Christian And A Top-Ten

Here is a final snap of Christain in SF. We hang out before my return flight Wednesday. Note the two remote-controls and the New York Times Review of Books. That's my man.

So, today, Saturday, begins another strangely named "Bank Holiday Week-end" and no work Monday. Surely these Brits could be more imaginative naming their national holidays? There are a few good ones to choose from. In 2002, the BBC broadcast "The 100 Greatest Britons" which they rolled out with confetti: I was riveted by the prospect of Di beating out Churchill for #1. Here is the Top 10 great and the good:

1. Churchill

2. Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1965), engineer, creator of Great Western Railway

3. Diana, Princess of Wales, "the people's princess."

4. Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

5. Shakespeare (1564-1616)

6. Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727)

7. Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603)

8. John Lennon

9. Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), naval commander

10. Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), Lord Protector

David Beckham was was #33 and, while Eitan might agree re England's greatest mid-fielder, we really do see the talent fall off sharply thereafter: Boy George, #46? And what about Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, only #99 - without him, you would be spared this blog.

Eitan observes a charity box: "Can you give me some money for them?"

Me: "How about you use your allowance."

Eitan: "Well, that does not seem fair, does it?"