Let me out

Want a summary of the British summer so far? From the Met Office:

Headline: Heavy rain clearing, then sunshine and blustery heavy showers.

Today: Some heavy rain at first ... some sunshine, but also blustery showers, and some of these will be heavy with a risk of thunder ... Maximum temperature 21 °C.

Tonight: Heavy showers ... increasingly windy ... Minimum temperature 11 °C.

Wednesday: Very unsettled and windy with showers or longer spells of rain, these especially heavy in the morning ... risk of gales for a time. Maximum temperature 21 °C.

Thursday to Saturday: It will remain very unsettled with sunshine and showers on Thursday and Friday, with more prolonged spells of rain and brisk winds.

Sunday to Tuesday: Initially it will remain unsettled with either showers or longer spells of rain, some of which will be heavy. Northern areas are most likely to experience the heaviest rain...

You get the picture. Welcome to the British Summer.

I'm hating this. 4 crummy Summers in a row (punctuated, of course, by miserable, cold, wet Winters). I get such infrequent sun-time that I'm starting to feel like I live underground. And these people, the Brits, keep talking about ... wait for it ... droughts. BWAHAHAHA! While there's flooding going on! Hey, let's say you take some of these billions of gallons of water falling on your heads and, instead of letting it flood your towns -- oh I don't know -- channel it into reservoirs?

The Romans gave up on this place nearly 2000 years ago, but I wish they were still in charge. They'd have figured all this out by now.

I don't blame them for being miserable here, though. I'd have gone back to Rome too.

Stupid headline of the day

Courtesy of Canoe (it wouldn't be the first time, either):

You mean like in the developed world? In 2008? Uhhh.. yes?

Next question?

Pedantic, me

It's a pet peeve of mine: when people pronounce Iraq as "eye rack". Do you also pronounce the name of that boot-shaped country as "eye tally"? Listen, it's "ih rock" or "ee rock". If you're going to invade and occupy it, and can't be bothered to learn where it is on the map, at least pronounce the name correctly, alright?

I'm okay, you're not okay

Israel warns on Iran nuclear aims

Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz has warned that Iran is near a breakthrough in its nuclear programme.

Perhaps Israel would have more credibility on this subject if it were to come clean about its own nuclear arsenal?

Speaking on a visit to Washington, Mr Mofaz said it was "unacceptable" for Iran to become a nuclear power.

But it's okay for Israel to be one, because...?

It seems funny to me that the most vociferous opponents of nuclear proliferation turn a blind eye to (or even help) their allies' activities, and actively maintain their own arsenals. Do as I say, not as I do.

Who can blame Iran for ignoring the criticism of such hypocrites?