Mostly poppies and mothers

[spudtater]

So, I've got my poppy now. It wasn't an easy decision as to whether to get a red or a white poppy, or even to wear one at all. On the one hand, I hear that red poppies are being used as a pro-war declaration these days ("support our boys!"), which angers me. If anything, they should convey the opposite sentiment. On the other hand, profits from the white poppies do not go to the people they should go to (partly, yes, because of the wrongheadedness of the British legion charity). And the people who the money does go to uses the funds for such purposes as campaining against toy weapons in schools, which is exactly the kind of well-meaning yet repressive socialism up with which I will not put. My final decision was silly, but it works: I bought a red poppy so that the money goes to the right people, and then I tippexed it white to convey my preferred message.

Anyway, I did this in the pub, which had the unintended effect of annoying peerietrows' and becksinthecity's mother. Now, I respect the right of people to have any opinion they like, but not if they're not going to listen to my opinion in return. She turned out to be one of those people who argue a point by not letting you get a word in edgewise. However, I'll give the woman the benefit of the doubt and assume she was merely a little too tipsy to engage in thoughtful conversation. But my apologies for setting her off, in any case.

I seem to have caught motheritis myself; my mother announced one of her mad spur-of-the-moment decisions today and is in Edinburgh right this moment. Must wake up at a reasonable time tomorrow and think of Things To Do with her. Mrrrrgh. Alex is too lazy for this. *grump* *grump*
At least she's approve of my poppy; she owns one of those 'pace' flags, which should convey to you her general political stance. (Bloody hippie generation...)   8^)

Oh, and on a random note: silly arm tricks. Put your right arm out straight in front of you with your palm downwards. Keeping your wrist and elbow straight, lift your arm in an arc to end pointing upwards. Now swing it down in an arc to end pointing straight out to your right. Now swing it left in an arc to end straight forwards again. Look at the orientation of your wrist... weird, ne? Now wonder about it as you repeat the motions again...   8^)