One of the magazines I get monthly is Best of British, an English nostalgia magazine. They talk about growing up during the Blitz, old ways of transportation, memorable foods and advertisements and radio series, etc.

One of my favorite features is usually the editorial. I didn't realize the poor Brits were going through the same nonsense we do until the editor began speaking about it in his column.

For instance, the Royal Mail was privatized, and after great "thought" they renamed it "Consignia." ???? What kind of dopey name is that? Sounds like all these HMOs and hospital companies that give strange names to hospitals and medical plans. We have a hospital near us that used to have a perfectly sensible name. Now it is "Wellstar." That sounds like what they should have named the hospital ship on Battlestar Galactica!

Well, guess what. After going to all the time and trouble and using taxpayer dollars to change "Royal Mail" to "Consignia" on stationery, signs, buildings, etc., they've decided it doesn't work and they want to go back to "Royal Mail." I bet the graphic designers are laughing all the way to the bank.

There was also a comment about increased patriotism during the Queen's Jubilee and how the editor intended to keep his Union Jack flying until the end of the Jubilee year. He mentioned that a town called Peterborough had discouraged their citizens not to fly flags because "it might offend the people who weren't born here."

Eh? We do that here in the States, too, and I consider it infuriating. I've even heard of US Government facilites that have large numbers of foreign visitors asking their employees not to put up American flags so the visitors won't feel alienated. Look, if I go anywhere in this world, from Austria to Zambia, I'm going to expect the people of that country to be proud of their country and their flag. I'm going to expect to see Swiss flags in Switzerland and Australian flags in Australia and Indian flags in India and Peruvian flags in Peru. I don't expect anyone in Lithuania or Thailand or New Guinea or Brazil to take down their flag for me. It would be denying their heritage and national pride. Are Americans and Britons not allowed this same right?

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 8:21:00 AM

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