Author: Londonbear

One Downing Street press officer described the death of the Queen Mother as a “very good day...

Too often the stories coming out of Africa are bad news. There is much to concern us. The ongoing situation in Darfur where violence against refugees is re-emerging food shortages and acute starvation in countries affected by drought or insect infestation and not least the man-made disaster that is Zimbabwe. In the middle of this there is a small piece of news that shows not all the countries are in an impossible mire. Yesterday the International Monetary Fund declared one’s economy too strong for it to qualify for IMF aid any longer.

Exactly 200 years ago a notorious English adulterer died.  From a weedy boy he had grown to a 5ft 4inch high adult who was seasick whenever he sailed. He had openly set up home with his mistress and even took the cuckolded husband on their trips to Wales. Despite losing an arm and the sight in one eye he led a naval force chasing enemy fleets across the Atlantic from Europe to the West Indies and back to southern Spain. Despite having fewer ships with about half the guns of the opposing fleet, his final battle went down as one of the major naval victories in British history and arguably its influence even extends to modern shipping laws.  

I am of course speaking of Admiral Lord Nelson. The defeat of the combined French and Spanish fleets at Cape Trafalgar, just outside Cadiz put paid to any plans Napoleon had to invade Britain. At the end of the battle virtually all the usable battleships in the French and Spanish navies had been destroyed or captured. Two centuries later warships from the three nations jointly marked the anniversary by releasing wreaths on the waters that saw the deaths of so many brave sailors. It’s worth examining how the battle progressed and the victory was achieved because there are lessons that can be drawn for today in Iraq.

Note the vacant simean stare that results from an immature brain. This poor specimen has only just become aware of his surroundings and has been damaged from an over-attentive mother.

And this young hamadryas baboon has had his hair licked off with some excessive tender loving care by his mother.

Reggie was born at Paignton Zoo, Devon, England three weeks ago, weighing 18oz (510g) with a normal covering of hair.

A zoo spokesman said: “Mostly they’re born hairy and stay hairy, but in this case the mother has been over-zealous.”

Phil Knowling added: “It will grow back and he will be fine, but he is a baboon curiosity at the moment.”

No information is available on whether the Washington chimp will recover but informed sources strongly doubt it.

Boeing and Bell Helicopters have issued an apology for an advertisement in the National Journal, a...