Think for yourself, act for everyone.
All posts by Keith
ChatGPT writes Haiku
I’ve just had some fun with the ChatGPT OpenAI’s conversational research model. I asked it to write me some haikus on various topics, viz:
1. A parrot and a squirrel?
Bright parrot soars high,
Squirrel chatters on a branch,
Nature’s symphony.
2. Anthony Powell and a gondolier?
Anthony Powell,
In Venice, a gondolier
Glides through canals.
3. Being nude and mental health?
Naked, unclothed soul,
Mental peace found in bare skin,
Healing in nature.
4. Two magpies I saw tweaking a cat’s tail.
Two magpies tease cat,
Twitching its tail with delight,
Nature’s game to play.
5. The owl and the pussycat.
Owl and the pussycat,
Sailing the ocean blue,
Love knows no bounds, they do.
6. The full moon and Noreen, my wife of over 40 years …
Full moon lights the night,
Noreen, my love, shines bright,
Forty years of bliss.
How is this last one just so embarrassing?
I think these are really good, and certainly better than I could do. I’m sure I shall return to this!
February Quiz Questions
Again this year we’re beginning each month with five pub quiz style questions, with a different subject each month. They’re not difficult, but it is unlikely everyone will know all the answers, so hopefully you’ll learn something new, as well as have a bit of fun.
February Quiz Questions: General Knowledge
- What relation to you is your great-grandfather’s brother’s grand-daughter?
- How many old pennies were there in £1?
- Gruyère is a type of what?
- Patrick McGoohan starred in a 1967 British TV series set in Portmeirion. What was it’s title, and which character did McGoohan play?
- Who was the first elected Secretary General of the United Nations?
Answers will be posted in 2 weeks time.
Unblogged January
| Sun 1 | The dawning of the new year celebrated with the usual bottle of Champagne and too little sleep. And later with a very nice, large, piece of roast beef and a bottle of Brouilly. |
| Mon 2 | One of my Christmas presents was a bottle of our local Ealing Gin. It’s a hand-crafted, small batch, London Dry Gin, distilled in the Borough of Ealing. As a London Gin it is juniper led, although the other botanicals come through well, but not too strongly. The lovely bottle design is inspired by the iconic Art Deco buildings (especially the Hoover Building) scattered across the borough. This could well become another favourite. |
| Tue 3 | For the first time in ages we had a crow in the garden. They often sit right at the top of the silver birch, riding the wind apparently just for the fun of it. But we don’t normally see them down on the lawn, as this one was today – I suspect they feel it’s too enclosed to get airborne easily in any direction. Anyway this one spent some minutes obviously hunting out little treats, probably buried by the squirrels. |
| Wed 4 | So, another deadly exciting day on which nothing happened. The most notable thing was that I slept well from about 01:00 to 09:00, with a short awakeness at 04:00. This meant that I was at least half awake when I got up. Result! |
| Thu 5 | Spent a joyous afternoon at the dentist. I got a small filling, but N got a whole new crown – in one visit. This used not to be possible, but our dentist now has some very whizzy tools. First they can scan your mouth in 3D to get the shape for the crown – no longer do we have to suffer impressions. Secondly they have a fancy machine which will cut the crown from a ceramic blank using the aforementioned scans; this takes about 10 minutes (plus a few minutes setup). As the machine is in the waiting area, I was able to watch N’s new crown being created; it was very impressive. |
| Fri 6 | So there we have it. Another pay day. And another month where the current account might just manage to survive intact. Supermarket prices seem to have gone through the roof; I’d say that the estimate of annual food inflation running at 13.3% in December is a gross under estimate; it certainly feels more like 30% than 13% – I can certainly point at things where it is definitely over 50% in the last year. |
| Sat 7 | Culinary experiment for dessert this evening which didn’t quite work (at least for me). Fresh pineapple cut into small pieces, with a good handful of broken walnuts and the same amount of chopped candied peel, tossed with a couple of tots of Malibu. Dress with some flaked dark chocolate at the last minute. It was OK, but not superb. I think it would work better with flaked almonds and Amaretto (or Amandine) in place of walnuts & Malibu; add a little colour by way of 3-4 chopped glace cherries or quartered strawberries; and serve with some double cream. While pineapple and Malibu (coconut) works well, the Amaretto would be sweeter and fuller flavoured. And the red colour would (psychologically) enhance the flavour as well. |
| Sun 8 | Despite the grey, wet, miserable day we undertook the first salad of the year: pan-fried duck, with a mixed salad and hot steamed potatoes. Washed down with a bottle of 2019 Tavel rosé. Eaten a bit late while watching Digging for Britain. |
| Mon 9 | How is it that every hospital in this country looks alike inside: dingy, grubby, ill-used; poorly signed, poorly lit and poorly ventilated – although at least now the price of energy has rocketed they’re no longer so over-heated. All the waiting areas are plastered with strange, dog-eared prohibitions & posters Blu-Taked to the walls, not even straight; and they have a miscellaneous assortment of chairs which have seen better days. I had an appointment at Ealing Hospital this morning and I have to say it is one of the worst examples of the genre I’ve seen; Hillington is little better. At least Hammersmith and St Mary’s do try with their waiting areas. It all comes down to three things: underfunding, no-one looking, and no-one being empowered to do anything. |
| Tue 10 | What’s happening? What day is it? Feeling really “Meh!”, despite lots of sleep. Down and miserable. This awful grey, wet, cold weather doesn’t help. What’s to be done – except hibernate? |
| Wed 11 | A beautiful bright sunny, blue sky morning to complete my 72nd circuit of our local star. Just a shame it had clouded over by lunchtime and the start of my 73rd circuit. Completed by a bottle of champagne with dinner. |
| Thu 12 | We’ve had so much rain recently that we’ve had standing water in the garden again today. Lake Constance manifests down near the pond, and this despite the ground level having been raised 2-3 inches over the last few years. It drains away fairly quickly once the rain stops, so it’s obviously groundwater flowing off down hill (to the south). We suspect there’s an old field ditch across the garden which was filled in with rubble when the houses were built, so there is still water flow (I can find it by dowsing) which is now impeded. It’s no danger as the water is only ever an inch deep, and anyway the house is actually 2-3 feet higher. |
| Fri 13 | Three green parrakeets queueing up for food. |
| Sat 14 | Awoke convinced that it was Sunday and to the realisation it must have been peeing with rain again all night because Lake Constance has returned to the garden, and much increased in size. It doesn’t though stop the squirrels running about. One does zoomies round the lawn, dashing to and fro, and in circles, at supersonic speed. Heaven knows what it’s on! |
| Sun 15 | My it was bitter outside today. I went out to unload the pictures from the trail camera, and change the batteries. This took well under 5 minutes, and I was frozen – though I admit I was wearing only a t-shirt and slobbing legs which is usually OK. It took a good 30 minutes and a sweater to thaw me out. And they reckon it’s going to get markedly colder in the next few days. |
| Mon 16 | While N went halfway round London this morning for a haircut, I managed to kill off all the bits of work which I had expected to take all day. The result was that I spent the afternoon buggering around to little effect. |
| Tue 17 | Really good Zoom meeting of the doctors’ patient group this morning, with a few more faces that usual. We had the Office Manager deputising for the Practice Manager; she was very helpful as well as being incredibly patient with one ranty member. But dear God, writing the minutes takes longer than the meeting – not only do you waste time reformatting the document but you have to think carefully about how to word things! |
| Wed 18 | Yet another interesting Anthony Powell Society talk this evening on Powell’s last novel The Fisher King. Good that these talks are now a regular feature and getting 40-50 attendees every time, mostly from Society members. And I enjoy hosting them. |
| Thu 19 | Today happened, I think. There doesn’t seem a lot more to say about it. It’s still cold, with a very heavy frost last night, so we both slept late in our warm bed. |
| Fri 20 | A light dinner of vegetable crumble, followed by apricots in Amaretto. Nice bottle of Rioja with the former. With the latter we opened a bottle of Chambord Black Raspberry liqueur N was given for Christmas. And wow! It was out of this world! Not heavy and syrupy, but light and about the strength of sherry. Just sweet enough; lots of raspberry flavour, with chocolate, vanilla, and just a hint of almond. One of those things which has to be savoured in small doses – or over ice cream. |
| Sat 21 | Spring must be on the way, if yet still distant. I noticed the catkins on the silver birch are just beginning to grow. They’re still small, but definitely on the move. |
| Sun 22 | We’ve now had a week of very heavy frosts. Every morning the roofs, and even the road surface, have been covered in white. At least this morning is bright and sunny – and lovely and warm in the sun. And … Oooo … the Boy Cat so nearly got that squirrel. |
| Mon 23 | Oh bugger. Woke up at 03:00 with vertigo/labyrinthitis (again). Definitely very unstable by 08:00 so had to cancel the dentist – fortunately only to sort the crown I’ve lost (again). By mid-morning everything was literally spinning; not just waving about a bit. Spent the day under the duvet. |
| Tue 24 | Feeling a bit more stable; reasonably OK if I keep still. But feeling smacked on the head. It’s a bit like when you were spun round at children’s party games, just that it doesn’t clear in a couple of minutes. |
| Wed 25 | Gorgeous golden crescent moon lying on it’s back in the evening sky yesterday. Then before dawn the freezing fog descended – outside and in the head. It lasted all day too. Really dismal. |
| Thu 26 | Still feeling smacked on the head from the vertigo, although so, so much better. Still failing to get anything useful done though, and so much to catch up on. I could do with whatever our squirrels are on: we still have one that does zoomies round the lawn, for no apparent reason, while the others go sedately about their foraging. |
| Fri 27 | These cats really do have the right idea. Boy Cat has been in this state effectively all day. To the extent that late this afternoon I had to ask N if he’d actually surfaced enough to have had breakfast! Mind you, he pretty quickly woke up when he smelled his Friday night fish supper cooking.PS. That’s 6kg of cat! |
| Sat 28 | At last I’m beginning to feel like I might be getting rid of the dregs of this vertigo/labyrinthitis. Definitely feeling better as the day wears on: struggling until lunchtime and then improving through to bedtime. Good food helps. This evening: pork steaks in olive ciabatta followed by strawberries & cream. Washed down with a very pleasant 2016 Wine Society Claret and after a drop of Chambord Black Raspberry liqueur. |
| Sun 29 | OK so we didn’t put the lights out until almost 01:00 last night – which is not unusual. I quickly descended into deep sleep, and awoke shortly after 05:00 for no more than 15 minutes. And the next thing I know? It’s gone 11:00. I must be reverting to being a teenager! (I wish!) |
| Mon 30 | What a lovely sunny day to lift the spirits. So I finally got round to doing a job I’ve been putting off for two weeks. Then I celebrated by cutting my hair. Such decadence! |
| Tue 31 | Hi, ho! It’s off to the dentist to see about the crown I lost 10 days ago. And no, I don’t have the crown; I wasn’t aware of losing it! Gulp! Anyway young lady dentist says I get a new ceramic crown, not gold. (She also say, any more trouble with this tooth and we take it out.) Three advantages for the ceramic crown: (a) they can make them on the premises, so quicker, (b) they can bond the crown on, rather than just glue it on, and (c) its cheaper – because not gold. An hour later the prep work is done and my mouth scanned; as I leave the tooth fairy is designing the crown on her CAD/CAM system. I return in two days to have the result of the incantations fitted. |
Culinary Adventures #93: Beanie-Med Chicken
I made this one up from scratch at the weekend by putting a few different Mediterranean-ish ideas together. And it worked – very well. Here it is with a few minor adjustments.
You will need …
- 1 Chicken (I had a 1½kg corn-fed whole bird)
- 1 tin Borlotti Beans (drained), or an equivalent quantity of pre-cooked beans
- 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
- Zest & juice of a Lemon
- Cloves of garlic (as many as you like), finely chopped
- 10 Olives (stoned and halved)
- 4 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 glass White Wine
- Freshly ground black pepper
This is what you do …
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan.
- Spatchcock the chicken: with sharp, heavy scissors cut down each side of the spine and remove it; open out the bird, lay it inside down and press on it to flatten it. (Do not discard the spine – see below.)
- Mix together everything except the chicken, the wine, and half the oil. Season well with black pepper.
- Spread this mix evenly over the base of a roasting dish just large enough to take the flattened bird (a tight fit is good), and add the wine.
- Lay the chicken, skin side up, on the bean mix. Drizzle over the reserved oil, more black pepper, and optionally some more lemon juice.
- Cover with foil and roast in the oven for 1-1½ hours (depending on the size of the bird) until the juices run clear. If it looks to be getting too dry add another half glass of wine. Remove the foil for the last 20 minutes or so to colour up the bird.
- Serve chicken and beans with jacket or roast potatoes and veg of your choice.
Notes
- Spatchcocked chicken tends to cook a little faster than a whole bird, so watch the timing.
- This should work equally well with chicken portions, thighs, breast fillets, or spatchcocked poussins.
- If you feel one tin of beans is a bit thin (it was an OK amount as a side dish for two of us, with a bit left over), double up the bean mix and use some of it to spread on top of the chicken, in place of the optional lemon juice.
- Tuck the chicken spine in the side of the roaster, or use it to make chicken stock.
- Don’t have Borlotti Beans? Cannellini Beans or Butter Beans would be fine; in fact I debated whether to use Butter Beans.
- For the veg you really want something which isn’t going to fight the chicken & beans for flavour; so maybe not sprouts or kale. We had steamed cauliflower and baby rainbow carrots. Fennel should also work well; or a mix of Mediterranean roast veg; or a simple salad.
- Serve with a light, fragrant white wine.
- Any leftovers will make a salad, risotto or soup, depending on how much was left!
Monthly Links
Welcome to this the first of our 2023 round-ups of links to items you my have missed the first time. There’s plenty here, with a lot of long reads, so let’s get going!
Science, Technology, Natural World
Last year London’s Natural History Museum officially named 351 new species, and surprisingly a quarter of them are wasps.
Still at London’s NHM, Anna Turns in the Guardian visits their secret vault of whale skeletons.
Somewhat differently, palaeontologists have been working out the details of sex with Neanderthals. [LONG READ]
And here’s an interview with Nobel laureate Svante Pääbo on understanding Neanderthals.
Turns out there are human only genes which increase brain size. We need to be very careful with them.
On the improvement of synthetic routes to recreational drugs.
It’s the hidden properties of many rare earth elements which have enabled our modern technology. [LONG READ]
Roman concrete was much different from our modern version, and its self-healing properties could benefit modern construction.
Meanwhile, a volcanic eruption in the wrong place could cause havoc for world trade, much worse than a ship stuck in the Suez Canal ever could. [LONG READ]
So what actually happens when a huge ship sinks? How are the worst effects of a disaster averted? [LONG READ]
From lost ships to lost nuclear weapons which no-one can find. [LONG READ]
Which brings us conveniently to a look at the discovery, properties and politics of uranium. [LONG READ]
There’s long been talk of an undiscovered Planet Nine in our solar system, but if it is there why hasn’t it been seen? [LONG READ]
And finally in this section, one for those who like their brain strained … quantum reality is impossible to measure, so how can we possibly understand it? [£££]
Health, Medicine
All is not always what it seems … it appears there is a mystery virus which confers protection against monkeypox. [LONG READ]
In complete contrast, here’s a brief history of the clitoris.
Environment
Fewer and fewer migrant birds are visiting our shores as the climate crisis takes its toll.
Art, Literature, Language, Music
On the peculiarity of American copyright law.
Against which here are five lesbian expressions from the 19th century to remember when watching Gentleman Jack.
History, Archaeology, Anthropology
What do we know about the lives of Neanderthal women? [LONG READ]
Egyptian researchers have used high-tech digital scanning to to look at a 2300 year old mummified boy.
Archaeologists reckon to have found the world’s oldest runestone in Norway.
It seems there was a medieval habit of dividing the night into “two sleeps“. [LONG READ]
A medieval pendant unearthed in Germany has had its secrets unveiled by neutron imaging.
Here’s our favourite medievalist on the gossiping of the female. [LONG READ]
And again we have said medievalist, this time on medieval standards of beauty. [LONG READ]
There were many medieval manuals which taught sword-fighting, but modern experts are unable to decode all the tricks. [LONG READ]
Twenty years ago the remains of a medieval trading ship were discovered in Newport, South Wales. The remains have now been preserved and its custodians now have a huge 2500 piece jigsaw.
Here’s a look at the dilemmas in dating old buildings. [LONG READ]
The blog A London Inheritance goes back 300 years and looks at the London events of 1723. [LONG READ]
Coming almost up to date, the Dutch have released a WWII map purporting to show where a hoard of Nazi treasure is hidden.
Lifestyle, Personal Development, Beliefs
Tom Lamont in the Guardian takes a look at some of the UK’s more ribald placenames.
According to the 2021 census, the fastest growing religion in England & Wales is shamanism. But what is it?
The idea of “love languages” – or how we feel nourished by our partners – has been around for 30 years and does seems to help people.
So this is what the experts suggest about how to be the best possible parent, lover, friend, citizen or tourist.
A look at why the right to protest and dissent is so important.
People
Christina Bowen Bravery on becoming a world champion stone skimmer.
Shock, Horror, Humour, Wow!
One young art student discovers that her pubic hair is a capitalist.
And finally, some incredible images of the eerie shipwrecks in the Baltic Sea.
On Depression – IX
Another in my very occasional series of articles on depression – my depression. They are written from a very personal perspective; they are my views of how I see things working and what it feels like on the inside. Your views and experiences may be vastly different. My views and experiences are not necessarily backed by scientific evidence or current medical opinion. These articles are not medical advice or treatment pathways. If you think you have a problem then you should talk to your primary care physician.
It’s a couple of years since I wrote about depression, and as I said last time it’s not that my depression has improved; if anything the opposite. There just doesn’t seem to have been a lot new to say.
However in the last couple of weeks there have been two major articles (one in New Scientist [£££], the other in Quanta).
Both articles report on (the same) research which suggests that the physiological causes of depression are a lot more complicated than the current model – which blames it all on the activity of serotonin.
We know some part of depression has a genetic cause. It is thought up to 40% is genetic, although only 5% is currently proven. But there are molecules other than serotonin which are being implicated. Unsurprisingly some are in the metabolic pathway of serotonin, and all seem to be doing things other than just increasing serotonin levels. This could account for a significant number of depressives not responding (or not responding well) to drugs which target only serotonin.
One leading theory is that the chemistry of the serotonin pathway is majorly affected by chronic, systemic inflammation. Certainly people with chronic inflammatory diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are known to be more prone to depression. It is also a component of Long Covid and other post-viral syndromes.
There is also evidence, that depression can be affected, if not directly caused, by the action of some bacteria in the gut microbiome. It is known that much of our serotonin and its precursors are produced in the gut. What isn’t known is precisely how this affects brain metabolism. But there are reports, many anecdotal, that taking probiotics can release depression. But it doesn’t work for everyone. It doesn’t obviously work for me.
There are then the psychological factors which may trigger those otherwise vulnerable to depression, or may exacerbate a pre-existing condition. However it seems unlikely that psychology is the sole cause.
The net result is “It’s complicated”, and it could turn out that “depression” is really an umbrella covering a multitude of different causes. We’re therefore going to need a range of medical interventions to follow on from a way of establishing the differential diagnoses.
Meanwhile I keep wondering what state I’d be in without SSRI antidepressants. Would I be worse? Are they really doing any good? Is there likely to be anything better? I don’t know the answer, and to be frank, I’m frightened to try finding out.
It’s a bugger.
January
This, from last week’s New Scientist, just about sums it up.
Monthly Quotes
Here we are with the first of our monthly collections of quotes for 2023 – and we have a bumper bundle this month. So in no particular order I offer you …
If the general public doesn’t understand science and technology, then who is making all of the decisions about science and technology that are going to determine what kind of future our children live in, some members of Congress? There are only a handful who have any background in science at all, and some of them don’t even want to know about it.
[Carl Sagan]
One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. lt’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.
[Carl Sagan]
That’s what the world is, after all: an endless battle of contrasting memories.
[Haruki Murakami]
I’m sick of people saying it’s easier to imagine the end of the world than it is to imagine the end of capitalism. I think about the end of capitalism every day. Today I imagined what it would be like to live in a community that valued me for being present rather than “useful” or “productive”. In that world, I think I would spend a lot more time taking care of plants. I would tell stories when I felt like it, instead of on deadline. What do you imagine?
[Annalee Newitz]
This stupid star has been following us all week, we’re still half a day’s ride from Bethlehem … As I type this, we’re being followed by three strange men trying to sell us gold, frankincense, and myrrh – whatever that is. On top of that, Mary’s contractions have started, and she’s chosen tonight of all nights to tell me the kid isn’t mine.
[From https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/joseph-of-nazareth-has-had-it-with-hotelscom]
The problem is we are not eating food any more, we are eating food-like products.
[Dr Alejandro Junger]
When stupidity is considered patriotism, it is unsafe to be intelligent.
[Isaac Asimov]
Sometimes magick is as simple as burning a single candle with good intentions behind it.
[unknown]
You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, we must work for our own improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity.
[Marie Curie]
London. Michaelmas term lately over, and the Lord Chancellor sitting in Lincoln’s Inn Hall […]
Jarndyce and Jarndyce drones on. This scarecrow of a suit has, in course of time, become so complicated that no man alive knows what it means. The parties to it understand it least, but it has been observed that no two Chancery lawyers can talk about it for five minutes without coming to a total disagreement as to all the premises. Innumerable children have been born into the cause; innumerable young people have married into it; innumerable old people have died out of it […]
The little plaintiff or defendant who was promised a new rocking-horse when Jarndyce and Jarndyce should be settled has grown up, possessed himself of a real horse, and trotted away into the other world.
[Charles Dickens, Bleak House]
Who can doubt the futuristic brilliance of Sunak and co? They’ve given us driverless government.
[Marina Hyde; Guardian; 23/12/2022; https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/23/rishi-sunak-government-prime-minister]
We see what we see, not necessarily what is there, and we write what we know, not necessarily what we see.
[Annie Proulx, Fen, Bog and Swamp]
Arrrrrrgh! The feral dinos sing.
Gory to our newborn thing!
Peace on earth, and mercy mild –
Sweet mercy, please, I have a child!
Urgh and ewgh and arrrrrgh and arrrrr!
GMO has gone too far!
Arrrrrrgh! The feral dinos sing –
Gory to our newborn thing!
[Timothy Train]
There will come a time when fascism would take over this great nation of ours and destroy the peaceful and economic ties we enjoy with our neighbours in Europe. They will come armed with their silver tongues and promising the earth. Be extremely vigilant.
[Winston Churchill]
Bats can hear shapes. Plants can eat light. Bees can dance maps. We can hold all these ideas at once and feel both heavy and weightless with the absurd beauty of it all.
[unknown]
You wouldn’t want to be minding them poet fellows. They’re a dangerous clique be the best of times.
[Brendan Behan]
The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.
[Mahatma Gandhi]
We should bear in mind that, in general, it is the object of our newspapers rather to create a sensation – to make a point – than to further the cause of truth.
[Edgar Alan Poe]
I see the onslaught of NY diet/fitness advice has begun. Let me tell you that painting nudes from life has taught me that all bodies are inherently beautiful. They really, really are. Don’t let anything or anyone convince you otherwise. Your body is wonderful, just the way it is. We know this as children but something external & insidious creeps in & makes us doubt it. But looking at nudes of all genders/sizes/shapes/abilities in life class & trying to render the beauty of skin/flesh/light/gravity has helped me remember how beautiful *we all* are.
[Haiku, @19syllables on Twitter]
Civil disobedience becomes a sacred duty when the state becomes lawless or corrupt.
[Mahatma Gandhi]
Those who are emotionally intelligent understand that just because you address something that bothers you doesn’t mean you’re trying to argue. Were just simply communicating. Disagreements don’t have to end with arguments or fights.
[unknown]
Einstein said that if quantum mechanics were correct then the world would be crazy. Einstein was right – the world is crazy.
[Daniel M Greenberger]
Don’t force your children into your ways, for they were created for a time different from your own.
[Plato]
I keep six honest serving men
(they taught me all I know);
their names are What and Why and When
and How and Where and Who.
[Rudyard Kipling]
I would rather have questions that can’t be answered than answers that can’t be questioned.
[Richard Feynman]
I call God to witness that as a private person I have done nothing unbeseeming an honest man, nor, as I bear the place of a public man, have I done anything unworthy of my place.
[Francis Walsingham]
What if we were naked?
Just an everyday normal thing?
Would the world fall apart,
If bodies were free?
Would our eyes burn in fear,
Should less fabric reveal,
Bodies are near?
[James, @JEGography on Twitter; What If We Were Naked?]
If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.
[George Orwell]
January Quiz Answers
Here are the answers to this month’s five quiz questions. If in doubt, all should be able to be easily verified online.
January Quiz Questions: Music
- Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem was composed for the consecration of what building? The new Coventry Cathedral in 1962
- Who composed Liberty Bell? John Philip Souza
- Who created 4’33” of silence? John Cage
- JS Bach wrote a huge amount of both liturgical and secular music. But what brand of Christianity did he belong to? Lutheran
- Which Russian composer was also a renowned chemist? Alexander Borodin
Answers were correct when questions were compiled in late 2022.