“O, what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practise to deceive!”.
(Walter Scott, 1771 – 1832)
John Lentell
28th December, 1968
Monday’s Piece
“There is a holy mistaken zeal in politics as well as in religion. By persuading others, we convince ourselves.”
(Junius)
John Lentell
27th December, 1968
Sunday’s Piece
A member once went out to raise funds for a new church. In one home which he visited, a member of the church refused to give because he felt the church was costing too much. In reply the canvasser told the following story:
“About twenty five years ago a son was born to me. From the moment he came into the world he was an expense. First it was hospital care, toys, food. Then it was music lessons, books and shoes. Later it was allowance for movies, dances and dates. Finally, he went to college and my expenses mounted. Sometimes I thought the boy was costing me more than was necessary. At about the time he was ready to graduate from college, my son was infected with a grievous disease and died.”
The speaker paused to clear his throat, then he continued quietly, “You know Bill, that boy has not cost me a cent since. Not one cent.”
John Lentell
25th December, 1968
Saturday’s Piece
“A kind old gentleman seeing a small boy who was carrying a lot of newspapers under his arm said: “Don’t all those papers make you tired, my boy?”.
“Naw, I don’t read ’em”, replied the lad.
John Lentell
24th december, 1968
Friday’s Piece
“The newspaper is of necessity something of a monopoly, and its first duty is to shun the temptations of a monopoly. Its primary office is the gathering of news. At the peril of its soul it must see that the supply is not tainted. Neither in what it gives, nor in what it does not give, nor in the mode of presentation, must the uncluded face of truth suffer wrong. Comment is free but facts are sacred.”
(C. P. Scott, 1846 – 1932)
John Lentell
22nd December, 1968
Thursday’s Piece
“…….; and from despair
Thus high uplifted beyond hope.”
(John Milton, 1608 -1674)
John Lentell
21st December, 1968
Wednesday’s Piece
I question the right of a non-citizen to engage in political activity?
John Lentell
20th December, 1968
Tuesday’s Piece
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”
(Charles Caleb Colton, 1780 – 1832)
John Lentell
19th December, 1968
Monday’s Piece
“Is there a Q4 the loo on the QE2?”
(Shanks advertisement in ‘Design’ published by the Council of Industrial Design)
John Lentell
18th December, 1968
Sunday’s Piece
To pay for your thoughts to be printed is perhaps fiducial?
How else can one get them across these days, intact?
John Lentell
17th December 1968
Saturday’s Piece
This is just one man’s effort; one man’s ego.
It seems to be worthwhile.
John Lentell
16th December 1968
Friday’s Piece
“There lives more faith in honest doubt,
Believe me, than in half the creeds.”
(Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1809 – 1892)
John Lentell
December 15th, 1968
Thursday’s Piece
Barnstaple (Barum), North Devon, England. My place of birth. Population in 1953 – 14,693. Early closing Wednesday. Market days Tuesday and Thursday. Lovely memories. Now zoned to be a satellite city with a population of 100,000!
Oh! My God! What is happening to poor old England?
John Lentell
December 14th, 1963
Wednesday’s Piece
“I sit on a man’s back choking him and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his lot by all possible means – except for getting off his back.”
(From What Then Must We Do by Leo Tolstoy, 1828 – 1910)
John Lentell
December 13th, 1968
Tuesday’s Piece
That’s the way to start the day!
John Lentell
December 12th, 1968
Monday’s Piece
Unusual to walk in to your bank and find a piano and two barrels of refrigerated draught beer! “Christmas party tonight” says the girl – with an appropriate smile. “I hope the Manager is going says poor, uninvited me. “The bigger his draught, the bigger my overdraft!”.
John Lentell
December 11th, 1968
Sunday’s Piece
‘BASIC ENGLISH’
If “gh” stands for “p” as in” hiccough”, “ough” for “o” and in “dough”, “phth” for “t” as in “phthisis”, “eigh” for “a” as in “neighbour”, “tte” for “t” as in “gazette”, “eau” for “o” as in “beau”, the right way to spell “potato” must be: “ghoughphtheightteeau”.
John Lentell
December 10th, 1968
Saturday’s Piece
PSALM TO POLITICIANS
“Again a flood of hackneyed words
Comes pouring from the noisy throats
Of many office-seeking birds
Who promise, in exchange for votes,
To dedicate their massive brains
(And strictly gratis, udnerstand!)
To ridding us of social pains
And making this the Promised Land!”
(From Bulldogs and Morning Glories by John Edward Allen, 1945)
John Lentell
December 9th, 1968
Friday’s Piece
Joe and Bert, returning from a reunion dinner, climbed on a bus and offered their fares to a fellow passenger.
“I’m not the conductor” came the reply. “I’m a naval officer.”
“Lumme,” said Bert, “we’re on a boat.”
John Lentell
December 8th, 1968
An interjection, being a contraction of ‘(Lord) love me’. Used to express surprise or dismay in circumstances where ‘bloody hell’ or ‘holy fuck’ might not be appropriate.
Thursday’s Piece
“Eccentricity has always abounded when and where the strength of character has abounded; and the amount of eccentricity in a society is proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigour and moral courage it contained. That so few now dare to be eccentric, marks the chief danger of our times.”
(John Stuart Mill, 1806 – 1873)
John Lentell
December 7th, 1968
Lentell Soup 