Yummy Wakame Weblog

US commander orders staff to attend Christmas party
The commander of a US base near Southampton UK has warned staff they face disciplinary action if they miss their Christmas party, saying they’ll lose pay if they miss the party tonight. (even though they have already forked out £5 for the dinner.)

In a memo to staff, he wrote: “If you feel like I am trying to force FUN upon you, then you are correct. Let me make it clear that every employee’s duty on December 19 is the Base Christmas Party.

Pointing out that the party was being held during normal working hours, he said: “If we are having a Christmas party on our installation and people are getting paid to be here then I want them at the party and don’t want them just sitting in a lounge. I was told that last year some people were not involved in the party at all so what I’m trying to do is get everyone involved this year.”

One British member of staff said: “No consideration has been given to those who do not celebrate Christmas due to their religion or choice.”

Britain is already home to 10 percent of the entire world’s close circuit television (CCTV) cameras. By 2007 it will have 25 million of them – one camera spying on every two adults in Britain.

How many in the country are aware of just how often their own movements are tracked by roadside speed cameras, new travel passes and satellites?

The introduction of electronic tollgates designed to curb the number of cars coming into London’s crowded streets has led to the installation of around 800 cameras to catch motorists who do not pay their daily £5 “congestion charge”. Across the country there are a further 5000 police traffic radars, set up to catch overhasty drivers, and their number is increasing.

“If anyone had told me two years ago that we would soon be in a position where it would be normal for many of us to be under 24-hour a day surveillance, I would have told them not to be ridiculous. But now it looks like happening.”

Scarlett – Cat of the Century
A mother cat pulled her five kittens to safety from a blazing abandoned building in Brooklyn (USA), badly scorching herself. Read her amazing story.

What a sweet thing to do…

Lucy Beale has made Cats Reunited
A site listing lost cats and found cats in Brighton, Hove, Portslade, Shoreham by Sea and other areas of East Sussex. Includes info on local rescue centres, vets and road victims.

Are you so good at Pictionary nobody wants to play with you anymore?
iSketch. Be happy.

All I want for christmas…

USB Christmas Tree
• Compatible with any computer with built-in USB port.
• No batteries required
• 6 colours
• Plug-and-play

Season’s Beatings everyone!

(found on ToOhEyWoRlD)

Wow – this is a blast from the past! Remember Logo Programming in primary/junior school? I had no idea its still available and its a free download. MSW Logo for windows and UCBLogo for Linux.

What is LOGO?

“Reports that say that something hasn’t happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don’t know we don’t know.”

United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, winner of this year’s Plain English Campaign Foot in Mouth Award.
(as seen on the webshite)

Is it the fatlazybastard gene or the stupid gene?

Fast food ‘used to wean babies‘
“British parents are putting junk food such as burgers in the blender to feed to their babies, a BBC Six O’Clock News investigation has found.”

And they wonder why their kids can’t learn in school and grow up into such revolting bad-tempered fat pimply brats. The mind boggles.