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.
personal, photography, pleasures

Pussy Porn

I thought we’d have some more pussy porn, after all the internetz is reserved for pussy innit. So here is Tilly the Kitten — some kitten at 24 weeks! — reclining this morning on my desk. She has a promising career ahead as a paperweight — when she’s not being a demolition specialist, that is!

Click the images for larger views on Flickr
Tilly as Paperweight
I can look quite cute and asleep when I want to
Tilly Washing
Let’s just have a quick wash
Tilly Green Eyes
And now here’s my regal portrait

books

National Novel Writing Month

November is National Novel Writing Month.
Can you write a novel in a month? That’s the challenge for all you budding authors. The idea is to write a 50,000 word novel in just thirty days. The deadline is 2359 hrs on 30 November!


What can you write? Any type of fiction you want! Horror, romance … erotica! Whatever you feel passionate enough to tell a story about. So far over 150,000 potential novelists have signed up to take part.
You can sign up to take part, and get support, on the National Novel Writing Month website at http://nanowrimo.org/.
And no, you won’t see me there. I know I don’t have an original story in my body, so I’m not going to stress myself even trying. Sorry!

words

Word: Tintinnabulation

Tintinnabulation
bellsA ringing of a bell or bells, bell-ringing; the sound or music so produced. The lingering sound that occurs after a bell has been struck.
The OED gives the first recorded use as late as 1831 and is ascribed to Edgar Allen Poe in his poem The Bells.
Oh and the word derives from the Latin tintinnābulum, a bell.
Isn’t it just a wonderful onomatopoeic word?

photography

Photograph of the Week

I thought it was about time we had some more cat porn. So here is Tilly the (not so small) kitten taken earlier today. She is now almost 23 weeks and growing nicely. But as you see she is such a poor neglected kitten she has to sleep amongst the filing on the study floor! The rest of the time she’s charging around like Evel Knievel — or eating. Well typical teenager really!

Click the image for larger versions on Flickr
Tilly
Tilly
Greenford; 28 October 2013

medical, personal, ramblings

On Flu Jabs and Sleep

I love curiosities!
Early on Friday afternoon I had my annual flu jab. By the evening I was beginning to feel meh. Yesterday I was fit for nothing; not full flu but everything except the severe body aches and high temperature. So I spent the day curled up under the duvet, mostly asleep. Not nice, but better this than having full-blown flu.
I understand why this can be a side-effect of the flu jab: basically it is an immune reaction to the (dead) bits of virus in the inoculation which stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies that protect against the real virus. So it is working as designed.


But what I don’t understand is why this only happens to some people and why it doesn’t happen consistently every year. When I first started having the flu jab it would make me feel mucky for half a day or so — maybe less. But three years ago the vaccine contained bird flu (or was it swine flu?) and that knocked me out for well over a week! (Unless I did actually catch flu at the same time I had the jab — unlikely, methinks.) Last year the inoculation flattened me a for a couple of days. This year it has done much the same.
Yes, OK, it is my immune system working as designed. But is this “excessive” reaction a sign that I have a good strong immune system that gets to work quickly and well? Or is it a sign that I have a weakened immune system which is struggling to catch up? Dunno.
I find this whole reaction (side-effect) curious.
Anyway, as I said, I spent yesterday curled up under the duvet. The curiosity here is “curled up”.
Now I normally sleep flat out. Either on my back or (more usually) on my front; and I always have done ever since I can remember. And Noreen will tell you I’m normally spread-eagled across the bed.
But yesterday I was curled up in a foetal position on my left side. I only ever do this when I’m ill. (Occasionally if very depressed I will curl in a foetal position on my right side; but never on my left side.) I’m guessing this is an ancient animal instinct to protect ones soft parts when most vulnerable (asleep). I’d also guess that being on my left side is because I am right-handed — this position leaves my stronger right hand free to smack any predator in the jaw. Maybe?
So just another curiosity.
I love curiosities!

current affairs, medical

In which I Wonder about Local Politicians

North-West London NHS last year consulted on proposals to rationalise the delivery of A&E services in the hospitals in its area. One element of this is the closure of A&E at Ealing Hospital, close to where I live. This is unlikely to happen for at least three and probably five years.


Needless to say the majority of the local community are up in arms, assisted by some very cynical sound-bites from local politicians and campaigners who see this as a threat to the very existence of the hospital (which according to the consultation it isn’t). Indeed the local council have taken the whole matter to the courts and failed to get a judicial review of the consultation process. Currently a final decision is awaited from the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt; this is expected within days.
Following the refusal of the judicial review there was, last weekend, a rally to continue the voicing of protest. According to the reports this attracted a paltry 100 people — clearly the local rent-a-mob don’t like going out in the rain! At the rally Ealing Council Leader, Julian Bell, vowed to fight on and “chain ourselves to the gates before they roll the bulldozers in”.
Whether you agree with the proposals or not, this is just so pathetic. Not only does this portray Cllr Bell as a bad loser, has he actually thought this thing through?
By the time any bulldozers move in (and they should as the current hospital building is hardly fit for purpose) the proposals to which objections are being raised will have been implemented and the hospital will still be operational. According to, and as I understand, the plans the bulldozers would be clearing only a part of the present Ealing Hospital site to enable the building of a new, modern healthcare facility alongside the existing hospital. Only once the new facility takes over could the present building be closed.
So all Cllr Bell seems to be doing is delaying the implementation of improved healthcare for his constituents.
Is Cllr Bell really this stupid? Or is it me that’s missing something?

food+drink

Pasta with Smoked Salmon & Broad Beans

Last evening I did yet another variation on my quick pasta recipe. This time with some smoked salmon and broad beans. It went like this:


Preparation: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
You will want:

  • Pasta (variety of your choice)
  • Smoked Salmon (at least 100gm per person; salmon pieces are fine)
  • Broad Beans (I used 2-3 handfuls of frozen baby BB; you could substitute frozen peas as in the image above)
  • 2-3 tomatoes (or some cherry tomatoes)
  • Medium (preferably red) onion
  • Garlic (quantity to taste)
  • Juice and zest of a lemon
  • Chopped parsley
  • Black pepper
  • Olive oil and/or butter

And this is what you do:

  1. First of all get the pasta and broad beans on to cook; you want them done in advance. When they are cooked take them off, drain them and keep warm.
  2. While the pasta and beans cook, roughly chop the onion, garlic, tomatoes and parsley. Cut the salmon into mailing label sized pieces. Zest and juice the lemon.
  3. Have the plates and the table ready.
  4. When the pasta and beans are ready you can start cooking the main dish which will take only a few minutes.
  5. Sauté the onion and garlic in some olive oil and/or butter (on a high heat) until the onion is just going translucent.
  6. Now add the chopped tomatoes and a good grind of black pepper; cook for a further minute or two.
  7. Before the tomatoes soften, add the beans and the lemon. Stir all together and keep cooking for a minute or so.
  8. Now add the smoked salmon, trying to stop the pieces sticking together, and again cook for a couple of minutes until the salmon is going pale.
  9. Now finally add the pasta and parsley and mix together gently. Cook again for a minute or two.
  10. Serve on warm plates, with optionally some parmesan, and a glass of white wine or champagne.

What a good, and easy, way to use up some left-over smoked salmon!