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.

Update

2006-12-17T22:54:00.000Z

Zinnia asked me how things were so I thought I would do a proper update.

NaNoWriMo
Yeah, um .... about that *cough*
When I signed up I was optimistically hoping to have moved in late October/early November. As it was, I was packing and stressing throughout November and quite frankly had no desire to write. As I write for pleasure, I was not going to force myself to write on top of everything else. :o) I'm beginning to miss it now so that's a good sign.

The House Move
Hubby, his Dad and three mates all provided much needed muscle. I tried to pack the boxes sensibly so they wouldn't weigh too much but I'd have collapsed in about 15 minutes! I was foreman ;o). They worked out an efficient system to get the vans loaded quickly and we were on our way by early afternoon.

The handing over of the keys was a singular occasion ... quite literally. We received the grand total of one yale key, the sole lock on the front door (oops missed that during the viewing). We got a locksmith out pretty sharpish to sort that out.

After the obligatory day or two on take-outs, we got some food in and prepared to cook. We then found out that the cooker had a unique feature which involved switching itself off after 20 minutes (no wonder the previous owner had left it behind).

Our broadband provider ... well, I'm still apoplectic. Suffice to say, our sanity was saved by our friends sharing their broadband with us by way of wireless hubs and booster arials until we were properly online seven days after we'd moved.

£150 for Van Hire
£20 for bacon butties and copious drinks
£150 for a locksmith
£400 for a new Cooker
£100 for incidentals
An obscene amount for legal services

Owning our first brick ... priceless!

- - - - - - - -

Finally, a question:

We have velux-type windows, those ones that go in a slopy roof. I've noticed some condensation between the two planes of glass (it's expensive this property ownership malarky) so it looks like they'll need replacing eventually.

To get to the question - as these windows are old and drafty, it would be better for my heating bill and therefore the environment to get them changed. Does anyone know if there are any local government incentives or grants to help with such things?

Toodle-pip.

Those who can ...

2006-12-13T20:00:00.000Z

Did you see Real Story on BBC1 tonight? It was a documentary following a team of specialists who went into an under performing school to identify any children with learning difficulties, to help them improve their basic skills and to introduce new teaching practices.

I was shocked by the attitude of some of the teachers. Admittedly some of the pupils had learning and behavioural difficulties but much of that was due to the system letting them down. The staff was resistant to change and new ideas. Some were verbally aggressive to the pupils. I can't begin to imagine how stressful teaching must be but I really wonder why some of them are teachers.

Shockingly the average literacy age was 9 in a group of 11/12 year olds. 40% were under the required standard. They were having to teach basic reading and writing skills which should have been achieved much earlier. After a while, one of the teachers was pleased with the progress of a particular boy's reading but to be honest it was still slow and stilted.

I couldn't help but think, at the age of 9 I was reading The Hobbit and by 11 I had read the Fellowship of the Rings and was starting the Two Towers.

I guess I should be thankful for my good education :o)

Two pieces of excitment

2006-11-28T00:01:00.000Z

Apologies for the lack of posts recently this is due to the first piece of exciting news. Rhea's disorderly meanderings are all being packed into boxes (provided by the very helpfully titled helpineedboxes.com) and we're going on a journey into the west (well a little more west than we are now). Normal service shall hopefully be resumed in a couple of weeks when said boxes have all been unpacked again to make our new empty spacious abode all cluttered and homely.

The second piece of very exciting news greeted me this evening as I picked up our copy of Sky Magazine from the door mat (apologies for those without satellite/cable but I'm sure it will make it to terrestrial eventually) and I was even more excited (so much so, speech left me for a moment) when I opened it up and read the following ...

... (blimey that was a bit of a Douglas Adams sentence) ...

Terry Pratchett's book Hogfather has been made into a Christmas TV Special showing on Sky on 17th and 18th December!

Huh? What do you mean, "so?"

Sheesh, you people.

Wrong to be Atheist

2006-11-11T22:54:00.000Z

Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, has attacked public atheism.

In a report released earlier this week, Dr Williams (Archbishop of Canterbury) and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor (Catholic leader) said:
“Many secularist commentators argue that the growing role of faith in society represents a dangerous development. However, they fail to recognise that public atheism is itself an intolerant faith position. If we pay attention to what is actually happening in the United Kingdom and beyond, we will see that religiously inspired public engagement need not be sectarian and can, in fact, be radically inclusive. This report argues that faith is not just important for human flourishing and the renewal of society but that society can only flourish if faith is given space to makes its contribution and its challenge."

'The Theos report attacks institutional atheism and argues against consigning faith to the private sphere. It claims that religion will play an increasingly significant role in the UK due to three trends: the return of civil society; the pursuit of happiness; the politics of identity.' (source)

Surely Drs Sentamu, Williams et al are being just as intolerant towards those who are secular, atheist, agnostic, etc?

I feel that it is appropriate to question the position of religion in public life. As a humanist, I strongly contest the idea that we need religion for society to be civil and happy. We need politicians, educators and law makers to be innovative, thoughtful and creative. We need enlightened citizens who care more about their responsibilities than their rights.

The journey wouldn't be easy but the destination would be worth it.

Remember, remember ...

2006-11-05T22:20:00.000Z

... the fifth of November.

How could I forget?

It seems like I'm the only person not celebrating ~~Guy Fawkes Night~~ lets make a fffff-flippin' big noise Night in my neighbourhood.

It's not that I don't think it should be celebrated but I'm fed up of jumping out
of my skin every five minutes at explosions that would be more at home in a war zone.

Harrumph.

It's Christmas!!!

2006-11-03T19:52:00.000Z

Well, no actually it's not. It's the third day of November ....

... so why, when I turned the tv on today, was I greeted by Wizzard screaming at me whilst images of suitable Christmas presents flashed on screen?

I adore Christmas. Around the middle of December, my mental age reverts to six years old. I love the seasonal images, foods, music and scents. I enjoy decorating our home and spending time with those for whom I care. I also like spending time choosing appropriate and hopefully well received gifts for family and friends.

Christmas for me is no longer a celebration of someone's birth but instead is the satisfaction of a deep seated human need for a little light and cheer in the depth of winter.

But I really wish that retailers didn't push the start of Christmas earlier and earlier each year. And instead of making sure little Johnny has the latest console with more games he can possibly play, I wish some of that money could be diverted to more philanthropic activities.

Hey ho ... or should that be ho, ho, ho?

Charlotte

2006-10-22T13:22:00.000+01:00

I know that I am writing this from the point of view of being a reasonably healthy person. I know also that this us a very contraversial topic which is coloured by an individual's background, upbringing, religion, ethical beliefs, etc. But I'm going to try to express my thoughts on this issue.

This article states that Charlotte, the little girl who was born prematurely, is now stable enough to leave the hospital (aged three). She is 'severely brain-damaged, almost blind and deaf, and unable to walk or crawl'.

I'm sure her parents believed they were doing the right thing. I understand that every parent will do everything they can to protect their child. However, I have to wonder whether it would have been better for the medical profession to have not interfered so aggressively when Charlotte was born.

I don't believe in god, I don't believe in a higher purpose, therefore I don't believe that I was "meant to be". I feel we make our own purpose in life; I was born simply because my parents created me and, in a scientific/genetic sense, my life was viable. I'm not saying that neo-natal units and advances in medical techniques are all wrong but I feel that more thought needs to go into how far we as a society should go in preserving life at all costs.

Easier said than done, I know.

In Charlotte's case, the doctors felt it better not to resuscitate her in the event of death but her parents fought that decision, the pressure of which has lead to them splitting up. I'll admit, I've no idea how I'd feel if I was in that situation but I only hope that I would have the courage to stick by my convictions.

Against the odds, Charlotte has survived but she now has no home to go to and has minimal contact with her parents. I'm sure the medical staff are doing their best to ensure she is comfortable and happy but I have to ask, what sort of life is this?

What do you think?

A challenge for my readers in Britain ...

2006-10-17T19:00:00.000+01:00

The National Trust is asking ordinary people in Britain to write an account of your day today (17th October) and upload it to the History Matters project.

The aim is to create "a detailed account of people's normal lives when they're doing nothing out of the ordinary; what they did when they got up, what they ate, how they got to work, what they did at work. It's those mundane details, those boring details that will seem extraordinary to people hundreds of years in the future."

So come on, we're all good at waffling about nothing (well, I am!) so jot a few words down about your day and pop on over to History Matters.

Sheesh!!

2006-10-14T23:26:00.000+01:00

UN slaps sanctions on North Korea … the outright hypocrisy astounds me!

The US, Russia, Britain, France and China are the “official” nuclear countries (signatories to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty). Obviously, we’re not happy about anyone else having nuclear toys to play with. Now, let's make this clear, I’m not saying that more countries should have nuclear weapons.

Far from it.

But why can we have them when North Korea can’t? What makes us any better or any more suited to having these deadly disgusting weapons of mass destruction? And what will happen if the sanctions don’t work?

We’ll probably invade and try to take them away by force … that’s what we do about everything else we disagree with, isn’t it?

A challenge to my readers ...

2006-10-12T23:25:00.000+01:00

My last attempt at NaNoWriMo started well but got into trouble quite quickly. Last years attempt was a romance, a genre I never read and don't really enjoy but, hey, I thought I'd give it a try :o)

We will hopefully be moving in November (more on that later) but I'd quite like to give NaNoWriMo authoring a try again. The question is, what to write?

In terms of favourite authors, I enjoy Terry Pratchett (of Discworld fame), Neil Gaiman (check out his blog), Douglas Adams (creator, as if you didn't know, of HHG2H), Joanne Harris (author of Chocolat amongst others), Laurell K Hamilton (very cool vampire novels), JK Rowling (I don't think she needs an introduction), David Eddings (sword and sorcery quest-based) and, of course, Tolkien (well .. durr).

So, now you know that ... what shall I write? Feel free to make the ideas as wacky or as weird as you want!

Here we go again ...

2006-10-05T19:31:00.000+01:00

Stop the presses, women are gamers ... ooooh!

'The debate about how to get women more involved in gaming is a perennial one and one on which there is pretty wide agreement that not enough is being done.'

I feel the correct response isn't to release a pink playstation! And I guess 'fluffy' games may help to introduce young girls to the joys of gaming but it would hardly work on the twenty and thirty somethings.

'Women now account for around a third of UK gamers, so it is time to stop talking about women in gaming as if they lived in a separate universe?'

It's simply not as complicated as some are making it out to be. In fact, I feel it can be summed up in three points:

1. There is a huge variety of games available. In the same way that all men don't all enjoy playing driving games, not all women will enjoy playing shopping games. Stop pigeon holing women - some like playing the Sims, others like real time strategy games and, believe it or not, some just want to shoot things in first person shooters or MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game).

2. Make sure the games have the option for the player to choose a male or a female character (preferrably with realistic body shapes).

3. Get rid of simpering Damsels in Distress who have to rely on the hero and if you do have a strong character don't dress her in gravity defying micro-bikini-armour.

Sorted.

'There is still a perception that women who play male-dominated games are going to be ignored, shouted down or chatted up by men they will be playing against. "There is a preconceived notion that you will feel out of place but that isn't borne out by women who are actually playing games," she said (Ms Kearney, games industry journalist and a Frag Doll)'

I agree with that last comment. I play an MMORPG (called Star Wars Galaxies) with a female avatar (a character whose body shape, skin tone, hair and clothing are all designed by me).

One of the first questions I get asked is whether I am a girl or a guy. When they find out I'm female in real life, the usual response is something along the lines of "cool" and then we go on to talk about other things.

Probaby the only difference is the guys might tone their language down ... until they learn that I also have an extensive vocabulary of profanities when I'm in the middle of a fight!

The gaming community isn't just nerdy guys or pimply faced youths. However, if I'm likely to get any sort of negative response it will be from the latter. When that happens then me or my guild mates just kick his butt. ;o)

Bigger, Better, Faster, Now

2006-10-04T21:13:00.000+01:00

Well, we are hopefully buying a house. And what an enlightening experience it's proving to be. The illustrious "they" say that moving house is one of the most stressful things people go through.

But I don't think that the actual move is stressful. Packing and shifting boxes is hard work but, in my experience, physical hard work is rarely stressful - sweaty, tiring, irritating maybe but not stressful.

I don't think the mortgage arrangments are stressful (although maybe we're lucky having a pair of fab Independent Financial Advisors).

What is really stressful is dealing with people whose job it is to sell houses and complete conveyancing.

I'm finding it somewhat vexing that already we are having to chase so-called professionals to do their job! The estate agents ... well lets not even go there. I'm sure our solicitors are competent and efficient (they come highly recommended as such) but I get the feeling that, with the best will in the world, we are just another couple buying just another property. In one sense that is true, but in another sense:

We're not just any other couple - we're us
It's not just another property - it will be our home
It's not just another coveyancing job - it's a couple of first time buyers who are nervous/excited/scared/unsure.

And to top it all off I think London has corrupted me. I think before I lived here, I would happily have let this process chug along. Since living in London, I've become used to the Bigger, Better, Faster, Now approach to life in London. And now I expect those qualities in my estate agent and solicitors ...

... hmm, the word deluded springs to mind.

Hey ho.

P.S. Shameless plug - for the techie people amongst you, you might want to pop over to my hubby's blog. There you will find rants about (and sometimes praise for) Microsoft, links to techie stuff and general musings.

What Sci Fi / Fantasy Character are you?

2006-09-30T23:22:00.000+01:00

My quick gut-reaction answers say that I am John Sheridan from Babylon 5 who apparently is "an experienced survivor who has maneuvered around many obstacles, you are looked up to by those who rely on your good judgment".

Don't know about that :o) but if you fancy a giggle click below ...

Compact and Bijou

2006-09-24T23:08:00.000+01:00

More fun with estate agents ...

We viewed a property this weekend and the guy showing us round reminded me of the chap on the BT Broadband advert.

"The living room benefits from a front and rear aspect."

Front and rear aspect?? I wonder why they are taught this unwieldy and sometimes downright bizarre vocabulary. Do they think that putting it in estate-agent-speak excuses the fact that it is a blatantly redundant statement?

We're standing in the room.
We can see it has two windows.
We can see what the windows over-look.

He continued to make obvious statements (the colour of the walls, the placement of furniture, etc) in a voice not unlike the chap in the aforementioned advert until we thanked him for his time and left.

I know I can't tar all estate agents with the same brush (and apologies to any competent estate agents reading this) but I've spoken to and met a number of them over the last few months and I've met one, maybe two, that showed any signs of ability and professionalism.

The mind boggles.

In the news today ...

2006-09-21T19:26:00.000+01:00

There are three things that I just want to post a comment on today.

If human lives can be affected by the power of positive thoughts/prayers/wishes, then there is hope for Richard Hammond. He is such a likeable chap (a little mad, but hey, no-one's perfect!) and I, like countless others, hope that he makes a full recovery.

Talk about putting your money where your mouth is - Branson will 'commit all profits from his travel firms, such as airline Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Trains, over the next 10 years' for investing in the development of new renewable energy technologies. That is the princely sum of £1.6bn!

And finally a tale of re-birth. After approximately 3.3 million years, Lucy's 'daughter' has emerged from the sandstone rock which preserved her bones. The female Australopithecus afarensis will allow scientists to examine growth and development of this early hominid, our distant ancestor. It will also presumably be interesting to compare her characteristics with similarly aged chimpanzees, our closest relative.

Hmmm ...

Thought for the Day

2006-09-18T23:16:00.000+01:00

I found a thought for the day on the British Humanist Association website that is definitely thought provoking.

You will need some sort of media player and your sound turned on for this secular alternative.

An Inconvenient Truth

2006-09-17T07:10:00.000+01:00

The BBC has this article about the UK opening of Al Gore's film on climate change called An Inconvenient Truth.

I first heard about this on TED (his very interesting talk can be watched here) and I'm glad that it has made it over to the UK.

If you are at all interested in climate change, do try to see it.
If you believe climate change is a load of mumbo-jumbo, definitely go and see it (what have you got to loose?).

Willing suspension of disbelief is not required.

Whoops

2006-09-16T15:39:00.000+01:00

I just want to make a few (hopefully balanced) points about the Pope's address:

This was an address to an academic institution and, as such, he quotes and refers to a number of sources. He does not say anywhere in the address that the Islamic world is violent and evil.

Having read the full text (I wonder how many of those protesting have read the full text?) I think this statement has been taken out of context. The address is discussing the issue of reason and faith.

Having said that, I think he could have chosen a different quote to illustrate his point as it doesn't take much intelligence to realise that religion is a mine field at present leading to diverse reactions.

My final thought, I respect everyone's right to have differences of opinion, to be offended by things and to object to things. We are all different with different ways of life, cultures, beliefs (or lack thereof). I just hope that all protests and objections are peaceful and non-violent.

I have been mostly reading ...

2006-09-12T23:12:00.000+01:00

... a fascinating book by Richard Dawkins called The Ancestor's Tale.

I like reading what I call popular science books, i.e. covering serious science, not bogged down with heavy equations or reams of latin but requiring some thought and concentration when reading.

The Ancestor's Tale is structured similarly to the Canterbury Tales by Chaucer. Chaucer had his characters tell tales to pass the time whilst they were on a pilgrimage. Dawkins takes us on a pilgrimage back through time to the emergence of life at the evolutionary Canterbury. The tale starts with Homo Sapiens (not because we're better than any other end point of the tree of life, just because we're understandably interested in our own evolutionary past). The pilgrimage is punctuated by tales "told" by successive concestors. The term concester refers to the common ancestor shared by related groups of life, the point at which one branch splits into two (or more).

There are a few places where it's hard work and sometimes ten or twenty pages were all I could manage in a reading. This is nothing to do with Dawkin's writing style, more to do with my limited biology knowledge. But perseverance is rewarded with fascinating insights *, beautiful illustrations and ultimately a discussion about the current theories of how life on earth actually began.

* Did you know that when oxygen was first released into the atmosphere through biochemical processes it was actually poisonous to life?

* Or that Hippos and Whales are closely related?

* Or that Lactose tolerance is only a relatively new evolutionary step in humans and those who are Lactose intolerant have an earlier non-mutated form of the particular gene(s)?

Definitely not light holiday reading but a very rewarding and enlightening book.

Grumpy Old Women

2006-09-08T22:18:00.000+01:00

I was watching Grumpy Old Women on BBC2 the other evening.

Sadly, I think I'm a grumpy old woman before my time as I found myself nodding in agreement to many things on the programme!

This week it featured such delights as spitting in the street and the inane conversations that your hairdresser tries to hold with you whie you'd much rather just site and relax in silence.

Is it just me or are there other grumpy young women out there?

Don't Stop Me Now

2006-09-06T20:26:00.000+01:00

I am a fan of Queen and to be honest I rarely think covers of their songs are any good. Freddie Mercury was a consummate Performer and Brian May is my contender for possibly the Most Talented Guitarist in the World ever (I told you I was a bit of a fan).

So I was pleasantly surprised when I heard McFly's cover of Don't Stop Me Now at the Sports Relief Mile in London (which was, I'm proud to say, completed by my Hubby). It was being blasted out of speakers at the starting line and I was happily tapping my toes and humming when I noticed Hubby looking cheekily happy, "You think that's Queen, don't you?" he asked.

I stopped and concentrated harder on the music. I realised that it wasn't Freddie's dulcet tones but I also realised that it was a damn good tune.

So, if you haven't done so already buy the single, do your bit and get toe-tapping.

Philosophy and Religion

2006-09-04T19:28:00.000+01:00

I've discovered a fascinating new website - Technology Entertainment Design, known as TED.

So, what is TED? It is an annual conference showcasing the latest ideas in Technology, Entertainment, Design, Business, Science, the Arts 'in fact any subject area offering something fresh and important'. Each week one of the talks from the previous conference is posted on their website. They each last about twenty minutes and are quite fascinating.

One in particular I have enjoyed today is Dan Dennett, philosophy professor and cognitive scientist. His talk gets a little confusing part the way through but the second portion puts forward some very interesting ideas about religion. Specifically, the idea that the facts of all world religions (the core beliefs, holy book, rituals, history, etc) should be taught in all schools allowing young people to make rational informed choices about religion.

Go take a look but prepared to be there for a little while ;o)

Feel the love

2006-09-03T14:05:00.000+01:00

Hubby and I have been to a wedding this weekend. I always love going to weddings, especially when I know the couple well. This weekend, something reminded me of our own wedding two years ago.

The Bride looked totally gorgeous in a beautiful dress. The Bride and Groom had made their vows without fault and we'd applauded the new Mr & Mrs. The wedding party then moved to sign the register.

I sat and looked round the church taking in the moment. Then I looked at the wedding party - the parents, the brother and sister-in-law of the groom (Best Man and Matron of Honour repectively), the bridesmaids, etc. I saw the Matron smile as she watched the Bride and Groom signing the register and then I noticed that they were all looking at the couple with such love and happiness.

Those looks took me back to our wedding day. During the day, I realised that everyone was there because they loved and cared about us. It was an amazing experience to feel that. I hope that our friends had similar feelings on their special day.

And that is why I love weddings - they are full of such positive feelings and hopes for the future.

I'm baaaaack

2006-08-31T14:00:00.000+01:00

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

I was hoping to be able to report some changes in Rheaville but unfortunately the above phrase holds true.

We are currently looking for an apartment so we can step onto the bottom rung of the property ladder. So far, all I have learnt is that most estate agents are worse than useless and houses sell bloomin' fast in the area in which we want to buy.

I had a classic conversation the other week:

Agent: Had you given any further thought to your offer?
Rhea: It's unfortunate that they have rejected our offer but that is our final figure.
A: They haven't rejected your offer, they just need more money.
R: ? I'm sorry ?
A: They need more money for the property they want to buy.
R: Well, like I said, if they don't like our offer, then there's not much I can do about it.
A: But it's not that they don't like it, they just want more.
R: ?? [deep calming breath] As I've explained before, we are first time buyers and our current offer is already the maximum we can afford so we can't and won't increase our offer.
A grumpily: In that case, I'll advise the chain.
R: [you do that]

I'll keep you posted.

Too hot to blog

2006-07-24T19:17:00.000+01:00

There are a number of things that I could blog about at present but, to be honest, it's too darned hot.

Plus there are a number of things going on in real life so my virtual world will be neglected for a while.

I'm taking the rest of July and August off.

See you in September!

2006-07-11T19:03:00.000+01:00

Syd Barrett has died.

Shine on you crazy diamond.

Grammar School by any other name?

2006-07-11T08:45:00.000+01:00

Gifted pupil register under fire

"A list of gifted and talented pupils in England is being launched by the government to help those from poorer backgrounds reach their potential.
But former chief inspector of schools Chris Woodhead said the problem was not identifying the bright pupils. It was offering them appropriate support - and that was something best done in grammar schools."

These eligible students will then be registered with the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (?).

I had a Grammar School education and for that I am very grateful. I did well at school and I think a lot of that is to do with the environment in which I was taught.

I agree with Mr Woodhead. If you want to nurture and encourage all students no matter what their background, re-introduce full selection - Grammar Schools for the academically gifted, Technology Schools offering a range of vocational courses along side the core subjects for other pupils. I believe this would help all students reach their full potential.

That's my two penneth.

North Korea's Nuclear Weapons

2006-07-05T18:29:00.000+01:00

The BBC is running this story over the Outcry over N Korea missile test. Now, I am not condoning their actions, far from it, but doesn't it smack of hypocrisy and sound very similar to this story?

"We" don't want Korea to have nuclear weapons and yet there are those in the UK government who want to spend billions of pounds on updating our nuclear arsenal. (I wish I had the guts and ability to with-hold my taxes as I'm horrified that my money should be spent on such abominations.)

Sixty years on from Hiroshima and Nagasaki it is estimated that there are approximately 35,000 nuclear weapons in the world. The bomb dropped on Nagasaki killed roughly 70,000 people outright and a further 70,000 later died from radiation related illnesses/injuries. How many more developed cancers and other nasties in the years that followed?

It is estimated that the world arsenal actually equates (in fire power) to 500,000 bombs of the size that were dropped in Japan. So, on average, one of these newer bombs could be about 15 times more powerful. Drop one of those on a city and you could kill up to a million people with a massive fall-out causing incalculable damage and a heavily polluted world weather system.

We don't just need to persuade Korea to stop developing and maintaining nuclear warheads, we need to look to the weapons of mass destruction on our own soil.

Why I hate commuting ... part 2

2006-06-29T23:37:00.000+01:00

Picture this ... you're in London, in rush hour and you get on the tube train (an underground train or subway, for americans and others).

Now, the word 'train' should give it away really. Trains go fast ... admittedly tube trains don't always go fast but you get the idea, a tube train is at some point going to move.

So, you get on the tube and the sometimes grumpy, sometimes bored, occasionally witty driver says something like "mind the doors, this train is ready to depart". As it's at rush hour there are no seats left, it's standing room only. There follows an ear splitting noise (especially when you're right next to them) as the doors close.

That should give you and your fellow passengers a clue as to what is coming next.

But no, on each and every journey made at rush hour there is always at least one person in your carriage who has failed to realise that the train they have just boarded will at some point move; they have failed to notice the warning or the closing of the doors.

When the train moves forward they lurch, wildy grabbing on to anything close to hand.
And worse ... they always have a look of surprise on their face?!
And even worse than that ... the same thing happens at the next station!!

So please, I beg of you, take hold of the hand rail and be aware of what is going on around you. Don't try and read a broadsheet or put your make-up on. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart preferrably with your knees unlocked.

It might not look elegant but neither is sprawling face down into a stock brokers portfolio.

Why I hate commuting ... part 1

2006-06-27T11:08:00.000+01:00

The company I work for has recently relocated. I can no longer have a pleasant walk to work. Instead, I have an hour commute - one short bus journey, two tube journeys and a light railway journey. All that to travel seven miles.

This morning I left the house at 7:45 and stopped travelling at 10:00. In that time, it took me about fifty minutes to travel 3 miles. After an incredibly slow stop-start tube journey, the tube line was suspended. My choice was joining a bus queue that was about 400 yards long to wait for an over-flowing bus to take me to the next interchange or try to find a bus going in the opposite direction and take the day off work. I chose the latter.

So I've got the day off today but I'll have to do it all again tomorrow.

Tell me, why do we do this?

Evolution ?

2006-06-25T10:31:00.000+01:00

It would appear that worldwide society in generally becoming more religious and less secular/science-orientated in it's outlook. I'm sure this is due to a certain extent to the way the media highlights certain issues and events - such as the teaching of ID (intelligent design) in some US schools - but nevertheless it is worrying.

ID basically says Life, the Universe and everything shows so much purpose, order and complexity that it must have been designed (more detail here).

Thankfully the international scientific community has something to say about this. The BBC has this story - Scientists urge evolution lessons - which says, 'A statement signed by 67 national science academies says evidence on the origins of life is being "concealed, denied, or confused" in some classes'.

The paper says that there are certain evidence based facts that have never been contradicted by any experiements or observations (such as the age of the planet). It then goes on to point out the way in which science examines evidence and proposes hypotheses to be tested from which theories are developed. It also acknowledges that scientist are always willing to re-examine theories in light of new evidence - 'Science is open ended, and subject to correction and expansion as new theoretical and empirical understanding emerges'.

(The full report can be found here.)

Evolution should be taught in science classes. It should be debated, challenged, tested and examined as any theory in a science lesson should be. That is the nature of science. ID would have to earn it's place in the science lesson like any other new theory and, as yet, no papers on ID have been submitted to a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

In my opinion, the fact that this spinning ball of rock slowly developed the right conditions for life to emerge; that life survived mega quakes, asteroid strikes, extremes of weather conditions and tectonic upheaval; that life evolved in such diverse and wonderful ways is amazing. To put all that down to a designer seems a bit of a cop out.

I am in awe of the natural world because of it's origins. Look at a flower - isn't it more amazing that it evolved to be so beautiful?

Shocking!

2006-06-22T21:00:00.000+01:00

The BBC has this rather worrying (to me) story - Love it or lose it

'Public libraries are on the verge of extinction warn campaigners. How can they be protected for the future? Be honest - when did you last use your local library? Do you even know where it is? There is a chance you might find out too late and it'll have closed.'

Well, I returned a book last week and it's at the bottom of my street.

I use my local library fairly regularly, not least because I can't alwasy afford to maintain my reading habit with brand new books! There are certain authors - Pratchett, Rowling, Gaiman, the ones I know I will read over and over - whose books I will always buy brand new and often in hard back. But for untried authors, recommended books, or a random browse, I will happily frequent the library. Luckily, we have quite a reasonable sized one with a good selection. And thankfully it's not too full of romance novels and DVDs! ;o)

I have many memories of being taken to the library by my parents and grandparents. I'm sure those visits helped to cement my relationship with books. It would be a real shame to see libraries close but as with most things ...
... you don't know what you've got till it's gone.

Happy Reading.

Negative/Positive Discrimination in Writing

2006-05-31T23:15:00.000+01:00

Hubby (quite rightly) says that I over-analysis and counter-think about things. I've been doing it again and this time it's about my writing.

When developing characters for my long term work in progress, I automatically made them white and English. Today this gave me pause.

As the saying goes, 'write about what you know'. I know what it's like to be an educated white English woman. Therefore, my protagonist and by extension her family is white and English. The antagonist is a white South African. I can't explain that choice, just fits my mental image of him. Then I began to develop the character of the ex-boyfriend of the protagonist. True to type, I think of him as white English. So I am now faced with the thought, should I introduce some cultural diversity through the character of the ex-boyfriend and other supporting characters?

Should this be a consideration when writing?
Is it discriminatory to not represent the diversity of the UK, not through any prejudice but simply because it feels right for my story?
Is it right to include non-white/non-English people just because I feel I should?

I am genuinely puzzled by this so I welcome all comments.

Book Review - The Power of One

2006-05-28T22:50:00.000+01:00

Following on from my previous post, here is a review of The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay which was recommended to me by a friend.

Amazon's synopsis states:
"No stranger to the injustice of racial hatred, five-year-old Peekay learns the hard way the first secret of survival and self-preservation - the power of one. An encounter with amateur boxer Hoppie Groenewald inspires in Peekay a fiery ambition - to be welterweight champion of the world."

The story is told by the young English boy called Peekay who is growing up in 1930s/40s South Africa. (I've subsequently learnt that the story is based loosely on the author's life.) The author sucessfully achieves a child-like voice which grows in sophistication as the character grows. This provides a unique look at the racism and segregation between Boers or Afrikaners, other Whites, Coloureds (i.e. Indian or mixed race) and Blacks of different tribes.

Peekay meets a number of traditional and non-traditional mentor figures whilst he is growing up. He faces bullies, prejudice, violence, loss and the usual teenage issues.

Peekay becomes interested in boxing at a young age and this is one of his main motivations throughout the story.

Being English, he is an outside observer in a way, although his English background causes him problems of his own. He sees hatred between the Boers and Black Africans and how it is accepted within society. But he does not emulate the behaviour and, through a series of events, develops a powerful and unusual relationship with Black South Africans.

Through one of his more traditional mentors, the reader is introduced to the beauty of South Africa, while other characters provide a glimpse of the mystery and magic.

On one level it is a very personal story but, almost without realising it, the reader is also receiving a history lesson and is experiencing the story of South Africa itself.

There is no plot in the traditional sense so very occassionally I found myself thinking ahead or questioning the purpose of a scene but each episode in Peekays life has a structure and depth so this does not detract from the enjoyment of the book.

Ordinarily, I would not have picked this book off the shelf but I'm very glad that I acted on the recommendation.

Themes: opression of the individual and of cultural groups; growth and development; friendship; self-determination; the power of belief.

Stars: 4/5

House-keeping

2006-05-28T22:45:00.000+01:00

I've noticed that my blogging has been patchy of late. I've had gaps when I've hardly posted followed by a flurry of random ramblings. So, I've decided to [try to] introduce a bit of structure in my writing.

As well as my usual comments on current affairs and interesting miscellany, I will be giving little updates and thoughts on the process of writing a novel [at my pace that should keep me going for abuot five years] and also some book reviews.

Let me know what you think ...

Happy Journeys.

I feel like crying with impotent rage ...

2006-05-24T18:34:00.000+01:00

Attenborough: Climate is changing

'Sir David ... is the latest high-profile figure to say the world is facing a climate crisis. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams; the government's chief scientist Sir David King, and former Royal Society president Sir Robert May have all expressed public concern on the issue.

"If we do care about our grandchildren then we have to do something, and we have to demand that our governments do something."'

They know it, we know it, the government knows it ... so why the bloody hell is no-one DOING anything? Many individuals try to do the right thing by recycling, informed choices, etc, but as this article suggests there is only so much impact individuals can have.

'His comments came as a UK parliamentary body, the All-Party Environment Group, issued a report labelling the government a "climate laggard" for its record on reducing emissions.'

We've had enough reports, commissions and statements. The argument over whether global warming will result in tropical climates and raised water levels or the next ice age is irrelevant. Some governments are concerned about the economic impact of sanctions, taxes, green fuels but how is that worse than the alternative? Now I can understand that developing countries could see environmental issues as secondary to feeding, housing and healing their people but there is no excuse for the so-called "developed" countries to not lead the way and shoulder some of the burden.

Look at all the money spent on guns and military hardware, look at all the bling that society is becoming obsessed with ... think of how that could be better employed in saving the planet.
(Oh dear, getting into a pacifist, quasi-communist, idealist rant now. Sorry about that.)

To anyone who still believes it's poppy-cock, let me ask you ...
Are you that sure?
Never mind your grandchildren, are you willing to bet your life on it?

Aaarrggghhhhh ...

2006-05-24T14:01:00.000+01:00

Big Brother has started again.

I am boycotting terrestrial television and newsagents and ... argh, there's no escape!

Help!!

Are we living in the dark ages?

2006-05-22T13:33:00.000+01:00

Dispite all the hoo-haa,'Millions' flock to Da Vinci Code

Having now seen it, I think the main characters provide argument and counter-argument during the story line to present different viewpoints and this was handled well. The movie was a good adaptation of the book and I enjoyed it but to be honest, I've seen better. I will probably get it on DVD as I would like to watch it again without being kicked in the back or overhearing a whispered explanation from a teenager to his little sister about what a prostitute is.

However, reading down the BBC article a bit more, I came across this:
'two Italian local councillors burned the book in the main square of the village of Ceccano'

Excuse me, I was under the mistaken impression that we were living in the twenty first century?

Is this book really so shocking, so dangerous to society, so disturbing that they felt the need to burn it?

Books are written to provoke reactions, be they emotional or intellectual. Censorship of the written word and art based upon it only serves to stunt societies growth and development.

This is one of the reasons why I prefer science over religion. Science welcomes debate and new ideas, accepts its mistakes and revises its theories in light of new discoveries. Religion, by its very nature, can never do that.

MeMe meeee ......

2006-05-17T23:19:00.000+01:00

I'm baaaaaaack ... after Hubby endured countless stupid calls to a certain ISP's stupid "help"desk. I'll maybe post about it when I can think coherently.

Anyway ... I've been memed by Clare, via Birdy. So here goes ...

1. Briefly describe an aspect of your life for which "The Dying of Delight" would be an apt title.

I think the most relevant would be my love of nature and science and stuff.
Children are fascinated by stuff - they examine everyday objects with such great delight and ask really interesting questions. It's a sad fact that many adults loose or supress this trait.

So I try to prevent the dying of delight. I allow myself to feel the wonder of a rainbow, the beauty of a flower, the vastness of the blue sky above my head. On bad days I try to focus on the amazing stuff that is around me. Doesn't always work but I sincerely hope I always manage to retain my delight in the simple things in life.

2. Pick another book whose title has some resonance in your life, and write a little about it.

This is a toughie as my regular fare comprises fantasy, murder mysteries/crime procedurals and odds 'n ends, the titles of which are completely inappropriate to the question. Having spent a pleasant few minutes dipping in and out of my bookcases I have chosen "Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman. The cover blurb reads, 'Richard Mayhew is a plain man with a good heart and an ordinary life that is changed forever on a day he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk. From that moment forward he is propelled into a world he never dreamed existed - a dark subculture flourishing in abandoned subway stations and sewer tunnels below the city - a world far stranger and more dangerous than the only one he has ever known ...'
[sidewalk?! looks like I bought an American imprint]

It's a fantastic story about London Below. A London full of outsiders, mis-fits, etc. A London where there really is an Angel at Islington and the Earl holds Court on an underground carriage. For Richard, London Below becomes more real and exciting than his boring normal life in the fake-feeling London Above. As someone who now lives in London but grew up in another place entirely, the book really caught my imagination. London frequently feels like a Neverwhere to me. I often feel like I'm living on the surface of something called London but I'm never truly part of it.

3. Write one more short personal piece - one which matches the book title chosen (in part 2) by the person who tagged you.

Birdy wrote about Unless, which I've never heard of but I guess that's the appeal of book memes. Having read another book meme somewhere, I am now reading If On a Winters Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino. But I digress (again, I have a habit of doing that. Had you noticed?)

As you know, I'm interested in the idea of journeys, life being a road full of turnings, cross roads and dead ends. Some years back I had got myself into a dead end relationship and then I met my future Hubby. Very early on in our relationship he shared with me his ambition to move to London. That was an 'unless' moment for me - I woudn't know whether the relationship could work unless I gave it a chance and moved with him. Turns out, it was the right decision. :o)

4. Take your favourite little-known book and plug it to your readers. Authors need incomes and word of mouth is one of the best ways to sell books.

I must confess to not having read the Dying of Delight yet but will be buying a copy on payday (promise!).

I'm not sure whether you will have heard of this one yet, there's this guy called Dan Brown who's released this book called the Da Vinci- ... oh, you've heard of it? Oh good. ;o)

To digress for a moment (tee hee), isn't this the best line ever spoken by a director about his film?
"Given the controversial nature of this story there's no question the film is likely to be upsetting to some people. My advice is not to see the film if you think it will upset you ... This is supposed to be entertainment. It is not theology. It should not be misunderstood as such. It stimulates conversation but that's what good fiction does."
Classic!

Thinking about it, I don't know whether I know any little-known books. I guess my brand of fantasy is probably mainly read by genre fans so I would urge people who wouldn't ordinarily entertain a 'fantasy' book to consider reading people such as Pratchett and Gaiman as they have a much wider appeal than their pidgeon holing would suggest and are often very thought-provoking.

5. Sit back and marvel at the magnificence of this meme. It was brought to you by an out-of-breath author, reduced (on account of her publisher having expired) to trundling copies of her book across the internet on a rusty old trolley with one wheel missing, sweating and shouting "Buy me book, Gov?" Now visit www.thedyingofdelight.co.uk and see if you'd like a copy for yourself.

Nuff said.

6. Tag some peeps.

Hmm, not really sure who I can tag for this. If you are reading this and want to give it a go, feel free but please put a link in the coments. Thank you.

And now, time to curl up in bed with a good book!

Happy Journeys.

Connectively Challenged

2006-05-16T13:47:00.000+01:00

I was tagged by Birdy for a spot of memeing (hmm?) but unfortunately the inter-webby is not quite making it to Rheasville at present. Hopefully normal service will be resumed shortly.

In the meantime, if you haven't already - go out and by The Independent today. It's red (no really, it is), half of sales revenues are going to fight Aids and there's lots of interesting stuff inside. It was guest edited by Bono (but if you don't like him, don't let that put you off as it's about the issues, not him).

It's just a matter of time

2006-04-17T16:40:00.000+01:00

I wrote this last week and then never got round to completing the post:

For some time Hubby and I have been saying that sooner or later, there will be a back-lash to political correctness, positive discrimination and percieved biased policies.

More 'considering voting for BNP'

Before I get flamed, I want to make it clear that I do not agree with the BNP's more radical racist viewpoints. However, ...

I'm guessing something distracted me at that point.

So, as I was saying before I rudely interrupted my self, today the back-lash has possibly begun - BNP doubles number of councillors. I clearly have some fundamental issues with the BNP's core policies but as much as I hate to admit it, some of the other minor points of their manifesto sounded constructive (I was quite shocked by this and even now I feel as if I must apologise for saying that but there you have it).

Even though some of their policies are downright racist and abhorrent I can unfortunately see why they might be gaining support in some areas. People are experiencing problems which they feel are not being addressed by the government. And instead of thinking why the BNP might be gaining support and what they need to do for the disgruntled electorate, they criticise Margaret Hodge for warning that this might happen??!

To top it all, we heard 'shocking revelations' last week that the Home Office couldn't find it's own backside without a map, never mind the thousands of asylum seekers, students, visitors, appelants and other foreign nationals (the guilty and innocent alike).

I've had direct dealings with the Immigration and Nationality Directorate when I worked at a college. This was some years ago but even then applications for student visas could taken six months or even longer. Documents were lost, good students with great (and genuine) supporting documentation were refused whilst guys going to the ~~visa factory~~ college down the road continued to get their visas extended. It's so easy for people to drop below the radar and remain in England for much longer than allowed.

Even more bizarrely, there wasn't and probably still isn't a method for institutions to report people who were breaking the terms of their visa (i.e. not attending classes or working). When I tried to provide information on the small number of students who slipped through our nets, I was met with 'not enough resources' or even 'can't be bothered'.

So you can tell that I was not at all surprised by this.

Politics, eh?

Horrified

2006-04-09T20:05:00.000+01:00

I've just found out that one of my favourite perfumes, Davidoff Cool Water, is made by a Tobacco company!

I was just surfing on the jolly old inter-web-thingie as you do, one clickie leading to another until the horrible truth was revealed.

Don't think I'll be buying that perfume again ... shame, as it's really fresh and light.

Does anyone know if I'm safe with Clinique as I'd really hate to stop using my most favourite perfume?

:o(

Snuffles

2006-04-01T19:34:00.000+01:00

Throughout school, many of my teachers frequently made the comment that they recognised me by looking for the child holding the man sized hankerchief to her face! I always had a cold in the wintertime and sometimes even two.

So, I was delighted to have remained bug-free this Winter, most likely due to some vitamins, a semi-healthy diet, keeping warm, a flu jab and a little bit of luck.

But now, at the beginning of Spring, I'm feeling yucky! Fuzzy head, hot and tingly nose, sinuses and throat. I'm squirting Vick's First Defence up my nose (an interesting sensation, I can tell you) and popping high dose Vitamin C and Echinacea.

So, you might not want to get too close for a while :o)

Spoonerisms

2006-03-21T13:40:00.000Z

In an attempt to get my brain to relax in the middle of an horrendously busy day, I allowed it to wander whither it willed.

It happened upon my knack of creating accidental Spoonerisms.

It then took to wondering how it creates those wonderful, sometimes embarassing, often hilarious word-wibbles.

I rarely spoonerise at work, presumably because I take extra care over what I say to clients over the phone and also because I don't want to look like a complete prat in front of my colleagues. These amusing episodes appear to happen mainly when I am relaxed - at home, with Hubby or close friends, for example.

I am adept at this art having started very young with Par Carks and Cine Pones. I then graduated to swapping whole syllabubs. My interest in alcoholic cream desserts aside, I can now produce some cracking tongue-twisters with apparent ease.

I've spent an enjoyable half hour reading about why this happens and the different types of speech errors, such as blending two words (usually of similar meaning) into one nonsense one. I then turned to explain this to Hubby and, you guessed it, spoonered like a good'un!

Jappy Hourneys.

Thank you!

2006-03-09T13:30:00.000Z

Big thanks go to Zinnia and Clare of Boob Pencil fame for their very helpful (and substantial) comments to my previous post.

I would like to respond to their comments. Everyone else can listen in, I'm sure Zinnia and Clare won't mind. :o)

Firstly Zinnia. Nope, this wasn't the NaNoWriMo effort. That's securely filed away to be looked at in about a year for me to laugh at! This is a story idea that first came to me whilst I was invigilating an exam about four years ago. Exams are sooooo boring and I'd done all the work that I had taken in with me. My mind wandered and a seed of an idea started to grow.
I started this as a first person, then swapped to third person and have finally come back to the protagonist's POV. This has limitations but, as you say, adds immediate action and tension.
Great idea to read random passages of my favourite authors. I guess I have to take off my "reader" hat and try to analyse them a bit to see why I like them so much.
Thank you, Zinnia.

Now onto Clare's comments. Firstly, welcome to my humble abode!
I love the idea of messing around with the time line. Thinking about it, most if not all of the story is written in strict chronological style. I will definately have to have a play around with that. I like the 'exposition to ammunition' idea. I can already think of a few incidents where I can use that.
I'm working hard to get inside my characters' heads at present. Then hopefully through their individual personalities I can show the reader what they are like whilst providing information from their own unique perspectives.
Thank you for the Robert McKee recommendation - a copy is on it's way to me.

And finally, I would like to end with a question for readers:
If it's not relevant to the story, how important is it that you are show in some way what the character looks like (unless, of course, their appearance influences their actions)?
When you're reading, do you want to know exactly what the main characters look like or are you happy to create an image in your mind?

Can I pick your brain?

2006-03-01T13:32:00.000Z

I am honoured to count among my readers some very talented writers and this post is for you.

I've brushed the dust and biscuit crumbs off a 16,000 word draft that I was working on last year. When I'd laughed myself hoarse and questioned my sanity after a few particularly dubious sections, I decided I liked the basic plot but it needed some serious work.

To pigeon hole the story, it is a quest based fantasy, i.e. something important and powerful is stolen from the rightful guardians by the bad guys for their own nefarious plans. Good guys have to get it back before the end of the world as we know it. :o)

I have two issues at the moment that I am struggling with.

First, I have in mind a handful of dramatic events to which the protagonist has to react beginning with the thingie being stolen and ending in the 11th hour show down. Can anyone please suggest any tips or methods that will ensure that the story does not end up feeling like " ... and then ... and then ... and then ...".

Second, I know that I should be showing and not telling but sometimes I'm finding this easier said than done, hence episodes of exposition. Any thoughts, please?

Another annoying advert....

2006-02-22T18:18:00.000Z

...from Cillit Bang.

Is it just me or are those adverts intensely annoying? Why do they feel the need for the main actor to shout? Does he not know that the fluffy thing above his head is called a microphone and it will pick up everything he says? I mute the adverts when they come on as I find them most irritating.

Is it just me?

Once upon a time they lived happily ever after

2006-02-15T13:36:00.000Z

Group urges Da Vinci film changes

As I hope, one day, to be a published writer, stories like this concern me.

I found the Da Vinci code fascinating. I enjoyed re-examining familiar paintings and researching some of the issues brought up in the book. It's fun to have the familiar challenged in an exciting way.

These conspiracies and theories have been rumbling around for centuries and will continue to do so. There is so much history and intrigue surrounding the catholic church and christianity as a whole. People like a mystery.

But, and this is a big but, this is first and foremost a work of fiction. The author has made it clear that it is a work of fiction. Sony Entertainment have made it clear that they view the film as a work of fiction. Fiction takes the familiar, the bizarre, the theories, the myths and, with a pinch of artistic license, weaves them into a story.

It seems increasingly as if authors, script writers, playwrights, etc will be forced to avoid a growing number of subject areas for fear of causing offence.

What a bland and boring world that will lead to.

Cogito Ergo Sum

2006-02-12T22:08:00.000Z

In continuation of my previous post, the subject that I have decided to study is ... {drum roll} ... Philosophy.

I find many of the big philosophical questions fascinating. My Hubby will agree when I say that I love a good debate on life, love and um ... stuff. In addition, religion is something that I'm becoming increasingly interested in. Not religion in the sense of wanting faith in some higher being but in the sense of why others have a faith in some higher being. The course that I have found has a section on religious morality which should be great fun.

And now, I would like to leave you with this quote that is attributed to Steve Weinberg (I am informed that it was quoted in The New York Times, 1999):
"With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things.
But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."

Hmm, makes you think ...

Educating Rhea

2006-02-09T18:22:00.000Z

As you've probably guessed from the range of things I post about, I do quite a lot of reading on a variety of subjects. I like to learn new things and be challenged by new ideas. I've decided to do an A Level by correspondence course - it's not related to my job, purely for my own interest and enjoyment.

I think I have made up my mind what subject I will be taking but I thought it would be fun to have some suggestions from you.

So, what subject do you think I should study?

People in glass houses ...

2006-02-05T13:27:00.000Z

Little rambling today I'm afraid but I need to get my thoughts out on this.

I absolutely uphold people's right to peaceful protest. Use your voice, placards and peaceful action to let people know you're not happy with something. But a number of protesters in the UK chose some quite offensive slogans - Cartoon protest slogans condemned.

Now, I want to make it perfectly clear that I understand many Muslims in Britain have condemned some of the slogans used by those protesting about the cartoons published by european newspapers.

I must say that, as a non-religious person, I can't understand why people are so offended by these cartoons but I can accept that their feelings are genuine.

Perhaps it is because I am used to seeing humour and satire being directed towards organised religion and politicians, etc. Perhaps it is because of my personal beliefs about organised religion.

I will make no comment on the cartoons as I have not seen them - perhaps they went too far, I don't know. I have since learnt through this that there is an Islamic tradition forbidding the depiction of Allah or Mohammed, which makes the general reaction a bit more understandable.

But I think this is very important, "The newspaper's culture editor, Flemming Rose, ... has insisted that there is a long Danish tradition of biting satire with no taboos, and that Muhammad and Islam are being treated no differently to other religions."
If Islam was being singled out to recieve this sort of treatment then I could understand the reaction a lot more but as it is, they are being treated like any other religion or group.

However I cannot understand or accept such slogans as "europe you will pay" and "7/7 is on it's way" (slogans being carried on the streets of London); the fact that Danish workers in arab countries have received death threats or that Danish businesses are being boycotted.

I agree with the shadow home secretary, David Davis, who said 'some of the messages on the placards amounted to "incitement to murder".'

One cannot on the one hand ask for respect and tolerance whilst the other hand carries a slogan of hate and death.

-- Edited 13:30, 6th January 2006 --
Sadly, the situation has escalated and four people have been killed.

Offense has been caused. Debate is clearly needed. But restraint needs to be called for.

Defeat for the Thought Police

2006-02-01T22:58:00.000Z

Thank goodness that common sense has prevailed, even though it didn't happen in the commons. (Did you spot that? nice play on words there I thought!)

The Racial and Religious Hatred Bill will go forward in the milder form as amended by the House of Lords.

Clearly, I would not wish for anyone to feel threatened by others because of their beliefs (or lack thereof), nor do I want people to feel that they can incite hatred against a particular sector of society because of their beliefs, practices, etc.
And it is also that very same line of reasoning which made me feel the defeated form of the Bill went too far.

Respectful freedom of expression is very important for open, enlightened and democratic societies. Comments abound currently about the UK heading towards a nanny state. I believe citizens need to be charged with responsibility for their own behaviour not governed by an ever increasing set of rules. ... you can stop laughing now ... I know it sounds like a niave dream but seriously, the more the government tries to govern our daily lives, the less control we have over them and the less we will care.

In the same way that Christian speakers should be able to spread the good news to jaded shoppers on a saturday afternoon, that Muslim women should feel accepted not intimidated when they wear their chosen form of dress, and that religious meeting places should be safe and respected; then artists, commentators, bloggers etc should be free to criticise or even poke fun at any social institution, including religious ones.

There is a line between criticism or humour and incitment to racial hatred. Sensible humans can see that. But then again, since when have politicians been either of those?

If we continually have to self censor (for fear that the government will do it for us) how will we ever grow, learn, exchange ideas or remove intolerance?

Ask a silly question ...

2006-01-29T14:30:00.000Z

As you may or may not remember, my job involves me speaking to IT manufacturer's technical support desks. Some of the people I speak to are experienced, well informed and competent. Unfortunately, there are also those who merely read from the script provided by their call logging system. A perfect example (techie-english translations provided):

My user reported that their new PC was not recognising that there was a hard drive installed. When you switch a PC on it does a bit of a check - it's like waking up and thinking "Arms and legs? yes. Senses? yes. Memories? yes. Good".
A PC checks to see what is inside itself and attached to itself. This particular PC didn't think that it had a hard drive but in fact there was a hard drive installed. Therefore, my user and I came to the conclusion that the hard drive was broken! Cutting edge stuff this :o)

So, I rang the manufacturer and explained that the hard drive was not recognised so it would need to be replaced. Here's where it gets fun:

Tech: I need you to do a self test on the drive please to verify that it is faulty.
Rhea: I've already told you that the hard drive isn't recognised by the PC.
T: Yes, I know but to log this call I need you to do a self test.
R: [sigh] ok, would you explain to me how I do the self test.
T: You need to turn the PC on and go into the BIOS, choose self test and then select the hard drive.
R: So, now could you explain to me how I should carry out a hard drive self test if the hard drive is not recognised by the PC?!

Unfortunately, this poor soul was not getting it so I had to finish the call and re-dial, hoping that I would get through to someone who had an ounce of common sense.

It's quite worrying at times as these are the people that are supposed to support end users. I knew that what he was asking was impossible but I wonder how many non-technical users he'd driven to distraction by asking this silly question.

Family Forensics

2006-01-15T21:30:00.000Z

You may have heard of the show called Family Forensics which is being shown on Living TV.

The idea of the show is that you invite a team of forensic investigators into your home to profile the family, etc.

Now, why on earth would anyone do that?

I thought I would give it the benefit of the doubt and watch an episode. This week, the mother had invited the team in. The rest of the family only found out that morning just before they were taken away for the weekend. The twin daughters were very shocked with one of them having an anxiety attack whilst driving away from the house.

It was interesting to watch the team work gathering finger prints and fibre evidence. I was a little uncomfortable when they started examining knickers and sheets for 'biologicals'. But seeing one of the team pouring through the girls' journals made me feel very uncomfortable.

I have issues with this sort of snooping-tv as I have had experience of a family member invading my privacy with some emotional consequences. This had a direct and lasting impact on me, making it less likely for me to open up to people and also leading me to be very possessive and protective about my personal stuff. This was compounded by similar issues with an ex-boyfriend.

Thankfully Hubby was understanding and accepted my need to feel that certain things were private. With his help, I've been able to chill out a bit about this.

The de-brief at the end of the programme brought some powerful things out into the open that they would then have to work on as a family. But as a reserved Brit :o) I have to wonder whether a TV show is the best place to discuss the emotional dynamic of a family.

I've not yet been able to fully forgive the invasion of privacy that I experienced and I have to wonder whether those two girls will have similar feelings.

Control Arms

2006-01-03T17:57:00.000Z

I have recently signed up to the visual petition to request greater control of the arms trade (www.controlarms.org). I received the following text in my sign-up e-mail so I'm going to politely request, if you are interested in this sort of thing, that you pop on over to the site and sign up.

(Note: you don't have to use a photo of your face, some people have taken a photo of their hand or a placard, etc.)

'Amnesty, IANSA and Oxfam have just launched a global campaign aiming to stop gun running and control the arms trade - and they need your support now.

Armed violence wrecks lives by fuelling conflict, poverty, and human rights abuses. The campaign is calling for an international Arms Trade Treaty which will make it harder for arms to get into the wrong hands.

Your support will help us to show that people - like you - around the world are outraged by arms trade abuses, and demand tougher arms controls. Simply go to: the Million Faces petition.'

Thank you.

A week in July and looking forward

2005-12-31T22:00:00.000Z

8 Days in July:
"In a period of eight days at the height of summer, the UK experienced an extraordinary series of events which shook the country and in many ways shaped 2005."

I don't think it's overly dramatic to say that the week in July will perhaps be remembered in the same way as the moon landing, JFK's assasination and the twin towers on 11th September. It is one of those weeks that I know I will remember. I had just celebrated my birthday. Hubby and I were away on holiday when Live8 was broadcast and spent a lot of that afternoon/evening watching the TV in the bar of our hotel and later in our room. Then we returned to London, now the location of the 2012 Olympics, but still had a few days off work. We were lounging around at home when we witnessed the coverage of the transport bombings on the news, struggling to grasp that what we were witnessing was actually real.

Then amidst all the confusion, sadness and horror, a group of men announced that they had listened to us. Although they didn't meet all the requests made by the Make Poverty History campaign, they made some great steps forward. With everything else that has happened this year, it's easy to forget that this is still an ongoing issue, that these promises need to be delivered and that more work is still needed to bring about fair trade:

"The World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial meeting in Hong Kong (13-18 December) could have been a turning point in making poverty history. ... The WTO meeting failed to deliver the trade justice deal needed in 2005 to make poverty history. The intransigence of rich countries means the agreement reached is far from just for the poor of the world. ... This shameful abuse of power showed no respect for poor countries’ right to decide their own trade policies to help lift millions of people out of poverty and stop environmental damage."
[Excerpt from Make Poverty History's response to the recent World Trade Organisation's conference]

This time last year I was making a new year's resolution.
This year, I want to make another resolution, to be more aware of how my life impacts upon others and this planet; to try to think about my purchases, the products I use and the companies I support ... oh, and to eat more fruit and veg.

Again, I find myself looking back down the road I've travelled and forward to the uncharted route ahead, wishing you all ...

Happy Journeys.

Final Chance ...

2005-12-27T01:04:00.000Z

I've just been watching Joanna Lumley in 'Final Chance to Save'. A programme that looks at endangered species, this time it was focussing on the orang-utans of Borneo and the work carried out by the Orang-utan Foundation.

Since first reading The Light Fantastic (the librarian is an Orang-utan) I've been intrigued by these gorgeous apes and have sponsored one for many years through WWF.

So it was shocking to see their natural habitat being cut down to make ply wood (?!), mine gold or plant other non-native plants:
Acres of rain forest had been cut down for plantations to create palm oil, a ingredient that is apparently in many household and cleansing products. These are plants that can thrive in quite meagre conditions and yet precious rain forest has been destroyed for them. (Following a link, I've found information on sustainable Palm Oil here.)
In another location, a gold mining operation had completely stripped an area of rain forest. It resembled a desert. The mercury used to process the gold poisoned the earth so that no plants could grow, therefore there was no insect life, no birds, no animals.

Joanna saw baby orang-utans that had been taken to be sold ... as pets?? ... or who knows what. They raided one property and the two rescued infants clung to Joanna and a sanctuary operator like little children. It is very easy to anthropomorphise such creatures as their eyes have a startling depth to them and their actions demonstrate an inquisitiveness about the world around them. Somehow, perhaps because they are so genetically close to us and because, in a way, we are their cousins on the evolutionary tree, it almost seems to be even harder to me to witness cruelty towards great apes than other animals.

She said something later in the programme that struck me about what all the animals would think if the human race was wiped out, that they would probably think 'phew they've gone' and then get on with their lives.

It's quite a sobering thought - what would happen if we were wiped out tomorrow? There would possibly be some pollution as toxic substances escaped from chemical processing plants and the like, but without our vehicles and industry the air quality would most likely improve quite quickly. Our buildings would slowly succumb to the weather and wildlife. Our roads would overgrow, the countryside would re-conqer the cities and in probably a relatively short period of time all our achievements and progress would be as a whispered memory.

Surely the best achievement, the best indication of our progress, civilisation and developement, would be to look after the beautiful place we call home before time runs out for all of us?

Happy Holidays

2005-12-24T11:30:00.000Z

The BBC has run two interesting articles recently about Christmas which have, yet again, made me question 'organised religion'.

(Note: I must make it clear that I do respect people who have a religious belief and try to live a good life that is compatible with their faith but I have an issue with some of the stuff that occurs because of and around organised religion).

In the first article, intriguingly titled Lines drawn in battle over Christmas:

'An increasingly vocal number of Christians are attacking what they say is a "war on Christmas" by those determined to enforce a rigorously neutral holiday season reflecting America's constitutional separation of church and state. ... The AFA [American family Association] and other groups are urging members to petition dozens of other major retailers that they accuse of stripping Christ from Christmas with phrases like "happy winter". ... Meanwhile, at least 1,500 lawyers have volunteered to sue any town that tries to keep nativity scenes out of its holiday displays. ... Such moves reflect the 1985 US Supreme Court "reindeer ruling". It said that town-square nativity scenes and the like were constitutional if balanced with secular symbols like Santa Claus, thus avoiding the appearance of state-endorsed religion.'

Whilst I think that it's a bit daft to need a legal ruling on town decorations, I suppose I can understand the logic behind it.

In a similar vein, the Archbishop said:
"What makes some people suspicious of Christmas these days is that it's too religious.This year there seems to have been even more stories about the banning of Christian images and words by silly bureaucrats. It's all because of the idea that our neighbours from other religious traditions will be offended by Christian symbols. The truth is they're usually much happier with the idea of a Christian festival than with some general excuse to have a good time in midwinter."

Now, I was with him until the last sentence - why can't I have a good time in midwinter?

Many of the symbols and traditions of christmas (such as Holiday Trees!) aren't anything to do with Christianity. We've only had christmas trees as we know them today since Victorian times but the practice of bringing greenery into the home has been going on for much, much longer:

'Holly, Ivy and other greenery such as Mistletoe were originally used in the pre-Christian times to help celebrate the Winter Solstice Festival and ward off evil spirits and celebrate new growth. ... Pagans used branches of it [evergreen fir tree] to decorate their homes during the winter solstice as it made them think of the spring to come. The Romans used Fir Trees to decorate their temples at the festival of Saturnalia.'
[With thanks to www.whychristmas.com]

I do not celebrate the birth of Jesus therefore there is no religious symbolism in our house. But it is decorated like homes have been decorated in the dark winter months for thousands of years.

I think the vastly over-commercialisation of Christmas is sad but I also understand our need for a mid-winter festival. I fully agree that Christians should be able to celebrate Christmas in the same way that other faiths can celebrate their major festivals. I also think that in our multi-cultural society, far from hiding or apologising for our festivals (religious and otherwise), they should be celebrated openly and without apology as they form part of our culture.

Perhaps people could also think about the very basic need within us all to lighten the dark days of winter with a little cheer.

So I wish you all a Joyful Winter Solstice, a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah and Seasons Greetings!

An historic week

2005-12-21T13:37:00.000Z

What a wonderfully historic week:

'Gay weddings' first for Belfast on Monday
Couples in partnership ceremonies in Scotland on Tuesday
and today in England, Sir Elton 'wedding' takes place (and no doubt many more, but less newsworthy(!), ceremonies)

marred only by some people who felt it acceptable to protest outside registry offices around the country. I understand their need and their right to have their feelings be heard but did they not think that it might be hurtful for those preparing to sign the register to have their special day intruded upon by placard holding protesters?

I know that this new legal status is officially known as a civil partnership but most people are already referring to them as marriages. I think the official name is in an effort not to offend those who view marriage in the biblical sense of one man and one woman joined in the eyes of god. What about all those who have their ceremonies in registry offices, by humanist celebrants, etc - they are non-religious and yet still called a marriage? But I digress, I find it quite amusing that most news stories, presumably for convenience, are referring to 'weddings' and 'marriages'. I wonder how long the quotation marks will stay before they are dropped and society as a whole recognises the civil partnership for what it is - a marriage between two loving and committed people.

As an aside, I also think it's lovely and perhaps uncharacteristically classy for Elton John and David Furnish to have had a private ceremony. That is surely a mark of how much it means to them both that they didn't want it plastered all over Hello or whatever.

Anyway, congratulations to all those who have signed and will be signing the new civil partnership register. I wish you the very best for a long and happy life together.

Happy Journeys.

Search for Adam

2005-12-18T18:56:00.000Z

I've just watched an interesting programme on National Georgraphic entitled the Search for Adam.

Men inherit their Y chromosome from their dad. It's passed on from father to son with an occassional mutation. The idea is that by looking at the genetic profile of men from around the world comparing various known mutations, it might be possible to find a scientific 'Adam'.

'By analyzing genetic changes in the Y-chromosome of people in all regions of the world, Wells and colleagues concluded that all humans alive today are descended from a single African man.
"We're all effectively cousins, separated by 2,000 generations," [Spencer Wells] said.'

In our past, apparently humankind was close to extinction. It is believed at one point our population was very small indeed and why we were able to recover is open to conjecture. As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention, perhaps imminent extinction is the mother of evolution! :o)

But because of this, there was a relatively small pool of genes from which we are all descended.

A similar project has been carried out using mitochondrial DNA which is passed through the female line. It is proposed that we all have seven ultimate grandmothers.

It is not to say that there was only one man and a few women, as clearly there were more. But these people produced lines that did not die out. They had sufficient healthy offspring to ensure the continued survival of their family and we are all descendants of that super family.

Words such as british, white, innuit, african, black, oriental, etc ... they are just descriptive words but have no real meaning. We are tribal beings who for some reason feel the need to categorise and distinguish between "us" and "them" - perhaps it's something to do with ancient base survival and mating instincts?

But what this research does make clear is this - not only are we all members of the species Homo Sapiens but, more than that, we are all members of the same family.

Happy Journeys

Another hurdle overcome

2005-12-14T13:43:00.000Z

Well, I had my first filling for a number of years this morning.

I am still struggling with some aspects of my dentist fears - the most uncomfortable things for me now are anything touching the back of my tongue and that horrible water spray thing but my dentist is understanding. She and her nurse will remove all instruments if I raise my hand, giving me a moment to swallow, breathe or calm down. Most of the time, the fact that I know I can stop them gives me enough control of the situation to allow them to continue. Work that one out! hehe

I've come to realise that it's not really a phobia anymore. After all, a phobia suggests a very strong reaction with a desire to avoid or escape from a particular situation or object. I still experience anxiety for several days before an appointment but I wasn't woken up in the small hours of the morning by a panic attack this time so I think I'm making good progress ;o)

I've got a breather now until the new year when I have some more work scheduled. I'm keeping my mind on the ultimate goal to get a smile to be proud of.

Happy Journeys.

Stuff and Nonsense

2005-12-04T15:17:00.000Z

Well I'm a little disappointed to report that NaNoWriMo didn't go quite as expected. I don't have a final word count yet as I still have to type up hand written notes. I will let you know as soon as I have typed up. I am still writing although not as disciplined as I was when the month first started. I have concluded that there were three issues that prevented me from achieving a better word count:

1. Laziness (yup, no excuse for that one)
2. Lack of rountine - sometimes I wrote when I got home from work, sometimes I had ideas at work, sometimes I wrote in bed just before I went to sleep. I think a structured time would help me to get into a routine.
3. Dealing with a major phobia (dentist) and working to overcome that isn't particularly conducive to coherent creative thought. :o)

So, number 2 is something that I can work on and number 3 is progressing well. My 2006 resolution will be to write something every day so by the time NaNoWriMo 2006 comes around I might have managed to get up to 50,000 words!

And now for something completely different - I was passed this link by a friend and it's most amusing. It's a very basic drawing programme. You can send links of your creations to friends who can re-play the creation of the piece brush stroke by brush stroke. Here's one I did earlier!

Happy Drawing!

Please Shut Up!!

2005-11-27T14:18:00.000Z

I feel the need to share a pet gripe with you today - People Who Talk In The Cinema. If you want to talk then go to a pub, a restaurant or stay at home.

Even worse are the people who have to give a running commentary to their friends explaining what has just happened. If you do not have the intellectual capacity to understand the film, either shut up and enjoy the pretty pictures or leave (obviously I exempt parents of small children from this gripe as they usually have the decency to whisper very quietly).

And the most dire of all are the people who give away the next plot device. "See 'im, he dies inna minute" ... Thanks!

That is similar to saying "that bloke in the black 'at, he's Luke's dad, innit". Grrrrrrr!

It drives me insane. And often, when you ask them to be quiet, you just get glared at and they start talking about what a bore you are. During which time they have missed the important bit of the current scene so have to ask their mates what just happened!! ARGH!!!!!

P.S. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ... very cool, darker than the previous ones, a bit more grown up in places, some good humour, great special effects. I would recommend it ... although preferrably hire out the entire cinema so you don't have to put up with,

"Who's that bloke?"
"Dunno, think he must be ... oh you know, that one what's after 'arry."

Higher State of Consciousness

2005-11-25T17:39:00.000Z

I love this time of year when you get those perfect days where the sky is a beautiful shade of icy blue with no clouds and the air is crisp but the edge is taken off by the autumn sun.

I learnt a technique of distancing during a hypnotherapy session. The idea is to put your awareness outside of your body so you can imagine looking down upon yourself. You start by imagining your clothes and surroundings in as much detail as possible. You gradually move up and up so the image of you gets smaller and smaller as you see your house, your street, your town, etc. The theory behind it is that, as you distance your awareness from your physical body, you distance yourself from your concerns or anxieties. In that relaxed state you can practice positive self-talk or similar techniques to address your issues.

Anyway, I'm rambling (as usual). I was walking home from town the other day and it was one of those glorious days and I stopped to look up at the sky (I do get odd looks from passers-by!). The sky seems larger when it is so crystal clear - like looking into a beautiful lagoon. As I stared into it's vastness, I imagined my awareness filling that space. Up and up, above the birds. Further still where the atmosphere is thinner. Beyond the aircraft trails. Higher still where the curvature of the earth is visable at the edge of space and the crystal blue fades to diamond studded blackness. Wow!

It's really cool - you might want to try it sometime :o)

P.S. NaNoWriMo update - not sure of word count at present as I've been writing long hand. I need to get my notes typed up and I'll let you all know. It's been slower than the fist few days. I find myself being more concerned about what I'm writng than how much I'm writing which is the point of NaNoWriMo. But I'm perservering as the underlying idea is to get into the habit of writing so I will continue to write after November is over.

Happy Journeys

I just have one thing to say ...

2005-11-18T17:48:00.000Z

... turn onto BBC One and watch Children in Need. It's the one night of the year when I can say without shame that I'm watching Terry Wogan (I think he's great ... there, I've finally admitted it!) :o)

And after you've enjoyed all the comedy, musical performances and exclusives ... dig deep and give to Pudsey.

Happy Donating!

How much of a Geek am I?

2005-11-15T13:56:00.000Z

Well the answer is ... I am a low level nerd (64 points). :o)

Want to find out for yourself - Geek Test. Most Amusing!

NaNoWriMo Update. The writing is progressing slowly, will check word count tonight.

Happy Journeys.

Remembrance?

2005-11-11T13:43:00.000Z

Sitting at my desk today I received an "all staff" e-mail reminding us about the two minutes' silence. Now I know that this was only a reminder and an invitation to take part should we wish to but there is always an implication of participation in such e-mails. I was very tempted to reply to the e-mail saying that it is not silence that is needed but for people to speak out against war. I was persuaded not to. A round-robin e-mail that could offend or be misconstrued is perhaps not the right way to re-educate people but I felt angry for some time afterwards.

I have been wearing my white poppy to work over the last week and have explained my views and why I wear it to anyone who has asked but unfortunately only a few people showed an interest.

Nearly everyone observed the two minutes' silence then immediately afterwards the sales floor began laughing and joking again. I cyncially wonder whether they actually gave a damn or whether for many it was just an act of conformance.

A phrase sticks in my mind, "those who forget history are doomed to repeat it". We may remember the "glorious" dead every year but do we remember with honesty and candour the reason for those deaths. War is never as simple as good-us, evil-them. Until we accept that we are part of a global community that has to work together to find peaceful resolutions, we are doomed to repeat our violent past.

This is taken from a BBC article:
'Stuart Gendall, from the Royal British Legion, said: "The two-minute silence is the single biggest annual demonstration of public support for any cause in the country. This small yet significant individual and collective act is a rare moment when the nation can stand together and reflect upon the price of freedom."'

Yes we should all reflect upon the price of freedom. It is precisely because of the high price that was paid that I refuse to be associated with something that for me glorifies war. Have we moved on? Have we learnt, developed and grown? If so, why do our young men and women - and men, women & children from countries all over the world - continue to pay such a very high price.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.

NaNoWriMo Day 10

2005-11-10T23:43:00.000Z

4,109 words ... a little behind seeing as I should be at about 16,500 words by now! Hehe, but nevermind I'm having fun and that's the important thing.

Apart from a vague structure, I had no real outline of the story nor any characters prepared so it's interesting to see how ideas appear to pop out of nowhere. :o)

Happy Journeys/Writing

NaNoWriMo Day 8 and Dentists

2005-11-08T13:19:00.000Z

Well, my word count has not changed from 2,945.

As usual, life is never simple. I am currently working to overcome my dental phobia. This was as a result of a rather traumatic extraction some years ago and I haven't been back since.

Finally I realised I was being rather silly and thought I'd better do something about it. As hypnotherapy helped me with my IBS (I can provide recommendations for finding a gut directed hypnotherapist if anyone is interested) I thought I would see if hypnotherapy could help me with this. I've been visiting a lovely lady who has helped me talk through my fears, re-programme my memory of that traumatic event, and learn some relaxation techniques. It's not an overnight cure but I've gone from having an anxiety attack at the thought of even locating a dentist to attending the dentist today for a thorough clean, I don't think that's too bad!
I'll need some work but the dentist I have found is sympathetic to my fears. We're taking the treatment at my pace and she has even referred me to have the more serious treatment at another local clinic that offers sedation.

I wanted to write about this in case anyone else out there is in the same situation and needs the encouragement to seek help. Contact me if you need some links to helpful sites.

Anyway, back to my word count. I originally thought the writing could be a helpful distraction from my nerves but it didn't work out that way. And as this is only a bit of fun, I wasn't about to beat myself up about that! :o)
But it's back to the computer screen tonight (and again I must plug this free software - it's really helpful in structuring my rambling output).

Happy Journeys

Dissention in the ranks?

2005-11-04T13:42:00.000Z

The BBC has this interesting story - "President George W Bush is facing a rebellion over his softly-softly approach to climate change"

'Nine north-eastern states are poised to sign an agreement setting Kyoto-style legal limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power stations. New York and New Jersey are among these rebel states. And in California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is forging ahead with legislation to cut emissions from cars by 30% within a decade. Meanwhile, 187 mayors from US towns and cities, representing 40 million people, have pledged to adopt Kyoto targets for reducing greenhouse gases.'

So despite George Bush and his government denying that Global Warming is an issue, America is beginning to take some formal action.

To those Governors, Mayors and citizens involved - well done and keep at it.

To George Bush - Global Warming can't be invaded, blown up or otherwise intimidated so for everyone's sake WAKE UP!!

P.S. Nanowrimo Day Three 2948 words

Nanowrimo - Day One

2005-11-01T13:38:00.000Z

It's day one of NaNoWriMo and my total word count so far is about ten :o)

But as it only started at midnight last night, I think that's a valid excuse. The excuses will become less and less valid/coherent as time goes on.

To retain my sanity, I'm not being too strict about the 1,700 words per day but I'm going to give it a shot. I think I would be more than pleased if I could even make it to the half way mark.

Hubby has volunteered to pop in for an occassional ramble. Being a techie bloke, he tends to be more logical and factual but he has assured me that he will do his best to waffle on. So if you see a tall, dark and handsome chap loitering around the place, please say hello.

20 things ...

2005-10-29T15:07:00.000+01:00

... about me. I've been tagged by Birdy so here are twenty random facts about me. Some of which you may already know, some may be new and surprising (yeah, like I'm that interesting!? heehee)

So here goes:

1. I love fantasy - it started with Narnia and The Shire and now it encompasses places nearby and galaxies far, far away.

2. I am a secular humanist, although I recognise my morals and choices are often influenced by my anglican upbringing. I agree with this statement on the British Humanist Association website, 'Humanism is the belief that we can live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs. Humanists make sense of the world using reason, experience and shared human values. We seek to make the best of the one life we have by creating meaning and purpose for ourselves. We take responsibility for our actions and work with others for the common good.'

3. Cross stitch is a favourite relaxation hobby. I enjoy looking for new patterns but because of this I have about eight kits in various stages of completion and a further half dozen or so that require framing.

4. I swim like a brick ... downwards.

5. I am a pacifist and look forward to world-wide disarmament (well, a girl can dream, can't she?). Like it is suggested in Star Trek First Contact, I think it may take a mind-blowing event on a global scale - such as the discovery of extra terrestrial life or the brink of world war three (lets hope not) - for human kind to put aside their petty differences to finally realise that we are one species with the same basic needs, hopes and dreams.

6. My favourite colour is purple.

7. In seeming contrast to number 5, I own a sword. In my defence, it is a decorative piece - an accurate (and sharp!) replica of Sting, Frodo's weapon from the Lord of the Rings. As a child, I found Sting's bad guy early warning system fascinating. It is also a strong reminder of one of the themes of the story that individuals can make a difference.

8. I live in London. It's smelly, noisy and overcrowded. I have a love/hate relationship with it.

9. I don't like Big Brother and other such reality TV programmes. Might I suggest the amusing and thought provoking Dead Famous by Ben Elton which takes reality TV to a new extreme.

10. I feel much more comfortable wearing trousers than skirts.

11. I love dragons. From Smaug in the Hobbit to the Draco Nobilis in Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett. They fascinate me - beautiful, powerful, deadly, magical. Need I say more?

12. I enjoy watching Charmed.

13. Apart from the very occassional black and white one, I always dream in technicolour. I have also experienced deja vu in a dream which was quite an interesting experience.

14. I have a small tattoo and am seriously considering getting another smaller one.

15. I hate marmite, hot milk and curry (not all together clearly ... though I'm sure that would be pretty disgusting also).

16. I am an only child.

17. My heart throbs du jour are: Christian Bale (yummy in Batman Begins), Orlando Bloom (preferraby with some sort of longish hair), Johnny Depp (fantastic in Pirates, rather creepy in Chocolate Factory), James Marsters (the deliciously bad Spike from Buffy) and Keanu Reeves .... oh, and my Hubby, of course! ;o)

18. If I try to bake a cake, the result is something you could build houses with.

19. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is awesome and I think everyone should go to a live performance at least once.

20. Finally, a seasonal fact - I love watching the many firework displays over London (from the excellent vantage point of my living room window) but I really, really wish they didn't have to be so loud!

Well, in time honoured fashion, I now pass the challenge to produce twenty random facts about themselves to:
Sarah, Dan, Zinnia and Paul.

Happy Journeys

Lest we forget

2005-10-26T18:30:00.000+01:00

It's that time of year again - I've started to notice the red poppies appearing on newscasters and politicians.

As ever, I will be wearing a white poppy instead of a red one. As I said in last years's post, I know I owe my freedom to many men and women that fought for that freedom but I choose to honour them in my own way.

To my mind, the events surrounding Remembrance Day are full of pomp and ceremony - marching bands, flags and medals. Instead Remembrance Day should be about:

educating the next generation about the futility and stupidity of war;

encouraging politicians to realise that it's not good enough to just think about their four years in office;

foreign policies that reach into the next ten, twenty, fifty years allowing the analysis of where future wars might occur so preventative action can be taken in good time.

When the White Poppy was originally launched in 1933 by the Co-operative Women's Guild it was as 'a Pledge to Peace that war must not happen again'. Many of the women in the guild who 'were mothers, sisters and widows and sweethearts of men killed in the First World War began to feel with the rising domestic and international tensions that the ‘war to end all wars’, in which their men had died, would be followed by an even worse war. The white poppy was born out of this fear. But more than that the people who wore it did so as a commitment to peace and to insist that those in power should resist war; that conflicts should be resolved without violence and with justice.'

Since the launch of the White Poppy there have been over 300 wars world wide and over 100 million people have died (this is a very conservative estimate). Lest we forget?! How can we forget when the number is growing on an almost daily basis? Whilst western Europe is enjoying a period of relative peace, many parts of the world resemble those black and white pictures that we all saw in our history lessons at school - buildings being bombed, people running and hiding in fear of their lives, prisoners of war being held (and killed), teenaged men and women in control of killing machines ...

I will wear my White Poppy in the coming days to say with my one small voice that war is a crime against humanity and I renounce it.

[Quotations and data taken from the Peace Pledge Union website.]

Nation of Tea Drinkers?

2005-10-25T21:16:00.000+01:00

We are a house of tea drinkers. I guess I have to confess to being a tea snob. I'd only ever bought Twinings tea so that is what I continued to buy when Hubby and I moved in together. Twinings English Breakfast has been his "cup of tea", if you will pardon the expression, ever since.

Recently I discovered caffeine free Dragonfly redbush teas. I found cutting down on the vaste amounts of caffeine I used to consume has helped my IBS. I did cold turkey and was sadly resigned to having one or two cups a tea a week. De-caff teas are, quite frankly, not nice and herbal teas all smell delicious but taste (in my opinion) like scented pond water.

Then I saw these clean and bright packages sitting on the shelf in Waitrose and I saw the words 'naturally caffeine free'. First, I tried the Earl Grey (with real Bergamot oil) and now I also drink the Breakfast and Vanilla (with real Madagascan Vanilla). And now I prefer them over 'normal' tea.

Anyway, I digress. Today, I bought some of the new Twinings EveryDay Tea for Hubby to try (verdict pending). The original reason for this post before I started to ramble was a "Did you know" section printed on the inside of the box:

"In 1706 Thomas Twining set up as a tea merchant in London at 216 The Strand. Twinings has traded continuously from this address ever since.

Even in times of crisis Twinings has never failed to serve its customers. During the Blitz sales were briefly interrupted when a bomb knocked out part of the building. However, within a few hours a table was set up in the doorway and tea sales carried on as normal."

Now, that's what I call dedicated!

Cup of tea anyone?

Paperless Billing

2005-10-22T20:18:00.000+01:00

Whilst looking for tree dedications for a christmas present (which I found here and here, if you're interested) I found out that BT will purchase a native sapling on behalf of the Woodland Trust for each residential customer who signs up for paper-less billing.

I've no idea why BT aren't advertising this more as I'm sure many people would sign up for this. Perhaps that's why they're not pushing it more! :o)

As I have all our household bills on Direct Debit or Standing Order, all the utility/household bills that we receive are for information only. As such, they're pointless bits of paper that I just glance at and file away. I already have paperless billing with British Gas (www.house.co.uk) for my gas and electricity bills. I get an e-mail to let me know when there is a new bill to view online.

So, I've now signed up for BT paperless billing too. Go, take a look - do your bit.

Happy Journeys