship' at Stonehenge or indeed any other stone circle has no credibility.

One of the advantages of digital broadcasts in the media is that you can watch television on your computer. I was doing that long before Windows 7 came out, so I'm afraid the young lady claiming on the advert that she thought of watching television on her PC and Windows 7 was her idea is talking out of her script. As I'm sure you're aware, staring vacantly at the screen while you rapidly page through the available channels is typical human behaviour. In a state of mental numbness I strayed into the radio channels. I don't bother listening to radio much these days. Current chart music is unbelievably dire. And so much of it is exactly the same as the one you heard before. Remember when the Top Forty contained music? Or do you not want to admit your age? By chance I happened upon Absolute Radio who were doing an 80's program last night. I even forgive them for playing Fleetwood Mac Lookin' out for love. No, that's unfair, it was great to hear some of those old tunes get an airing. How can anyone get tired of Van Halen and their exuberant Jump? It certainly brought back some memories. Hang on a minute... There was something missing... Blast From The Past Back in the eighties I played drums for Red Jasper, just in case anyone hasn't heard about that before. There was one time when we'd gotten a slot at the Mean Fiddler, a somewhat exclusive pub gig in London. That was a major stroke of good fortune for us and we were keen to make an impression. Sadly someone decided we weren't going to, and we barely survived the evening, mostly because the chaotic noise that was coming off the stage was beyond the London crowd's understanding. We understood only too well. It was deliberate sabotage by a sound engineer. Well, that's show business. The following night was another gig in Bristol, our usual stomping ground. Tony and I had gone to a recording studio to collect our singer, who'd decided to leave long before we arrived, and so we made our way into Bristol with the car radio cutting into the irritated silence. "I went to a gig at the Mean Fiddler last night." Said the radio DJ. What? You cannot be serious! Tony and I stared at the radio with open jaws, leaving the car on autopilot. Could this be our big break? A mention on national evening radio? "Saw a really great band..." He continued. Yes? Yes? Please, just one mention... But no, he gave the name of the headlining band. NOOOOO! To say we were gutted was an understatement. But of course that was the entire reason we were nobbled. Someone wanted that headline band to make the impression rather than us knowing full well a Radio One DJ was popping in. So, in order to observe some sense of balance, and to bring some justice to the corrupt world of popular music, I refuse point blank to tell the world who that headline band were. Now I feel better. Especially since they failed too. Advert of the Week One of those cruise ship holidays was advertised last night. Six hundred pounds buys you a chance to live on a floating hotel for a week. Not only that, the holiday company added that they were throwing in a free weeks spending money. Free spending money? I wonder who pays for that?

If the celts had no strong central leadership, where did the 'push' of the Germans come from? Further, although the celtic tribes may have had a similar mindset, there were cultural differences between these tribes. This is something that confounded the Romans. The list of celtic tribes is something that irritated them because they really weren't interested in enthnology to that degree. The division between east and western celts is an artificial one created by the Romans themselves, who for their own convenience lumped the various tribes together as either Gauls or Germans. In fact, the name Germani actually meant "Genuine Celts", thus it might be construed that the Romans created the German identity themselves. For us, the significance here is that the classical sources describe the Galatians as Gauls - the name is derived from the same root word, thus it was the western tribes who spread to Asia Minor. As to whether the Gauls spread outward or were pushed outward, it's as well to realise that the Germans could not have applied cultural pressure to force the Gauls elsewhere unless they had some leadership of their own, as the raids recorded by Julius Caesar across the Rhine were small scale affairs and not intended for territorial conquest. As a major concession to this point, it must be stressed that druids are only mentioned in the context of Britain and Gaul, though it is known that the Galatians had judges who performed the same civic functions, and the Galatans were known for their sacrificial practises such that it was said one should not surrender to them in war. It is possible that the druids were therefore a breakaway sect of these tribal overseers rather than the druids as a universal celtic faction, but that still underpins the view that they were part of a cultural phenomenon.

North African elephants of the species you mention may well have been in the first stages of decline, given their habitat was also dessicating, but I suspect the capture and use of them by human beings (not just the Romans, who were themselves exploitative and hugely damaging to local ecologies) didn't help one jot. There may be other reasons for the decline though that contributed. As for use of elephants by armies, remember these animals require a huge amount of water and forage to remain fighting fit. I doubt the Romans saw them as an economic weapon of war, but rather as unreliable, unwieldy, and ultimately restricting their strategic options, and since the Romans preferred a uniform and focused methofdology in their armies organisation, it was likely that elephants would not be considered as a companent part of the legions, but as more variety in their allies who supplied the skills and features the Romans could not adequately do themselves, and who themselves were no more ready to pay to keep these animals in service.

Maybe, but there's a difference between relating a conversation with someone and describing a geography you're largely ignorant of. The same phenomenon happens even today in countries where world geography is not an important subject. As for Roman presence in Ireland, the evidence is largely circumstancial and might be easily explained by refugees bearing roman goods. There is not, as I understand it, any confirmed evidence of romano-irish settlement of any significance.

Scorn and mockery usually. Except for charity workers of course, who are more often shocked that I even paid them any attention. I won't be down at the supermarket today so I've now idea if this particular lady has been woken from her slumber. I do hope so, otherwise she'll miss the weekend completely.

I spoke too soon. Serves me right I guess, but that doesn't excuse what happened. Last night someone tried to steal or steal from my sorry looking Eunos Cabriolet. It has no steering wheel. It has no gear knob. There's an entire ecology all of it's own thriving inside that vehicle. Moss is growing along the ground each side of the car. And if those clues weren't enough, it has two gaping holes in the roof marking the previous attempts by larcenous youths to steal whatever they could. So why did this idiot try it last night? Too much alcohol? Now there's a broken window on the drivers side. Glass all over the seat. Call me optimistic, but maybe the next spotty animal who wants to commit damage or theft might realise there isn't any point. Normally I would have phoned the police. Reported the damage as indeed they ask us law abiding citizens to do. Except I won't won't bother. Because they aren't going to either. It's raining, so they can't take fingerprints. It's a disused vehicle so it doesn't rate as important. And in any case, the police have made it clear they don't believe a single word I said to them. I mean, everyone knows car windows break by themselves, eh? Talking About Thieves I cannot believe what I just heard. Ed Milliband, the new hopeful Labour Party leader, has said he would be willing to put taxes up again, even more than the previous government did. Is he nuts? Has he not noticed that if people havene't got enough money in their pockets to buy consumer goods, shops go out of business. More people claiming unemployment benefits. And bigger bills to pay, which means ever bigger tax rises. The man is a bona fide idiot. Vote Labour? I think not. Thieves don't rate highly in my opinions just right now. We Need A Hero It comes to something when you realise that Bonnie Tyler was actually a prophetess. She needed a hero decades ago, but Swindon could do with one now. As Swindon resembles Gotham City more and more, a caped vigilante making sure villains get there comuppance is a great idea. So I was hugely pleased to see that a company in America is building replicas of the 1966 Batman car, the bewinged wonder that used to burst out of a roadside cave along to a thrilling music score. My childhood addiction to the camp sixties series has definitely scarred me for life. Already I'm having a relapse, savouring the mental image of blasting down the local high street with a flamethrower out the back (which works ion the replicas too, I see) But my dreams will come to nothing. As soon as Eddy Baby gets into power, cars will be taxed off the road. Who will save Swindon from the forces of Larceny then?

But the Gaulish migrants to Phrygia (and earlier sources refer to galatians as 'gallo-graeci') arrived in the same expansion that brought Brennus to Rome, albeit a little later (understandably). When a warrior culture expands rapidly across a region, it's because the internal differences have been sorted in some way. Without a strong central leadership, the tribes simply argue among themselves. This isn't a purely celtic phenomenon, it applies to all warrior peoples. It is noticeable the expansion began after the druid movement assumes religious authority in Gaul. The emergence of druids predates the expansion into asia by about a century or two, at a time when malmudian law had been established, and the classic druid as we understand them had become part of gallic culture. There is every reason to believe the druids went with them.

Hmmm... To me that sounds more like intelligence gathered from traders, speculatores, exploratores, or in a few cases meetings with individuals from that area. It doesn't really convey any sense of military adventure and Agricola's estimate of a single legion required for conquest is a little less than carefully considered, don't you think?

She was there this morning as well. Poor girl, no-one thought to revive when the shop closed. Actually she did stiffen with trepidation when I walked past today. One gets the feeling awe doesn't come into it

'Twas a cold and eerie night. I looked out the back window in the early hours and a dark open sky seemed to be relatively shy of revealing stars. Down in the valley, the urban spawl was in the clutches of a thick mist, glowing a dull orange from the street lights. It looked very gothic and mysterious, and without the usual soundtrack of traffic light grand-prix's, arguments with windows and lamp posts, or the salute to football team affiliation in song, the mood was perfect. So I went to bed, safe in the knowledge that it was unlikely anyone was going to try and steal my car again, or that the neighbours would have a late night argument just to round off the evening. Swindon was strangely quiet when in fact, we do have a couple of things to shout about... He Who Monopolises Wins Another series of The Apprentice is due on our screens. After seeing the hapless antics of supposedly high flying success stories I have to wonder how people have the sheer gall to announce themselves as the best businessperson since sliced bread, but that's the point of the show isn't it? If they were all organised and perfect there wouldn't be any entertainment. The reason I mention it is that Swindon has an entrant. Despite a publicity photograph that makes the young lad look five months pregnant, he claims to be ruthless at playing Monopoly. Well, I guess that qualifies him for a six figure contract, doesn't it? Judging from the photo he also needs sunlight desperately. A visit to London will do him good. Bless. At a tender age of twenty two young Mister Raleigh Addington claims he's also the best salesmen around. Call me a doubting Thomas if you will, but what has he sold, exactly? A few cards on a board game? I have a sneeking suspicion that Newcastle has enough coal, the arabs have enough oil, and that eventually Sir Alan will have enough of his boasting and fire him for having a wiltshire accent and a dodgy haircut. I know, it's easy to poke fun and criticise, but if you want to go on television and make a name for yourself in the public eye that goes with the territory. A part of me wishes him well in his forthcoming efforts to reduce Sir Alan to apoplexy, and let's face it, you just know he's going to be an excruciatingly hopeless entrant who blames everyone else. We'll see. A Third Place For Swindon Another Swindoner is in the news. Good grief, whatever next? Anyone would think this was a happening town. This chap is a balloonist, and narrowly lost the World Championship for long distance ballooning. Apparently they get one fill-up of hydrogen and away they go, letting gas out to descend, and throwing ballast over the side to ascend, in true Phileas Fogg fashion. In fairness, although our lads didn't go round the world in eighty days, they managed to drop litter from a height across Europe and finally came down in Serbia, and I wish Mr Hempleman Adams and his team mate my hearty congratulations for at least trying.

Druids weren't wiped out by the attack on Mona in ad59. Their political power was broken and Claudius had them banned, but they persisted in the background and druids are mentioned at least once in Scotland during the early Dark Age. The Irish sagas that mention druids were first written in the 7th and 8th centuries and portray the druids role as declining. Further, all classical sources that mnention druids invariably describe them as gauls, regardless of the British connection, and the strong persistence of gallic culture in Galatia (as described by Barry Cincliffe) would indeed involve druidic oversight. Please be aware that whilst the druids had a system of belief, they were more a class of wise men with communal power. The rites mentioned in the sources are mostly gallic, not druidic, and it's mentioned that the druids regulated rites and would not permit the sacrifice of a human being unless they were present to officiate over it. Human sacrifice for the purposes of divination was a gallic phenomenon, not a druidic one, and the 'wicker-man' burnings described by Julius Caesar and others have no correlation in archaeology. Whilst Diogenes Laertius may or may not be a dodgy source, he isn't saying anything different about druids than was related by other writers. Where the iron age gauls went, so did their priests, and noticeably the gallic migration to Britain around 500BC corresponds to the creation of Malmudian Law, the 248 triads of rules, regulations, and customs expected of subject peoples. The Druids listed their original heroes from this time as well. Dunwal Malmud, the inventor and lawmaker (and reputedly related to Brennus, the warrior who sacked Rome in 390BC), Prydain, the 'conqueror' of Britain, and Hu the Mighty. Whether such individuals were real people is impossible to say, but notice it was an aggressive expansion from gallic Europe that spurred the druidic connection, thus the arrival of gauls in their expansionist period into Phrygia almost certainly had druids among them.

Why? Why did they do it? Why did they make Ed Milliband leader of the Labour party? He makes you wince every time he stands in front of a microphione. It isn't the first time the Labour Party have made an odd choice. Remember Michael Foot? Probably a great guy, but not the man future prime ministers are made of. Politics is a funny game sometimes and I can't help wondering if the sole reason Eddy Baby got the job was to stop his oolder brother David from achieving his ambition. He was disappointed, a natural reaction, and gossip indicates he might quit frontline poltics altogether, and now I see a news report that sharp eyed cameraman has caught him making a barbed comment about his younger brother. Hell hath no fury than a politican thwarted. After David Millibands public love affair with Hilary Clinton it looked sort of certain didn't it? But then, he was in Gordon Browns government, and that I suspect is exactly what the Labour party didn't want. Standing On The Corner That's enough politics. You can only swallow so much of that in one day. So I switch the television off and instead of people standing for parliament, I see people standing on street corners. One chap in particular caught my attention. There's an asian lad who works for one of the fast food outlets at the bottom of the hill. He spends his day positioning a placard displaying all the low low prices for burgers and other fat inducing nourishment so that passing motorists can see the offers and think how great it would be to stop and eat them if only they didn't have to drive through this road road junction on their way elsewhere. Come to think of it, there's a sandwich bar in town that has an employee stand all day long holding a sign saying sandwich bar this way. Maybe it's just me, but one wonders if their loaction isn't working for them. Standing Still I'm not interested. Instead I'll get better value for money at my local supermarket, and as it happens I do need a few things this week. It so happens I spotted a rather attractive young woman standing at the exit promoting a charity. I confess I can't remember which one, but I'm sure you understand. Usually in circumstances like this I can't resist the temptation to have a quick flirt. Can you imagine what I'm going to be like when I get old? I always said I wanted to grow old disgracefully. Funny thing is though I wasn't tempted. She was stood absolutely stock still, frozen, static, looking for all the world like a wax dummy. Perhaps she copes with terminal boredom by entering a state of hibernation, but how odd that it put me off completely. Just a little eye contact. A welcoming smile. I might even have popped a few pennies in the slot. What a lost opportunity.

Nephele, no, don't do it, don't fall into the conspiracy of the evil wiki's. You who opened my eyes and made me see what a threat to sincere and accurate history the high priests of the Wikipedia can be. Do not fall under their spell and surrender to the hordes of public information gatherers. Or does this mean I can quote from Wikipedia again?