the week

dave bogle


SITE SEARCH
HOME
ARCHIVES

NEWS
LEAD STORY
REVIEW

PERSONAL
MY CV
SCHOOL PHOTOS

ARTS
HOME PAGE
COPYRIGHT LAW
60'S CHARTS
70'S CHARTS
80'S CHARTS
ARTIST OF MONTH
ART ON THE WEB

CHESS
ENDGAME PROGRAM
CHESS ON THE WEB

SCRIPTS
DOMINOES
YANKEES ETC

MATHS & SCIENCE
HOME PAGE
MEDICAL
PUZZLES
MYTHS
HANDS OF BRAG
HANDS OF POKER





© dw bogle 2002

21 Oct 2002
 
Improving Nature?
On the left, Michael Jackson appearing in court last week.
  Plastic surgeons who have seen this and other recent photos are saying that he appears to have had at least 5 surgical reshapings of his nose alone, and that quite apart from the psychological aspects, repeated operations like this are medically dangerous;  for with each intervention, the blood supply to the area decreases, and the risk of scarring and infection increases.

On the right, Jocelyne Wildenstein, sometimes unkindly known as the Bride of Wildenstein.   She was a (very beautiful) Swiss girl who married Alec Wildenstein, heir to a $10bn art fortune.   Then came her forties, and she decided that she was losing her looks and that Alec's eye might start wandering.   So she had plastic surgery, and the initial results pleased her.   So she had more, and more, and more again.  Now she has lost not only her husband, but also her looks.

The saddest irony of all is that with that sort of money the odd flaw in your natural looks probably doesn't matter too much: my guess is that with a billion or two in the bank there will be a whole queue of people who find you a fascinating person - "just for yourself, of course, and not for your money".  Sometimes you've got to suspect that money twists people's minds.


Unselfishness
You don't need billions to have a twisted mind, of course.   Here's a couple of stories I found in the American Press (Oh yes, I
do get around):

From The Times-Picayune, New Orleans
Herbert Toney, 36, and Latisha Washington, 29, were arrested in October in St. Bernard Parish, just outside New Orleans, and face several charges including deserting their 8-year-old son. According to police, the couple instructed the son to go into a Winn Dixie supermarket and steal groceries and beer. When a security guard stopped him, the boy pointed out his parents nearby, but Toney and Washington matter-of-factly denied knowing the kid and walked away. Deputies brought the couple in again a while later, but Washington said only that maybe she had seen the boy around the neighborhood a few times. Finally, she admitted he was hers.

From CBS News
New York City landlord Denise M. Lyman announced she would not allow the family of Sep 11 victim Danielle Kousoulis into Danielle's old apartment to secure DNA to help detect her remains
- because Danielle had breached her Sep 01 2001 lease by failing to give three months' notice before "abandoning" the apartment.


 
PROPERTY WITH PARKING

If you want to buy a new home, how about moving to Bowcombe Creek in Devon?  The property's an ordinary double garage - and it's priced at £135,000.   The price comes from the small chance that you might get planning permission to turn it into a house.  Could be a bit "parky" in the winter!


Jennifer Lopez's Nipples
Seems there's some guy paid to tweak Jennifer Lopez's nipples. He's a
n aide to Ms Lopez, and one of his duties is to make sure the nipples are in prime condition when she's getting photographed.


Well, I suppose somebody's got to do these jobs.
THIS WEEK'S QUOTES
All Rise!
Usher opening the court enquiry into Viagra on the NHS.

Last night I dreamt of the 3rd person singular pluperfect subjunctive.
Ann Widdecombe in an article. If she really does dream about Latin grammar then she's got to get out more. 

Volunteers for the Widdecombe job, please.  I'm sorry I can't do it myself, as I'm already committed to any Lopez vacancy that comes up.



 
TERROR ALERTS

Government ministers have taken to issuing vague warnings about terrorism.  Why are they doing this?  It only causes alarm, and in default of actual advice from the Government - like watching out for unattended baggage - there's just nothing the ordinary citizen can do.

I seriously wonder if they're scared that in the event of a terrorist attack, some people will blame them for not giving warnings. But what can the government say? Don't come to London?  Run a mile if you see an Arab?  Of course not.  People need to be reminded of sensible security precautions - and to be informed of any credible and specific alerts - but scaring them to death with vague warnings just isn't on.




HOLY CHAPATI
Thousands of pilgrims are flocking to a church in India to what they believe is the image of Christ on a chapati.

From stories of  Mother-Teresa-in-a-bun to St-Peter-in-a-toadstool, there seems no limit to people's credulity.

Do these people really believe that God reveals himself to the world through burnt chapatis?