It's time to stow your throne, Bernie.

My cyberfriend Chrows25 has been writing of her long-term tendency to transpose letters or syllables [1]. I think, but aren’t sure, they’re spoonerisms [2] and not malapropisms [3]. Anyway they brought to mind the conversion of the saying ‘People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones’ [4] into ‘People who live in grass houses shouldn’t stow thrones’[5]. And thus in turn F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone [6]. Last 8 November in Brazil British F1 driver Jenson Button was confronted by a gang of machine-gun toting would-be thieves or kidnappers. Ecclestone commented sagely ‘I think they look for victims who are not too bright’ [7]. Then, ironically, in early December in London 80-year-old Ecclestone and his 31-year-old Brazilian girlfriend were mugged by four men who stole jewellery worth over A$300,000 after repeatedly punching and kicking him [8, 9]. Button sagely remained silent. Me? First, I reckon that self-evidently an 80-year-old man with a 31-year-old girlfriend can’t be too bright. Second, I hope the assault knocked some sense into him – because he definitely needs more of it. Third, if he wants to live in a glass house he shouldn’t throw stones. And fourth, if he wants to throw stones he shouldn’t live in a glass house. In other words, he should stop making foolish comments aimed at seeking publicity. And if that means retiring from public life, then so be it. The F1 king should stow his throne.