Anti-War Sentiment
Ladeez and Gennnlemen….
With a link found, ohhh flippin everywhere.. I give you… Observations from a reluctant anti-warrior.
Month: February 2003
St.Valentine’s Day
“Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.”
Today St.Valentine’s Day has become a card-fest and has lost almost every piece of it’s romantic beginnings.
Find out more about the History of St.Valentine’s.
Fate
“…And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself, and curse my fate…”
So who should nip onto my carriage of the train last night and sit directly behind me? Why it’s Loud Woman and a friend of hers. Sounded like they had been for dinner and some wine. Well that’s all I could guess during the sonic battering my eardrums took.
And, having left the house all of two minutes later than normal, who should I find myself walking behind on the way up the station platform this morning… why look everybody, it’s Sauntering Woman.
I am cursed.
P.S. Despite claims to the contrary, Loud Woman is not Gert – although I was a tad worried when she got on the train last night.. Loud Woman that is, I wouldn’t really expect Gert to get on my local train…
OOPS
Look at the time. Should really head home I think… maybe a bag of chips on the way…
Train Station
Continuing yesterday’s theme, I was thinking this morning about my people watching habits, and the regular cast of players that make up my morning journey to work. It’s like the station platform is split into groups of similarly thinking people, why do I always stand halfway up the platform then, after checking we are getting six carriages and not three as the train pulls round the corner, do I start walking further up the platform. I’m not the only one who does this, there is a regular group of us:
- Sauntering Woman. Looks like she would’ve been described as ‘gangly’ when she was a child, this middle-aged woman takes her time walking up the platform. To say she saunters is generous, it’s more like a funeral march, including that little pause between steps. Mind you it is quite amusing to watch her as she collects more and more people behind her as she weaves her way up the platform.
- Short Hair Ladies Club. A group of thirty-something women who seemingly either all visit the same hairdresser, or read the same hairstyle magazines. Is there a name for this hairstyle? The tomboy look? Urchin look? I think you know the one I mean.
- Loud Woman. She meets every morning with what I can only presume to be work colleagues (the uniform is a bit of a give away, which was surprising as I thought they would’ve charged something). She talks loudly. About nothing. All the way to Glasgow. She is on the far reaches of our little ‘halfway up the platform’ group but I’m pretty sure that everyone in the surrounding neighbourhood can hear here. I’ve yet to sit in the same carriage as her for fearing of being arrested.
- Greasy, Pushy, Civil Servant Man. Not a strict member of the group as he gets on at a different station but still a regular, annoying feature. Mid-30s, shoulder length lank hair that always looks like it needs washing. He will happily push the elderly and infirm out of the way to get his seat. No seriously, on a homeward bound journey (always busier than in the mornings) he was asked by another passenger to give up his seat for a heavily pregnant woman who had just managed to squeeze into the carriage. The little shit said “Why should I?” before he sighed heavily and got up.
- The Grumpy Man, ohh no hang on, that’s me…
Quite the little focus group aren’t we, although I’ll admit to being slightly disturbed about this. After all, while I don’t know these people, but I do judge them on their looks, I wonder what they think of me?
Voicing my opinion
Over at the kitchentable, Stuart is able to name who does the train announcements for a couple of rail stations (or thinks he can anyway). It got me thinking about the ‘new’ voice of Scotrail. You see they’ve started running new trains, with nice LED displays of which train you are on, armrests for most people, etc etc. You also get a ladies voice telling you which stop is next.
Trouble is she sounds like… a Senga. I apologise to non-Scots, but hopefully any Scottish readers will know what I mean (and any of them called Senga won’t take offence, well they will, but it’s too late now).
You see the voice sounds like they stopped a 15 year old lass in the street after picking her carefully from the way she chews her chewing gum, is wearing 14 ‘gold’ necklaces, 27 bracelets on one arm and pushing her 3 year old twins in their pram whilst her man (aged 16 if he’s lucky) tells the kids to ‘shut the f*ck up’ as he’s ‘had enough of their whiny mouth crap’.
I’m just waiting for the day when her automated voice tells us to “C’mon, git aff…” *
Or maybe I’m just commenting on the young couple who I saw as I walked to the station last night.
* Seemingly this phrase originated from the clippies on Glasgow trams, causing much hilarity as people paused, mid-step, unsure where to get on or off the tram.. seemingly.