BUREACRATIZING THE BURGERWALD

As a complete aside those interested in the Teutoburgerwald (Where Herman trashed Varus's three legions, might like to know that last week in the Euro Parliament in Strasbourg, the EU were displaying a cluster of pseudo Roman standards topped with grimacing theatre masks in order to celebrate the battle as a great moment in the formation of a United Europe.

GENDER BENDERS

The Euro Parliament has been obsessing about 'Gender Neutral Language for years. I remember a UKIP MEP interrupting a diatribe on the subject in 2006 to ask if Manchester would have to be renamed. I passed him a quick note whilst the jeers died down and he went on to congratulate the German MEPs present on the name of their National hero 'Herman the German' being safe.