I really despair for his country

A deputy headteacher is suing Bristol city council for £1m because it refused to replace a chair which emitted a "farting" noise every time she sat down, regularly making her the subject of jokes.

Sue Storer, 48, is claiming constructive dismissal and sex discrimination, after leaving her £48,000-a-year position as deputy head of Bedminster Down secondary school in Bristol last September.

The former art teacher told a tribunal she inherited an old, uncomfortable chair when she started at the school and asked for it to be replaced. But the new chair proved equally unsatisfactory. "It was very embarrassing to sit on," she said. "I asked for a chair that didn't give me a dead leg, or make these very embarrassing farting sounds. It was a regular joke that my chair would make these farting sounds, and I regularly had to apologise that it wasn't me, it was my chair."

Mrs Storer added that the chair caused her distress, especially on parents' evenings.

The hearing was adjourned to allow the tribunal to reach its decision on her claim for 17 years of lost earnings and pension, which is expected in the next two weeks.

http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,1736606,00.html

Happy Birthday William Shatner!

William Shatner was born on March 22, 1931 in Montreal Canada and will turn 75 today.

And to celebrate, since it amused me, some interview extracts from the Shat.

Have you ever had a real-life encounter with an alien?
Yes, I’ve had an alien encounter. It was at a bar. She was very strange. If you’re asking if I know something that most people don’t know, information that is privy to very few, information that is life altering, that could cause a fundamental paradigm change in one’s view—yes, but I’m not allowed to tell you.

You have one of the most recognizable voices of the late 20th century. What’s the secret to Shatner diction?
Shallow breathing, allergies, and owning a dog that won’t listen.

When did it dawn on you that you could dine out on your Star Trek fame for the rest of your life?
Well, you know, at this point the meals have gone from 10-course steak dinners to hamburgers at Wendy’s.

You're working with James Spader at the moment. What's that like?
He's, like, one of the great guys. But I do suspect him of being a sexual deviant. I have no absolute proof, but it's perfectly possible.

Do you have a problem with your co-stars not being able to keep their hands off you?
I have such high pheromones. I'm told this by numerous people - that my pheromone count is very high and that I'm naturally attractive to women and, I think, to sexual deviants. It causes me great concern.

You were recently guest photographer for Playboy.com. Did you ever say "make love to the lens"?
No, I kept muttering under my breathm "Make love to me - fuck the lens." But I had a wide angle lens, and I too am wide angle. I used to be more telephoto.

Did you notice Captain Kirk had a lot more luck with the ladies than Jean-Luc Picard?
Do you think maybe they took the ship away because there was a sexual harassment suit waiting in the wings?

What’s the best disguise you’ve ever worn to avoid fans?
Nobody ever recognizes me when I wear my thong.

Where the hell were you between Star Trek and T.J. Hooker?
Let’s see, that was all of the ’70s. Hmm, I don’t remember. Obviously, I was doing something very monumental and memorable, and apparently the only person who can’t remember it is me.

You’re stranded in the Donner Pass with George Takei and Nichelle Nichols. Which one would you eat?
George you’d have to eat raw, and I think George might be expecting to be eaten raw. So I guess Nichelle.

Spencer Tracy once said the secret to acting is to remember your lines and not walk into the furniture. What’s your secret?
The Shatner method is to improvise and stumble into every piece of furniture you can find.

Have you ever been approached to appear in a porn film?
No, I haven't, and it's been a bitter blow to my ego.

Do you prefer your Tribbles furry or shaved?
Heart shaped.

"I'll call my kid Angel Delight," says Peaches Honeyblossom

Well I've always had the odd giggle when celebs reveal the quirky names they've given their children.

While also wondering if the kids grow up slightly embarrassed and wishing they'd just been called John or Jane.

Take Sir Bob's daughter, Peaches Honeyblossom Geldof for example.

She's said in the past that her weird name has "haunted" her, but now she apparently reckons it's pretty cool.

So, she intends to carry on the tradition herself - she wants daughters called Angel Delight and Cherry Vanilla.



She told The Sun: "I think it's hilarious to tell people what your name is and see their reaction.
"I also think my name's pretty, my full name is Peaches Honeyblossom and it's kitsch."

She said she also likes the name Trip for a boy.

Peaches - daughter of Sir Bob and the late Paula Yates - has sisters called Fifi Trixibelle, Pixie and Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily.

It all makes naming your child after a piece of fruit seem quite normal.

Viva Las Vegas!

Apparently I'm on a bit of a Vegas kick at the moment, cos I realised earlier I've watched Ocean's 11, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and The Cooler all in a row. And I have Ocean's 12 and Go! in my pile to watch next.

Any other Vegas movies I should be watching?