Over the last week, the town where I now live, Oxford, has been in the international news somewhat, due to the flooding that has occurred.
News reports have told of how Oxford - as well as Tewkesbury and other less famous towns - have been “devastated” by flooding. In a report I have just read in the The Economist, we were “desolated”, whatever that means.
I have not been personally affected by any of this, apart from getting my socks wet, and generally being deeply disappointed by this English “summer”. But some of my work colleagues have been among the worst affected, and yesterday I did go for a bit of a bike ride around the most damaged parts of town.
Thereof, I can now reveal to you, my loyal readers (not sure if plural is justified there), that the great floods of Oxford were really just not all that bad. Really: peoples’ carpets got ruined.
Is that seriously international news? In some parts of the country, people had to drink bottled water, or go and collect it from a point in the centre of town. Looking at how people live on planet Earth as a whole, I would give that about a “1″ on the human hardship meter. In fact, as a natural disaster, I would give the whole incident about a “1″.
Devastation in Oxford
Comments 2
Wet socks and ruined carpets. If that’s a “1″ on the Human Hardship Meter, I wonder what the scale goes up to?
Also, are you aware that you’re the only site in google’s index for “human hardship meter”?
Posted 30 Jul 2007 at 5:47 am ¶That’s fantastic: I love getting high Google rankings for obscure phrases. I’m also on top for the famous and often searched “International BikeLock Index”.
DS - I know that you have often talked about being in for the long haul, but have you started thinking about selling your stocks yet? Things are beginning to wobble, eh? Or is it just a passing tremor.
Posted 31 Jul 2007 at 5:46 pm ¶Post a Comment