There and back again

Happy New Year and Farewell

2008-01-03T20:20:00.000Z

Yup, I've decided to quit rambling. I'll still be looking in at my favourite blogs but want to concentrate this year on other interests.

Best wishes.

'pologies for the paucity of posts

2007-08-02T16:47:00.000+01:00

Sorry for being away for a while. I hope to now resume normal blogging or at least see if my heart's still in it. Unfortunately, I have recently separated from my husband. As I started this blog in the run up to the wedding, it would appear that it will last longer than my marriage :o)

Anywho, life has been taken up with the division of assets, packing, moving and finding a new job. All now complete bar the last item.

The place I moved to did not have internet access which has been quite painful but that has been rectified (thank goodness!) so I will now be able to ramble on about life, love and um stuff.

2007-06-09T11:47:00.000+01:00

Slightly delayed (sorry Mr Man's Wife) but here are the results of the music meme that I was tagged with whereby you have to put your iPod onto shuffle and list the first ten songs that are played. I solemnly swear that these are the actual results :o)
I tried to weave these into some sort of narrative but it's bloomin' difficult.

"So are you seeing Lucy today?" asked Beth.
"Yeah, I'm going to meet her at the Love Parade in town." said Tom.
"Ooh, is that the one with the poster of Lothlorien in the window?" asked Beth. "Someone keeps promising to buy it for me."
"Women! Always wanting stuff." laughed Pete.
"One day, brother, you'll learn that you have to treat these women with love and understanding," said Tom playfully punching Pete, "otherwise you'll
experience the unfortgettable fire of an angry woman!"
"It's so easy for you to say, I just seem to meet nut cases and feminists." moaned Pete.
"Oi," said Beth, earning Pete another not-so-playful punch on the arm.
"Sorry darling, you're good for me, you know that." Pete squeezed his girlfriend tightly.
"So where are you going afterwards?" asked Beth.
"We fancied trying out that new place near the beach, Cafe del Mar. It's supposed to do some really good sea food." said Tom.
"You two leave me breathless with all the running around you do." yawned Pete.
"Well I think you're crazy wanting to sleep the day away. Beth, can't you stick some dynamite up his butt and get him out more?"
"I don't think that would be a wise idea," said Beth seriously, "creatures of the night don't like the sunshine!"

Hehe. Ok, so it's not exactly Booker Prize material but my eclectic tastes threw up some interesting titles. Did you get them all? Full details are in the comments in case, like me, you'd be driven nuts by not finding one! ;o)

Whatever happened to Habeas Corpus?

2007-06-07T19:04:00.000+01:00

The BBC is running an article today entitled Terror detention to be reviewed:
'Home Secretary John Reid has outlined a raft of proposals to toughen counter terror laws - including reviewing the 28-day limit on pre-charge detention.'

The government has previously tried to get a three month period in which to hold suspects without charge when suspected of terrorist activity. Proponents said that it was to give the police and intelligence agencies time to gather evidence and prepare a case. Three months?! I'm sure that it's not as straight forward as knocking on a few doors and looking at a bit of CCTV footage but c'mon! I've got an idea - how about cutting down the amount of bureaucratic forms the police have to fill in, then they might have the time to gather the evidence quicker?

Last time, the period was eventually reduced to the current 28 days after people expressed concern that it was going against one of the tenets of our justice system, namely Habeas Corpus.

For those whose latin is rusty, a writ of habeas corpus ad subjiciendum is a court order for a prisoner to be brought before the court to determine whether or not that person has been illegally imprisoned. If the charge is valid then the person faces trail, if not the person is freed.

I'm sure most people would agree that holding someone for a few days or even a couple of weeks, is a reasonable time in which to prepare a charge; three months is in line with some prison sentences. And that's not mentioning house arrests and other dubious things.

I know it's a difficult area. No-one would want to let a suicide bomber go free but I think the likelihood of that happening is less than the chance of imprisoning an innocent person (and the detrimental affect that could have on their mental wellbeing, family life, employment, social standing, etc).

The movie, Taking Liberties, appears to address this and other issues in an albeit sensational way but I feel that it is something that we need to be aware of.

On the one hand, there is the school of thought that if you've done nothing wrong, you've nothing to hide. Now that holds true for CCTV cameras which (rightly or wrongly) happen to make me feel a tad more secure; and maybe ID cards if the government could assure me that their IT infrastructure is sound and the collection, use and range of date is tightly regulated.

On the other hand, there are the worrying restrictions on Rights to Protest and Free Speech, and increase of detention without trial. I do think everyone goes on too much about Rights and not enough about Responsibilities these days. Having said that, peacefully protesting against perceived inequities, injustices and grievances is both the right and the responsibility of citizens of a democracy.

Anyway, there's a few thoughts for you to be going on with :o)

Bad Science

2007-06-02T01:58:00.000+01:00

I'm speechless ...

'The new $27 million creationist theme park has opened this week in Kentucky. It is described as a “museum” which seems to indicate it has some kind of academic validity ... The “museum” maintains that the book of Genesis in the Bible is literally true and creates an animatronic world that shows just how it was only a few thousand years ago, when Adam and Eve fell from grace and Noah built a small ship that carried two of every species that ever existed on earth in order to survive a flood that covered the entire surface of the world.'

The full article can be read here.

I have previously tried to engage creationists on the subject of evolution, usually my arguments have been met with the hackneyed, "my grandfather's not a monkey!" ... argh! Apart from the fact we are mostly closely related to apes and not monkeys (a comment designed to induce apoplexy in us heathen types, I'm sure), this sort of response makes further intelligent discussion impossible and pointless.

This sort of thing astounds me. The beauty and diversity of nature as arrived at through millions of years of the evolutionary process are far more awe inspiring than the idea that some guy in the sky designed it all.

Darwin says it slightly more eloquently,
"It is interesting to contemplate a tangled bank, clothed with many plants of many kinds, with birds singing on the bushes, with various insects flitting about, and with worms crawling through the damp earth, and to reflect that these elaborately constructed forms, so different from each other, and dependent upon each other in so complex a manner, have all been produced by laws acting around us. ... whilst this planet has gone circling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved."

Pause for Thought

2007-05-29T19:28:00.000+01:00

I was travelling through London Waterloo this bank holiday evening. There were probably just thirty passengers in the concourse and it had that after-dark quiet atmosphere that public spaces get at that time of night.

There were two homeless women walking around politely asking for spare change. Now I will happily buy the Big Issue magazine but won't normally give change. I used to be concerned that I could just be funding a dependency or perpetuating a begging habit.

On a recent episode of Filthy Rich and Homeless, one of the younger volunteers was told to sit on one of London's bridges (I believe it was the Golden Jubilee footbridge near Waterloo) to beg for change. The guy made a comment about how the passers by were just treating him as if he didn't exist but recognised that he had behaved in exactly the same way in the past.

This weekend, I gave some of my spare change to the first woman who immediately bought something to eat and the remainder to the other woman who said something very reminiscent of the tv programme, "thank you, at least you acknowledge that I exist which is more than can be said for most people". I then watched her being ignored and looked at in disdain by many of the other passengers.

I stood there carrying expensive gadgets and the new clothes I'd bought that weekend. I was well fed and on my way to my own home. Compared to that, I gave them a pittance but I'd looked them in the eye and treated them like a fellow human being for a few seconds.

I have commitments that, were I to loose my job and the support of my family & friends, could very easily result in me not being able to meet my financial obligations. The world of the homeless is not that far away.

So the next time you see someone wrapped in a blanket asking for change, are you hurrying past them or past the possiblity of what could have happened to you?

Stonkin' Lyrics

2007-05-15T23:17:00.000+01:00

I've bought Linkin Park's new album today called Minutes to Midnight. Now I know that Nu-Metal isn't to everyone's taste but there is a song called Hands Held High which has some rather mature and thought provoking lyrics about war:

It's ironic. At times like this you pray,
But a bomb blew the mosque up yesterday.

There's bombs in the buses, bikes, roads,
inside your markets, your shops, your clothes.

My dad, he's got a lot of fear I know
but enough pride inside not to let that show.

My brother had a book he would hold with pride
A little red cover with a broken spine.

In the back he hand wrote a quote inside,
"when the rich wage war, it's the poor who die".

Meanwhile, the leader just talks away,
Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay.

And the rest of the world watching at the end of the day
Both scared and angry like 'what did he say?'

One of the reasons I tend to prefer this sort of band is the lyrics tend to be more powerful and meaningful than the empty plastic pop offerings. On first listen, this album is no exception.

Full lyrics available here and you can hear the song here.

A shout out to the blogosphere

2007-05-08T22:19:00.000+01:00

I am one of those annoyingly skinny buggers that dieters detest. I can eat pretty much what I like and not put on weight.

Yeah, I know, feel free to throw items of office stationery at me.

I am a natural grazer and seem to balance input and energy requirements quite well. However, given that I have IBS and limited reserves, when I'm under the weather I can loose weight too easily. That's happened recently and I really need to put on about half to three quarters of a stone.

Dodges flying stapler.

I've searched the inter-webby. There are a squillion pages (really there are, you count them) about loosing weight, there are pages about bulking up for body builders, there are also pages that say helpful things like "eat more" but I've not been able to find any straight forward non-contradictory resources about foods that are still healthy but will help me gain weight.

Apart from asking for a referral to a dietician, any thoughts?

Grammar and Spells

2007-04-24T18:27:00.000+01:00

I saw this sign in my road today. Tell me, why should I apologise for the mess they're making? ;o)

And a new full length theatrical trailer for HP and the Order of the Phoenix is available in Yahoo ... getting excited!

I'm going to try my damnedest to see that in Leicester Square on the opening weekend (yeah, I know ... I'm 32 going on 12) :o)

Glorious Day

2007-04-15T14:11:00.000+01:00

What a gorgeous day ... the sun is shining and all seems right with the world.

I'm just grabbing a spot of breakfast/lunch (got up a bit late today, heh) and then I'm switching this off and going outside to enjoy the sun while it lasts.

I'll just leave you with an interesting quote by Ray Bradbury (science fiction and fantasy author). As a quick aside, I'd recommend Something Wicked This Way Comes; a fabulously mysterious story about friendship, growing up and wish fulfillment all set against the eerie backdrop of Cooger and Dark's Pandemonium Circus.

We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?

Online anonymity

2007-04-14T10:50:00.000+01:00

At the beginning of this article, I empathised with Halle Berry and thought what a good idea:

Film star Halle Berry has revealed she anonymously joined internet chatrooms to escape her famous persona.
"I have gone online before in search of anonymity and an attempt to leave celebrity out of it and just have a normal chat,"

But then she continued:

"When I decided to say: 'Oh by the way, the person you've been chatting with for a week is me, Halle Berry,' they thought I was just some kook. They were like: 'Right, sure, get out of here.' They didn't really believe me at that point. So chatting hasn't gone that well for me."

Um? WTF? Sorry love but you brought that on yourself. You either want to be anonymous or you don't.

The word narcissism springs to mind.

News

2007-04-14T01:21:00.000+01:00

Hello my loyal reader ;o)

I can now reveal what this post was all about. Although we have only been out of London for a short period of time, we are moving back. Yes, I know, we're probably mad.

Our property is on the market and we will soon be looking for a place back in the smoke, violence and the downright bizarre ... not forgetting the culture, beauty, variety and reliable public transport ;o)

More to follow ...

Life List

2007-03-20T21:38:00.000Z

I've been reading a variety of "things to do" life lists recently and decided to start my own. Many of these will have to wait for some time until I reach the stage when my savings outweigh my debts ... but it gives me something to aim for ;o)

So, here goes:

1. Find a job I truly enjoy.

2. Develop my photography skills.

3. Complete (eek) and have published (double eek) a novel.

4. Visit the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.

5. Experience Christmas/New Year in New York.

6. Visit South American - see the Aztec/Mayan structures.

7. Learn to roller skate.

8. See the Pyramids.

9. Visit San Francisco.

10. Go on an African safari.

11. Mentor someone.

12. Make a significant contribution to a worthy cause anonymously.

13. See the northern (and/or southern) lights.

14. Visit New England in the autumn.

15. Learn Tai Chi.

So, what's on your life list?

More Navel Gazing

2007-03-18T21:59:00.000Z

I have an ongoing battle with an issue of not letting those around me 'in'. I keep people at arms length, only sharing those things and aspects of me that I'm comfortable people knowing and only then when I feel ready.

I acknowledge this to be a negative and overly self-protective trait but at times it's not surprising that I learnt to behave in this way when certain people close to me continue to belittle or ignore my beliefs, actions or personality.

So tell me, if you have people like that in your life, how do you deal with them?

Hmmm ... ?

2007-03-16T21:20:00.000Z

I'm going through one of my (thankfully not too regular) phases of not sleeping as well as I should. Currently, I'm getting between 4.5 and 6.5 hours of sleep a night. I'm also thankful that I can happily function on that amount of sleep.

But this is what is puzzling me. I'm not just functioning but doing quite nicely thank you. Now the only thing different from previous insomniac episodes is the amount of exercise I'm getting. For the past month, I have been going to the gym three times a week - two cardiovascular sessions and one of resistance training.

I'm starting to see some muscle definition and I certainly feel fitter but I hadn't thought that exercise could energise me as much as it is.

Well, there's my ramble for the day.

Roots

2007-02-15T13:10:00.000Z

Just popping back to share a thought or two with you.

* Warning - post contains thoughts of national pride. *

Bill from the The Parking Attendant's Blog had a link to a song by Show of Hands called Roots. Whether or not you like folk-style music, I would urge you to listen as the lyrics are very powerful and you'll be tapping your feet within about 30 seconds ;o)

It made me think of something that's been buzzing around my head for a while concerning stories. My English literature lessons at school were ok. We studied a fair variety of texts but always in line with the curriculum requirements and in the rather structured manner of 'education'. But sadly we didn't learn about stories. Those powerful timeless plots that are repeated again and again throughout history in infinite variety. The rich legacy of English, Irish, Celtic, Scottish, Welsh and Gaelic mythologies.

I know I am embarrassingly ignorant of our mythologies. I've had to take my education into my own hands. (Perhaps that gap in my education is why I love the fantasy genre so much?) As I'm now dabbling in the arcane arts of writing, I've tried to deconstruct and criticize some of my favourite authors. But I can't do it. I start examining their choice of vocabulary, their scene setting, the flow of dialogue ... but it doesn't last. By the end of the first chapter I'm enveloped by the story and I'm a lost cause. It's like dissecting a hummingbird and expecting to still find it beautiful.

It's very sad that we are losing the indigenous/ancient cultures of England. Ireland, Wales and Scotland seem to be more aware of their cultural heritage. But our traditional oral story tellers, musicians, artists are consigned to the margins whilst the majority of us are surrounded by plastic entertainment. It is fascinating to enjoy other cultures and I do believe we have been enriched by different cultures over the centuries but it should never be at the expense of our own identity.

Well I've got a vision of urban sprawl
It's pubs where no one ever sings at all
And everyone stares at a great big screen
Over-paid soccer stars, prancing teens
Australian soap, American rap
Estuary English, baseball caps

And we learn to be ashamed before we walk
Of the way we look and the way we talk
Without our stories or our songs
How will we know where we've come from
I've lost St George in the Union Jack
It's my flag too and I want it back *

Other countries are proud of their heritage, their culture, their songs and stories. That pride is not mutually exclusive with living in a culturally diverse and tolerant modern society.

England is beginning to resemble plastic cheese, chain pubs and manufactured pop bands ... boring, bland and predictable.

[* excerpt of 'Roots' lyrics copyright Show of Hands]

Something's come up ...

2007-02-03T14:21:00.000Z

... won't be blogging for a while. Hopefully back soon.

Eeeep!!

2007-02-01T14:21:00.000Z

July is going to be a fun month:

Hopefully, we'll be visiting the Star Wars Celebration Europe convention in Excel, London.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is in cinemas from 13th July, I hope to see it soon after release.

And I've just found out that the seventh and final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will be in my local bookshop as of 21st July and in my hand later that day.

Excited? Me? ... nah
Adult? Me? ... nah

2007-01-28T11:28:00.000Z

A number of high profile people in science, technology, and so-forth were asked 'what are you optimistic about and why?'

Chris Dibona of Google looks forward to the day when we have high resolution, up-to-date images of the earth (like Google Earth and Microsoft Live but much better). He says,
"One cannot tell you that they are not destroying villages in Sudan if you can view the burned out carcasses of the homes of the slaughtered. One cannot intimate that the impact of a dam is minimal as humanity watches countless villages being submerged in real time. One cannot paint a war as a simple police action when the results of the carpet bombing will be available in near real time on the internet."

He finishes off by saying,
"Can our leaders stand before us and say a thing is not occurring if we can see via our low earth orbiting eyes that it is in fact occurring? Only the truly deluded will be unable to see and then perhaps we can remove them and their psychopaths from power. A more honest existence, with humankind understanding the full, global, impact of its decisions, is in our future if we can reach it."

I was discussing this with Hubby and his intial reaction was, all well and good but instead wouldn't it be better to be optimistic about eradicating poverty, starvation or disease? A valid comment but then I pointed out the following ...

I blogged a while ago about Al Gore and his "An Inconvenient Truth".
(Unfortunately, I've not had a chance to see it yet but I believe it's now out on DVD.) He has now started to train others to give his presentation (on which the movie was based) and the website for this is www.theclimateproject.org

The website loads with a random image from a number of alternatives, one of which struck me quite forcefully so I beg Al Gore's forgiveness in posting the image here (clearly all copyright belongs to The Climate Project):

[In case you have difficulties in displaying the image, it shows the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. 'Haiti has one set of policies' (the land is virtually deforested) and 'the Dominican Republic has another' (a lush green forest growing right up to the border.]

This image very forcefully demonstrates how useful and powerful Chris Dibona's vision of the future would be. Obviously this image was specifically chosen to support Al Gore's campaign and I must say I have been unable to verify this image but it shows how high resolution images can make a dramatic point.

I'll finish this off with what I feel is an appropriate quote from Neil Armstrong:
“It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.”

The Sky at Night

2007-01-25T22:50:00.000Z

Following on from my previous post, there was one aspect of our new home that I enjoyed from our first night.

Our bedroom has a sloping roof and we have placed our bed under the window in the roof. So this means on a clear night, I can lie in bed and look up at the stars.

Due to the light pollution in London (and probably the air pollution too), it was very rare to see any but the brightest of stars and then only on a clear night. Most nights the sky was simply a dark neon orange glow. The area in which we now live has much less light pollution so, providing there are no clouds, I have a wonderful view.

Unfortunately, my knowledge of the night sky is woefully inadequate but it's amazing to lie wrapped in my duvet and stare at infinity. Absorbing the depth of space makes me feel incredibly small. The beauty of the universe is awe inspiring.

Rose Scented Glasses

2007-01-22T10:31:00.000Z

I have always thought of my eyesight and hearing as being my main senses. My sense of smell was secondary. When we moved into our new home, I realised that I was wrong.

It felt very strange for the first few days. Our furniture was in different places, there were boxes everywhere, the flat had an unfamiliar layout. Even though I was in my own bed, it felt as if we were staying over at someone else's house. Then I realised why ...

It didn't smell like home.

It smelt like someone else's home. There was a lingering smell of someone elses cleaning products, someone elses's perfume, probably someone else's pheromones for all I know. Turns out that although we had not discussed it, Hubby had the same feeling.

So I gave the bathroom and kitchen a good clean with my usual products. We dusted and hoovered. We lit our favourite scented candles and bought our favourite air fresheners. It soon felt much more like home.

Seems like my nose is busier than I thought.

Hollywood take note

2007-01-16T18:06:00.000Z

I was pleased that Dame Helen Mirren won two Golden Globes (for 'Elizabeth I' and 'The Queen'). She is a good actor and I have enjoyed much of her work. In addition, I thought she looked very glamorous showing that you don't need to be nipped and tucked.

I hope the plastic women in Hollywood would realise that you don't have to look like a 20 year old to remain sucessful. I'm sure it's more difficult for older actresses to get work but many of them give into the accepted norm and turn to the knife instead of valuing their talent and experience.

I hope Dame Helen does as well in the Baftas.

I feel rather sorry for ...

2007-01-09T13:14:00.000Z

Kate Middleton. She's in the news today because of the increasing press intrusion into her life. It showed the scene as she left home this morning. There were about twenty photographers buzzing around her. It made me think, she really must like Prince William to put up with that. She's just his girlfriend. We have no right to intrude into her life like this. Already there is increasing speculation about an engagement. Their relationship should be allowed to progress at it's own speed.

I know Princes William and Harry have a priviledged life but they also do have a life of duty, responsibility and minimal privacy ahead of them. It must be very frustrating to have someone you love treated in this way. I certainly wouldn't want their life for all the estates, jewels and trusts funds.

I really hope that the news agencies all refuse to buy paparazzi photos of Kate when she isn't at official royal events.

ABC meme

2006-12-27T14:15:00.000Z

Oops, sorry Britgirl - looks like I missed you tagging me :o)
Here goes ...

A - Available/Single? Married to the bestest man.
B - Best Friend? Apart from my husband, my books. As Ernest Hemingway said, "There is no friend as loyal as a book".
C - Cake or Pie? Cake, definitely.
D - Drink Of Choice? Rooibos tea with organic vanilla.
E – Essential Item You Use Everyday? My mobile.
F - Favourite Colour? Purple.
G - Gummy Bears Or Worms? Urm, can't say I like either, bears if I have to choose.
H - Hometown? I was born in a sleepy market town in the east of England (that's all you're getting).
I - Indulgence? Green and Black's Milk Chocolate.
J - January Or February? February, as it's nearer the warmer summer months.
K - Kids & Their Names? I have a teddy called George, does that count?
L - Life Is Incomplete Without? Privacy and freedom.
M - Marriage date? 7th August 04.
N - Number Of Siblings? None.
O - Oranges Or Apples? Apples.
P - Phobias/Fears? Spiders and enclosed spaces (especially certain parts of the Tube (the London Underground system).
Q - Favourite Quote? I have two.
Terry Pratchett: "This isn't life in the fast lane, it's life in the oncoming traffic."
Star Trek Next Generations: "With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
R - Reason to Smile? A good book, a good movie, a generous act of kindness.
S - Season? Summer.
T - Tag people? If they fancy doing it, I would like to tag Birdy and Mr Man's Wife. If anyone else wants to do it, consider yourself tagged and let me know in the comments :o)
U - Unknown Fact About Me? Finding my balance is like searching for rocking horse droppings. I have therefore never mastered the art of riding a bike.
V - Vegetable you don’t like? Have to agree with Britgirl, I don't like Parsnips. In the spirit of the season, I love Brussel Sprouts!
W - Worst Habit? Oh, this is like the job interview question, "describe your weaknesses". Um, I don't know. Hah ... not being able to answer questions like this!
X - X-rays You’ve Had? Dental and a chest x-ray when I was little.
Y - Your Favourite Food? In the cold weather - roast potatoes, winter
vegetables, a roast and gravy. In the warmer weather - fresh spinach and ricotta ravioli with a simple tomato and basil sauce.
Z – Zodiac sign? Cancer.

The beauty of mid-winter

2006-12-25T19:40:00.000Z

A few things this week have reminded me of the beauty of this time of year:

* Clients and colleagues saying thank you;
* Friends and family spending time with each other;
* The wintery weather transforming the scenery.

Excuse me now while I slump on the sofa after cooking one of the best roast turkey meals ever ;o)

My compliments of the season to you all.