Saturday, May 24, 2008
Is the Lisbon Treaty irrevocable?
Never mind what is intended by the Lisbon Treaty, the real question is, what are we voting away -- is it irrevocable, like joining the USA and finding you have to fight a civil war and still not be able to secede? The European Economic Community was supposedly to encourage cooperation so that the likes of World War II never happened again, but somewhere in this we have what Hitler and Bonaparte coveted, a political union with no democratic intent. This may not be what is intended, but lets back off a little. It might be like the 1800 Act of Union only with the whole electorate selling themselves down the river instead of just a few bribed politicians
Friday, May 09, 2008
desecration and archaeology
Visit to the museum -- ancient fabrics -- fascinating and moving to see linen from Ancient Roman settlements, unfortunately some seem to have been recovered wrapped around bodies burial chambers ... hints of grave robbing and desecration. The prevelence of this in archaeology has never been questioned, it is somewhat remeniscent of the taking of the organs of the dead by pathologists without the permission of their relatives, another distressing topic not much addressed until lately -- and deliberately ignored it must be said
the horror of hip level waistlines on womens trousers
I'm delighted to see that the waist-high waist line seems to be making a comeback -- time to celebrate -- begone unwanted glimpses of builders cleavage, g-strings and hairy backs ... I really dont want to see the cleft of a woman's buttocks in public --
i dont do strip clubs (bending over, cycling yuck!)
i dont do strip clubs (bending over, cycling yuck!)
Awaken the democracy within
Anarcho captialism -- rather captialism as semi chaotic system like the weather with money circling those with lots of it who know how to accumulate and retain it.
We seem to be at a turning point -- if rice and grain are indeed in short supply and if governments take back the power of insisting that food stuffs are sold locally and not to the highest bidder, then Globalisation with a big 'G' is over -- and no harm up to a point -- unbridled robber-baron capitalism is a curse on civilisation, and it is value free -- contrast the benevolent capitalism 1950 to 1989 with the monster unleashed since, which had been hidden for forty years -- unfortunately in the old system and with the social welfare sluggishness a lot of patronage went on -- people getting cushy civil service jobs and not working at all, but this happens anyway no matter what system you have, using rabid capitalism as an excuse for civil service reform was never much of an arguement
We seem to be at a turning point -- if rice and grain are indeed in short supply and if governments take back the power of insisting that food stuffs are sold locally and not to the highest bidder, then Globalisation with a big 'G' is over -- and no harm up to a point -- unbridled robber-baron capitalism is a curse on civilisation, and it is value free -- contrast the benevolent capitalism 1950 to 1989 with the monster unleashed since, which had been hidden for forty years -- unfortunately in the old system and with the social welfare sluggishness a lot of patronage went on -- people getting cushy civil service jobs and not working at all, but this happens anyway no matter what system you have, using rabid capitalism as an excuse for civil service reform was never much of an arguement
Awaken the writer within, part deux
wednesday 9th April 2008
I cant honestly claim to have been under the impression of suffering from twenty years of writers block, but just having to cut and paste my old blog entries there seems to be a fountainhead of random trivia which has not been entirely untapped (and perhaps it should have been:-)
I cant honestly claim to have been under the impression of suffering from twenty years of writers block, but just having to cut and paste my old blog entries there seems to be a fountainhead of random trivia which has not been entirely untapped (and perhaps it should have been:-)
Sensory overload.
wednesday 9th April 2008
Sensory overload.
I had the unwelcome awareness of the feeling and touch of everything in my car today -- the roughness of the vinyl sleeve on the gear stick, the two diffent kind of plastic on the knob on the gear stick, the completely different feeling of the steering wheel, and the fabric on the insides of the doors, and the different plastic moulding on the fascia -- way too much information when I wanted to concentrate on my driving!
Sensory overload.
I had the unwelcome awareness of the feeling and touch of everything in my car today -- the roughness of the vinyl sleeve on the gear stick, the two diffent kind of plastic on the knob on the gear stick, the completely different feeling of the steering wheel, and the fabric on the insides of the doors, and the different plastic moulding on the fascia -- way too much information when I wanted to concentrate on my driving!
Red Lead
Sunday, February 24, 2008
I seem to have an unconscious theme about redness going on. Shudder to think what it means.
There used to be a type of paint called red lead which was used for under-coats, especially outdoors stuff like metal railings and fences. Presumeably it was poisionous, I see as spring cleaning breaks out, that an identical paint is used. I wonder is it the same stuff or a replacement?
I seem to have an unconscious theme about redness going on. Shudder to think what it means.
There used to be a type of paint called red lead which was used for under-coats, especially outdoors stuff like metal railings and fences. Presumeably it was poisionous, I see as spring cleaning breaks out, that an identical paint is used. I wonder is it the same stuff or a replacement?
Good riddance
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Good riddance
So Bertie Ahern is resigning. I'm amazed. There is some shame then.
Update: apparently in history there are no ends, only no beginnings (in the words of the speechify writers of the great man hisself -- this is one long awaited new beginning
Good riddance
So Bertie Ahern is resigning. I'm amazed. There is some shame then.
Update: apparently in history there are no ends, only no beginnings (in the words of the speechify writers of the great man hisself -- this is one long awaited new beginning
Vicar remodels - update
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Actually, it looks like they just replaced some eroded limestone kerb blocks with 'new' (I know you dont get new limestone, it takes millenia to grow) blocks and put everything back very neatly. Impressive.
Actually, it looks like they just replaced some eroded limestone kerb blocks with 'new' (I know you dont get new limestone, it takes millenia to grow) blocks and put everything back very neatly. Impressive.
The trivial wonder of place names
Sunday, February 24, 2008
.
I remember being fascinated as a child listening on the radio to the English First to Third Divisions soccer results being read out. The names of the teams, often the name of their home town or city were endlessly entertaining. West Bromwich Albion for instance (didnt find out for years that there was a 'w' in Bromwich, and that it isnt pronounced), or Middlesborough, or West Ham (there may be an East Ham as well, but I dont know if they have a football team, nor for that matter do I know where West Ham is). And Sheffield Wednesday, the most mysterious of all -- is it possible to have a team that plays in the middle of the week when their senior team another club play of Saturdays?
Come to think of it, as you can see, I still find these questions quite compelling...
.
I remember being fascinated as a child listening on the radio to the English First to Third Divisions soccer results being read out. The names of the teams, often the name of their home town or city were endlessly entertaining. West Bromwich Albion for instance (didnt find out for years that there was a 'w' in Bromwich, and that it isnt pronounced), or Middlesborough, or West Ham (there may be an East Ham as well, but I dont know if they have a football team, nor for that matter do I know where West Ham is). And Sheffield Wednesday, the most mysterious of all -- is it possible to have a team that plays in the middle of the week when their senior team another club play of Saturdays?
Come to think of it, as you can see, I still find these questions quite compelling...
Clarification
Ah, how out of date old posts can be!
// posted Sunday, February 24, 2008 @ 3:24 PM
Bertie Ahern (no formal first name known, its part of his 'charisma')
is the prime minister of the Republic of Ireland, a corruption-loving small country off the north-west coast of France. The said prime minister is continually involved in a public enquiry into bribes and land zoning, and has great difficulty explaining where his money came from.
// posted Sunday, February 24, 2008 @ 3:24 PM
Bertie Ahern (no formal first name known, its part of his 'charisma')
is the prime minister of the Republic of Ireland, a corruption-loving small country off the north-west coast of France. The said prime minister is continually involved in a public enquiry into bribes and land zoning, and has great difficulty explaining where his money came from.
The trouble with Science
http://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Science-Robin-Dunbar/dp/0674910192
At least I think its the same book -- well worth a look as is (guessing here) "The Creative Moment" -- they both look at how Science with a big S has somehow gone from being the heroic answer to all our problems to something most people would rather not understand
At least I think its the same book -- well worth a look as is (guessing here) "The Creative Moment" -- they both look at how Science with a big S has somehow gone from being the heroic answer to all our problems to something most people would rather not understand
The red tap and the blue tap strike back...
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
the colours are a good idea, because C is for cold in English and C is for chaud in French, thus leading to a confusing washing experience if you expect the letter to travel well...but how about standard positioning? If the hot water tap was always on the left then they could save money on coloured plastic tops on the taps...of course like driving on different sides of the road, international agreement would be impossible. Indeed, I have been in houses where the upstairs taps arent arranged the same way as the downstairs taps
the colours are a good idea, because C is for cold in English and C is for chaud in French, thus leading to a confusing washing experience if you expect the letter to travel well...but how about standard positioning? If the hot water tap was always on the left then they could save money on coloured plastic tops on the taps...of course like driving on different sides of the road, international agreement would be impossible. Indeed, I have been in houses where the upstairs taps arent arranged the same way as the downstairs taps
The red tap and the blue tap...
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
a bit like The Matrix and Total Recall -- in most publicly accessible conveniences (yes its washroom posting day) there is a red tap which nearly always doesnt work. Why not save even more money by not having the second tap that doesnt work?
a bit like The Matrix and Total Recall -- in most publicly accessible conveniences (yes its washroom posting day) there is a red tap which nearly always doesnt work. Why not save even more money by not having the second tap that doesnt work?
No more public toilets
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
This seems to be an international problem -- they still have them in the south of France, but public loos seem to be disappearing everywhere else ... I think the excuse was that drug addicts were using them for 'anti-social behaviour' -- translation 'as shooting galleries' but really, how weak can you be? Call the cops, its their job. And let the rest of us get on with relieving ourselves
This seems to be an international problem -- they still have them in the south of France, but public loos seem to be disappearing everywhere else ... I think the excuse was that drug addicts were using them for 'anti-social behaviour' -- translation 'as shooting galleries' but really, how weak can you be? Call the cops, its their job. And let the rest of us get on with relieving ourselves
The lure of writing
I love writing, its the next best thing to sex, and middle aged men can do it for fourteen hours a day without the help of blue pills. Although its recommended to stay down to four hours if you've done your training. But I also fear it, because it is all-consuming, and it could easily take up every waking hour, well beyond fourteen hours -- it is one thing to love something, another to know if you are frittering your life away -- presumably at fourteen hours a day I could attain mediocrity due to constant practice, but I'm scared to be a full time talentless dabbler
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