From perhaps the most inspirational spontaneous speech I have heard made during my lifetime:

…Finally, I wish to speak directly to those who came to London today to take life.

I know that you personally do not fear giving up your own life in order to take others—that is why you are so dangerous. But I know you fear that you may fail in your long-term objective to destroy our free society and I can show you why you will fail.

In the days that follow look at our airports, look at our sea ports and look at our railway stations and, even after your cowardly attack, you will see that people from the rest of Britain, people from around the world will arrive in London to become Londoners and to fulfil their dreams and achieve their potential.

They choose to come to London, as so many have come before because they come to be free, they come to live the life they choose, they come to be able to be themselves. They flee you because you tell them how they should live. They don’t want that and nothing you do, however many of us you kill, will stop that flight to our city where freedom is strong and where people can live in harmony with one another. Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail.

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London
7th July, 2005

BBC: London beats Paris to 2012 Games
The 2012 Olympic Games will be held in London, the International Olympic Committee has announced.

Great news! Magic mustard!

Doesn’t this mean, as host nation, we get to choose some new sports to trial in the 2012 games? Preferably very obscure sports that we’re really good at.

Personally, I think we should choose darts, pub crawling, and missing at penalties. What do you reckon?

Postscript: It’s uncanny. I’m in league with the devil, I tell you. A reader points out:

BBC: Sporting reaction to 2012 verdict

…As the newest recognised sport, darts, under the guidance of the British Darts Organisation, pledges its wholehearted support for the Olympic Games in London and would be proud to be considered as the host nation’s ‘invitation sport’ in 2012.

British Darts Organisation chief, Olly Croft

I caught the end of a radio documentary called The Real Frasiers as I was driving home on Friday. It was about psychiatrists who host radio talk shows.

One psychiatrist they interviewed stated that having a caller commit suicide on air would be an ordeal he would not wish on his worst enemy.

From this, I concluded that this particular radio talk show psychiatrist’s worst enemy is another radio talk show psychiatrist.

What are the odds of that, do you reckon?

I’ll tell you what’s stupid: when you raise your glass to someone and say something nice about them, it’s called a toast—even though there is absolutely no toast involved.

Wouldn’t it make a lot more sense to raise a piece of toast?

Someone should do something.

See also: Toasts

BBC: Kissinger regrets India comments

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has expressed regret over anti-India comments he made to former US President Richard Nixon.

“The Indians are bastards,” Mr Kissinger said shortly before the India-Pakistan war of 1971, it was revealed this week.

Mr Kissinger also called former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi a “bitch” during the conversation.

That was future Nobel Peace Laureate (no, really), Henry Kissinger, speaking, in case you were wondering.

As I pulled Murphy up outside the house this evening in order to open the drive gate, a bus passed by in the opposite direction. Thinking I had pulled up to let him pass through a narrow gap, the driver waved at me and mouthed the words “Thank you”. So I waved back and mouthed the words “You’re welcome!”

I can be a shameless fraud at times.