Saturday, May 10, 2008

Burma Cyclone

Not usually my habit to use this blog for such things, but if you're wanting to help but all the reports of obstruction from the Burmese authorities is bothering you, it seems Shelter Box have managed to already get in and distribute their first boxes. No affiliation, just if you're looking for someone who's actually making a difference instead of a point...

Oh, and it's not entirely off topic - there are tools in the box!

And because unfortunately the comments aren't sorted by date, those of you who may be interested in more info on the "#2" turned into a scrub way back in the mists of time, might want to go and see the latest info BugBear has found. Can't believe he didn't buy it for 50p with the box. Sheesh. Picky, picky...

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Buon giorno

Or for those of you, like me, who can't speak a word of Italian - Good Day. Thursday seems, inadvertently, to be becoming my Good Day to blog. Dunno why, but there we go.

For those of you who do speak Italian, you might already be familiar with the woodworking forum Il Truciolo. Well a charming, but evidentally insane, gentleman from there by name of Antonino asked whether he could translate some of my reviews into Italian for the site and being the easily-flattered pawn that I am, I said "okay". And behold, the first one is now available. Unfortunately you'll have to register to see it, and the nature of the forum software is such that translating stuff if you're not fluent in Italian is a bit tricky, but should you be interested... 

As ever, English is comprehensively knocked into a cocked hat by the sheer beauty imparted to any phrase when written or spoken in a more poetic tongue. Viz; doth not:

"Per cominciare, devo confessare che non sono un grande utilizzatore di scrub plane"

sound a lot better than:

"Right up front, I must confess I’m not a great user of scrub planes"?

Heck, I can practically hear the famous "utilizzatore di scrub plane" aria wowing the audience at Covent Garden. Mind you I've been hearing a lot of strange things lately; time to increase the medication again methinks... ;-)