All posts by Keith

I’m a controversialist and catalyst, quietly enabling others to develop by providing different ideas and views of the world. Born in London in the early 1950s and initially trained as a research chemist I retired as a senior project manager after 35 years in the IT industry. Retirement is about community give-back and finding some equilibrium. Founder and Honorary Secretary of the Anthony Powell Society. Chairman of my GP's patient group.

Oddity of the Week: Cat Armour

Protect Your Cat With a Suit of Armour
Give your moggy the upper hand in any fight, by buying it its own suit of protective armour. Asking price? A lot…


In case you haven’t seen it yet: suits of armour for your pets. Artist Jeff de Boer has meticulously crafted protective ensembles for cats, and — to even the playing field — mice. He draws his ideas from different time periods and countries, including Edo period Japan and Medieval England. He’s even made a futuristic rocket mouse.
Read more at http://mentalfloss.com/article/61167/protect-your-cat-suit-armor.

Book Review: Traces Remain

Charles Nicholl
Traces Remain: Essays and Explorations
Allen Lane, 2011
It’s some months since I reviewed a book. Yes, I get through books only quite slowly, mainly because I always have a pile into which I dip and the only time I get for reading is in bed last thing at night. But after the first hesitant foray this book kept me hooked, albeit for just three or so chapters at a time.
History leaves traces of the people of the time in portraits, documents and books. Nicholl is the acclaimed author of The Reckoning: The Murder of Christopher Marlowe (which I read ages ago and found fascinating, but didn’t review here), The Lodger: Shakespeare on Silver Street and Leonardo da Vinci: The Flights of the Mind (which is on my “must read” list) amongst his dozen or so books.
In Traces Remain Nicholl reprints 25 essays written over a period of almost as many years. They are a mix of the biographical, literary, historical and curious; glimpses through time, poignant vignettes and curious, intriguing puzzles. We’re taken from a mysterious painting found in a Hereford house, via a new Jack the Ripper suspect to the hunt for gold in El Dorado.
The essays were first published in a variety of British newspapers and magazines including the London Review of Books, TLS and the Daily Telegraph. They vary in length from four to over 30 pages. Yes, they are journalism, high class journalism, but none the worse for that as they are well written, concise, never stodgy, often probing and keep you reading.
That should tell you how much I enjoyed this book; it is a fascinating read especially for the collector of the byways of things historical. I especially liked the essays on Marlowe, John Aubrey, Leonardo da Vinci and the Jack the Ripper suspect. And it is on people where, at least for me, Nicholl is at his best; some of the other essays got a less thorough read, which is the only thing stopping this getting a five star rating.
If you want an introduction to Nicholl’s writing before delving into his full length works, or you want some interesting essays to dip into at bedtime (indeed any time!), or you just want some curiosities, then Traces Remain is well worth a reading.
Overall Rating: ★★★★☆

Weekly Photograph

This young lady was accosting motorists to wash their windscreens on the A40 westbound at Savoy Circus lights. She was not impressed with being photographed — I wonder if she is doing something illegal? I always try photographing these people, partly to try to deter them and partly because I do so enjoy pissing them off.

Windscreen Washer Bottle 1
Windscreen Washer Bottle 1
Acton; June 2015
Click the image for larger views on Flickr

Your Interesting Links

So soon already here’s another round of links to items you may have missed the first time — with rather less difficult science in this issue!
NASA have recently had a spacecraft whizzing past Pluto and they have some stunning pictures as a result, like this jaw-dropping colour image.

pluto

Do skin moisturisers do any good? Well maybe. Here is something on how they work.
On a slightly different chemical tack, why is it that many people think blackcurrants smell like cat wee? For me it isn’t the fruit itself that has this effect but the leaves of blackcurrants and flowering currants.
Girls, now do just be careful because it seems that semen has controlling power over your genes and behaviour (at least when it’s applied in the place Nature intended for it).
While on things sexual … just why do we kiss, when most other animals don’t?
Moving slightly away, here are some good scientific reasons why you should go naked. It’s basically what I’ve been saying for many years.
Now what about our pussies? Just why do cats purr? And for me even more interesting is how do cats purr?

Which leads us back to the age-old question: are cats domesticated or still really wild animals?
George Monbiot has been talking about rewilding for a long time, and it is something which does seem to make a lot of sense. In welcoming the new environmental organisation Rewilding Britain, Monbiot spotlights 15 species which could be brought back to rewild these islands.
The hope is that rewilding is not just good for the environment (for instance lynx would easily control our exploring deer population) but that it will enhance and enrich our lives too.
But hopefully one thing rewilding wouldn’t do is to increase is Mother Nature’s ability to rain frogs and other creatures.
From ecology to, well I suppose ethnology … What is the smallest language which would be useful? Well the constructed language Toki Pona contains just 123 words and really does allow you to say (almost) anything.
And now to a few things historical … A rare medieval gold ring depicting St George has been found in Norfolk. I’m glad the archaeologists know it shows St George, ‘cos it sure as hell beats me.
There has been much in the media recently about British slave ownership in 17th to early 19th centuries. Here the Guardian looks at the history and also the Legacies of British Slave-ownership database which is going to be very interesting for genealogists.
And coming slightly more up to date, I bet you didn’t know much of the history of that British institution the red post box. And yes, they were introduced by author Anthony Trollope, who also lived for some years in my home town.
Now we’re reaching the end of our quest and the penultimate curiosity is that a musician has recreated Leonardo da Vinci’s piano, and it is heard for the first time 500 years after Leonardo sketched it. And no, it isn’t All Fools Day — just have a listen to the video; it could easily be a string quartet.

And finally, just because they are stunningly beautiful, here’s a collection of animated GIFs of some gorgeous cactus flowers. Real natural fireworks!

Buggered Britain #25

Another in my occasional series documenting some of the underbelly of Britain. Britain which we wouldn’t like visitors to see and which we wish wasn’t there. The trash, abused, decaying, destitute and otherwise buggered parts of our environment. Those parts which symbolise the current economic malaise; parts which, were the country flourishing, wouldn’t be there, would be better cared for, or made less inconvenient.
This delight is near Harrow town centre and, as you’ll see, is part of the grounds of a primary school! And it has been in this state for quite some years.

Buggered Britain #25
Click the image for larger views on Flickr

Oddity of the Week: Cromwell's Head

Marc Hartzman has a new book out: The Embalmed Head of Oliver Cromwell — A Memoir. According to Hartzman:
This historical fiction book follows the real history of Cromwell’s head through 300 years of posthumous journeys across England (1661-1960), all told from the head’s perspective. Imagined anecdotes complement the true historical notes, which include many real historical characters and events, such as the rise of Spiritualism, phrenology, the Elephant Man, surgeon John Hunter, and a lot more.
Not only is it the first memoir of an embalmed head, but it is also, I believe, the first book to come with a theme song. It was written and performed by singer/songwriter/pianist Stephie Coplan, whose song, “Hey Oliver Cromwell!” is now available on iTunes and Spotify.
From Weird Universe.
There’s more on the publisher’s site: CuriousPublications.com.
And the book is available via Amazon (Kindle version only in the UK).

Weekly Photograph

Another from the archives this week — a wonderful tympanum over the door of Great Rollright church in Oxfordshire. Isn’t this just an amazing piece of Norman carving? I love the fish: is it supposed to be Jonah and the whale?

Great Rollright South Door Tympanum
Great Rollright South Door Tympanum
May 2014
Click the image for larger views on Flickr

Another A-Z

Just for fun, and because I boringly can’t summon the energy to write something erudite, I thought we’d have another A-Z. So here are your 26 starters …
A: Amusement – People watching
B: Birthday Gift – Gin
C: Cat’s Name – Tuna
D: Dislike – Egg custard
E: Elementary – Chemistry
F: Flowers – Daffodils and old roses
G: Goat or Sheep – Neither except to eat
H: Headache Remedy – Sleep
I: Intelligence – Should easily beat stupidity but seldom does
J: Jam – Apricot
K: King or Queen – The larger the bed the better
L: Luxury – Anything I can’t (or won’t) afford
M: Meat – More pork
N: Night or Day – Quite like both
O: Ornament – Dust-gatherer
P: Primary School – King’s Road
Q: Quirky Possession – Pigeon skull
R: Rock Group – Caravan
S: Sport – Cricket
T: Toffee – Yes, as long as it’s covered in dark chocolate and doesn’t pull my fillings out
U: Umbrella – Work of the Devil
V: Venial Sin – Always
W: WeblogThat’s So Zen
X: XXL – The best size for eggs
Y: Yuck – Being sticky
Z: Zero – Revolutionised mathematics
No I’m not going to tag anyone — join in if you feel inclined.