Looking for clues..

I was very touched last week by the story of the lady that was killed by the whale at Disneyland in Florida. I pondered on this tragedy for quite some time and wondered what could have been done to prevent it. I tried to look for some clues that would have given a hint as to the potential for this sort of tragedy. After much consideration I decided that I would have to put it down to the language we use and the way we use it to describe things.

So for example I tend to avoid vicious dogs. See how the language comes in handy there. Look at it again. Vicious dogs. Let's take another example - Serial killer. Another one to avoid at all costs. It's all there in the name. Oh how our forebears through the generations were so perceptive and accurate with these things. Ok another one. Extreme sports. See for me sport does not need to be extreme. I am more than happy with normal sports - like watching TV. If I want to be extreme about it then I get up to change the channels rather than using the remote -either the one with batteries or the ones that eat my food otherwise known as children.

So back to this poor lady and the killer whale. Spot the clues in that one. You spotted it straight away right? If you were meant to play and fondle the thing surely our forebears the Romans would have named it something like playful whale or tickle my tummy whale or such like. But killer whale? Which means they must have spotted something right? Maybe the first guy didn't but by the time the thing has eaten ten or twenty Romans someone would have stood up in the parliament and said something along the lines of "£$% this. I cannot take it anymore more. From this day forward that beast will no longer be referred to as Tinkerbell. I decree that henceforth it be referred to as a killer whale". Someone never told them at Disneyland.

Which brings me nicely to our Minister for Information who proudly and loudly announced last week that on a matter of national and even international importance - the status of the Yard man- she has no information. Nothing. Nada. So again I went back to the drawing board and banged my head on it. I took a long hard look at her title and pondered how it must feel to be a MOI without I. Is this the sort of thing you stand up in public to announce? Surely that would be reason enough to resign? Throw in the towel? How can you continue? Why not just keep quiet? Keep the lack of information to yourself? Unless you were grandstanding of course. Playing to the gallery. Sending the market women into raptures with your high moral standards and your superior intellect. Over and above the other members of the Cabinet. Meanwhile there are rumours of a major reshuffle in the Cabinet by the Acting President.

Anyone spot the clues there?