Our caravan pitch.
Have a stroll into town to the local butchers and the sewage farm – supermarket with that Dior fragrance of eau de sewage.
We manage to escape a downpour that would do even America credit. There and back and not a drop on us.
For the evening we binge out on Suits and I’m on the wagon – hard work.
Overnight we have the joys of downpours playing a drum tattoo on our roof.
This is a new section in my blog. I’m sick as a a parrot listening to our bed wetting PC politicians saying “that these violent terrorist attacks are nothing to do with Islam”. They’re in denial. Islamic fundamentalists are at war with the West. There is a serious problem and we need action not platitudes, candle lit vigils, flowers or other fine words.
Pointing out some of the hateful aspects of the teachings and issues with the Quran is not the same thing as hating Muslims. In any civilised debate, it should be possible to critique an ideology without immediately being accused of nursing a burning hatred towards those who hold to that ideology. Ideas and people are separate things. What follows should, therefore, be read as an indictment of the teachings of orthodox Islam and should certainly not be seen as an expression of ill will towards individual Muslims.
How Can A God, A Supreme Being, Change His Mind?
Wendy in Cherbourg.
Here we have a supposed supreme being, all wise, all knowing, who can see the future and yet he changes his mind. Doesn’t sound like a supreme being to me rather like a women changing what to wear on a bad hair day. How can the Quran have any credibility.
Here are the actual Quranic verses that reference abrogation. All quotes are from Dawood’s English Translation of the Quran.[7]
2:106: “If We abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten, We will replace it by a better one or one similar….”
13:39: “God abrogates and confirms what He pleases. His is the Decree Eternal.”
17:86: “If We pleased We could take away that which We have revealed to you:..”
16:101 “When We change one verse for another (God knows best what He reveals), they say: “You are an impostor….”
In an attempt to polish Islam’s image, Muslim activists usually quote verses from the Quran that were written in the early days of the Islamic movement while Mohammed lived in Mecca. Those passages make Islam appear loving and harmless because they call for love, peace and patience. Such is a deception. The activists fail to tell gullible apologists that such verses, though still in the Quran, were nullified, abrogated, rendered void by later passages that incite killing, decapitations, maiming, terrorism and religious intolerance. The latter verses were penned while Mohammed’s headquarters was based in Medina. In deed some of these later verses seem to magically come down from Allah in time to justify Mohamed’s sexual and other selfish earthly needs.
Cherbourg harbour.
A pleasant day and not a drop of rain on us.
More Suits in the evening topped off with a lovely bottle of St Estephe. Mind you I can see a major marital bust up if Wendy continues to try drinking MY wine. Really worrying if she like a St Estephe and doesn’t just spit it out as vinegar. I think it’s all down to her having read an article saying red wine is good for you, that’s bought the hypochondriac out in her.
Driving around Normandy makes you appreciate the sacrifices made during the D-Day Landings, some of those brave men, having made the supreme sacrifice with their lives. Oh so many of them were so young. Thank you.
Cherbourg – Place de Big Nose.
A: He was declared to be in Seine.
Q: Did you hear about the winner of the French beauty contest?
A: Me neither.
Q: What do you call an Frenchman in the knockout stages of the World Cup?
A: A Referee.
Q: What do you call a Frenchman advancing on Baghdad?
A: A salesman.
Q: Where can you find 60,100,000 French jokes?
A: In France.
Clausius Clapeyron equation – I’m sure everyone’s fascinated.
Well it turns out that using the Clausius-Clapeyron equation, scientists have established that for every degree the world’s average sea surface temperature rises, the atmosphere’s water content should rise by 7 per cent.
Sea surface temperature graph. Nerdy.
Decide to move pitch. Existing pitch is like a mud bath trench in the Somme – we’ll be getting trench foot at this rate. To top it all we’ve just found out it doesn’t get any sun after lunch – taken this long as we only really saw the sun yesterday. Fortunately our intended pitch is just across the road and the mover does an excellent job.
Then it’s a lazy day. Most exertion comes from a bike ride around the site. Amazed how big this site is.
Dot, Barrie and puss arrive. They come round for dinner and drinks.
True Origins of the Qur’an
A survey was conducted by ICM Research for the Channel 4 documentary, “What British Muslims Really Think,”.
The 615-page survey found that more than 100,000 British Muslims sympathise with suicide bombers and people who commit other terrorist acts. Moreover, only one in three British Muslims (34%) would contact the police if they believed that somebody close to them had become involved with jihadists.
And of course none of them was anything to do with Islam!
On social issues, 52% of the Muslims surveyed said they believe homosexuality should be illegal, compared to 22% of non-Muslim Britons. Nearly half believe it is unacceptable for a gay or lesbian to teach their children. At the same time, almost a third (31%) of British Muslims think polygamy should be legalized. Among 18-to-24-year-olds, 35% think it is acceptable to have more than one wife.
Thirty-nine percent of Muslims surveyed believe women should always obey their husbands, compared to 5% for non-Muslims – see it’s not all bad. One in three British Muslims refuse completely to condemn the stoning of women accused of adultery.
The poll also found that a fifth of British Muslims have not entered the home of a non-Muslim in the past year.
Of the British Muslims surveyed, 35% believe Jewish people have too much power in the UK, compared to 8% of non-Muslims.
Lazy morning. After lunch Wendy and I, yes we get Wendy out on Dots bike, go for a bike ride. There’s a great dedicated cycle path all the way to Caranten. Proper path not a UK dotted white line version. We don’t make it all the way but have a pleasant hours ride.
In the evening we go round to Dot and Barrie’s for drinks. Barrie’s bought some Calvados for us to try. Interesting brandy, we need to go on our Calvados tasting expedition.
Southpark put prophet muhammad in a bear suit
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach. The FSM only knows what they’re wading along the beach for? Perhaps it’s rusty memorabilia so they can open yet another museum.
Have a pleasant lunch near the museum. Wholemeal galettes and of course chips. My coffee’s not bad either.
Then we have a drive along the coast and back home. Discover the “Snotty Spoon” cafe, so named as because the waitress, who doesn’t posses a snot rag, proceeds to sneeze into her hand and then continue to lay out the cutlery. Surely this must infringe at least 44 EU health and hygiene standards, but hey ho it’s France so “San Fairy Ann”.
To get a flavour of this area we watch the 1962 film “the Longest Day”. It’s in black and white but worth the watch.
Omaha beach. Very thought provoking.
A: Oh you didn’t. Well don’t feel bad no one else has either.
Q: Did you hear about the French Army rifle sold on ebay?
A: The only description under the picture of it was “Nie gefeuert, einmal fallen gelessen” This is German for “never fired, dropped once”
Q: How do you kill a Frenchman?
A: Slam the toilet seat down when he’s getting a drink.
Q: How did the French react to German reunification?
A: They put up speed bumps at the borders to slow down the panzers.
Q: What is the French national anthem?
A: We surrender.
Yet another terrorist attack and what do we get from our supreme leader:
Yes, here she is our gutless PC correct leader.
STEP 1) Feign shock
STEP 2) Express resolve
STEP 3) Say good things about Islam
STEP 4) Pretend that taking in more Muslims
“defeats terrorists” and makes us safer
Omaha beach museum.
Rains forecast but I set out for a bike ride while Wendy and Dot do what women do best – shop. I get abut 20 yards and the forecast rain arrives early. End up reading a book.
Omaha beach museum.
Meanwhile me teas still not ready. Time for more wine me thinks. Found a very quaffabke St Emillion. Typical it has to be £9 a bottle. Oh well it’s only the kids inheritance.
Set off with Dot and Barrie to Mont St Michael.
The BMW satnav has a stroke, seems to think it’s a tractor, as it takes us down dirt tracks more suited to a herd of sheep.
Mont St Michael
Really impressed with how well Mont St Michael is organised. Are we still in France? Good parking facilities and a free bus over the causeway. On the Mont it’s teaming with more tourists, in those narrow streets, than muslims at a stoning. Another site ruined by tourist. All very picturesque and quaint and of course plenty of tat shops. Us heathens don’t bother going in the Abbey, seen one church and thats enough for a lifetime. Interesting gold figure at the top of the spire, but I don’t think it’s Maroni of the magic underwear 3rd book of the bible bashers clan.
Mont St Michael.
Come across a Calvados barn for a tasting and helpful geezer – obviously not french – explains the different qualities. Splash out on a 6 year old. More fruity and less tannins than the more expensive 15 year old.
The age on the bottle refers to the youngest constituent of the blend. A blend is often composed of old and young calvados. Producers can also use the terms below to refer to the age.
* “Fine”, Trois étoiles ***, and Trois pommes must be at least two years old.
* Vieux or Réserve must be at least three years old.
* “V.O.” “VO”, Vieille Réserve, “V.S.O.P.”, or “VSOP” must be at least four years old.
* “Extra”, “X.O.” “XO”, “Napoléon”, Hors d’Age, or Age Inconnu must be at least six years old, but are often sold much older.
High-quality calvados usually has parts which are much older than that mentioned. Calvados can be made from a single (generally, exceptionally good) year. When this happens, the label often carries that year.
Mont St Michael – entry to merchandising hell.
As a special treat for our back seat drivers we stop at a Lidl they’re both orgasmic about. Only going for a bottle of cheap Baileys, but of course you can’t come away with an empty trolley – it’d be a sin.
Then it’s off to the local restaurant – Hotel Commerce. Certainly not hotel enterprise or customer care, a touch of the Fawlty Towers when it comes to customer service. 17:55 and in typical French fashion we’re told to come back in five minutes. Of course they couldn’t put themselves out for a bit of customer service. Have a beer down the road. Attempt two at 18:40. Ah they’ve deigned to open up by now. Away man, but the restaurant is not ready to serve until 19:00. Hang on it says open at 18:00, “ah but, this is France, and that’s just the bar. Restaurant opens at 19:00”. I’m ready to vote with my feet but my stomach thinks it’s Ramadan, so hunger gets the better of me. Have to say the meal was excellent, great salad buffet, well done rump steak, cheese and bread – no biscuits of course – and coffee Gourmande for dessert with selection of desserts.
Then to finish off the night we call back at ours for some Calvados and cheap imitation Baileys.
Mont St Michael
A: French Flies.
Q: What’s the best place to hide your money?
A: Under a Frenchman’s soap.
Q: What do you do if you drive over a Frenchman?
A: Reverse!
Q: Why don’t they have fireworks at Euro Disney?
A: Because every time they shoot them off, the French try to surrender.
Q: The American military wears combat boots. What does the French military wear?
A: Track shoes.
How Come A God Cannot Express Himself Clearly?
Continuing on with my previous theme. The Quran is alleged to be the unadulterated word of Allah, a god, a supreme being and yet it contains statements that are unclear, misleading and are being squabbled over by religious scholars and other fruitcakes.
Given that it’s allegedly the word of a god surely questioning it is blasphemy. You’d think that it cannot be beyond the wit of a supreme being to express himself clearly. With messages that can be unequivocally understand for all time. Look at the 10 commandments, they’re pretty clear, unequivocal and have stood the test of time.
Or then there’s the Golden Rule common to most religions – “Whatsoever ye would that other should do to you, do ye even to them”. Try and find something like that in the quran – you’ll be lucky.