Category Archives: ramblings

beliefs, current affairs, pleasures, ramblings, topographical

Public Holidays

Diamond Geezer posted an interesting analysis yesterday about the UK’s public holidays. In it he shows why we will never get St George’s Day adopted as a public holiday. Basically this is because it concentrates too many public holidays in the period from late March to late May, especially given that Easter most usually falls in April and this we would get Easter, St George’s Day and May Day holidays all within a period of 3-4 weeks. Well yes, that’s just like this year when Easter is exceptionally late (it can fall anywhere between 22 March and 25 April) when we also have the extra bank holiday for the royal wedding knees-up.

Diamond Geezer also makes the point that we’re essentially stuck with this scheme as we can’t move Easter because it’s fixed by the church. Err … why not? We moved the late May holiday away from Whitsun which is also fixed by the church. And we don’t actually celebrate May Day but pick the first Monday in May. So why can we not move (or ignore) Easter?

I suggest an alternative scheme for our public holidays, viz:

  • New Years Day (1 January)
  • Spring Equinox (21 March)
  • St George’s Day (23 April)
  • May Day (1 May)
  • Summer Solstice (21 June)
  • August Holiday (last Monday in August)
  • Autumn Equinox (21 September)
  • Christmas Day (25 December)
  • Boxing Day (26 December)

Note that I propose we keep the actual days and not the nearest Monday, although obviously where any of these falls on a weekend they would be moved to the next available working day. Note too that I have not stooped to include red letter days from ethnic minority traditions.

In the provinces of the UK St George’s Day could be replaced by their “national day”: St David in Wales (1 March), St Andrew in Scotland (30 November), St Patrick in Northern Ireland (17 March).

This has, to my mind, several advantages. It spreads out our holidays a bit better. We get one extra day bringing us more into line with western Europe and other English speaking countries where the average is more like 10 or 12 public holidays annually. It also takes the calendar away from the religious focus and returns it to the actual solar cycle without making it too overtly pagan.

It also presents some other options:

  • We could keep Good Friday, if desired which would generally slot in between the Spring Equinox and St George’s Day. I see no logic, sacred or secular, for retaining Easter Monday, although this could be retained in preference to Good Friday.
  • If desired the late August holiday might move back to the first Monday in August (as it still is in Scotland) from where it was moved in 1965, thus better harmonising the UK’s public holidays.
  • To be logical Christmas should relocate to the Winter Solstice (21 December). However given how entrenched Christmas now is in the collective psyche I can see this not being acceptable. Maybe we should scrap Boxing Day and move that to the Winter Solstice? No, that’s a really bad idea because it will give us three separate holidays within 2 weeks (Solstice, Christmas Day and New Years Day) thus we risk everything shutting down completely for two weeks rather than the current week. So Christmas has to be retained as is, which also helps the balance of holidays between sacred and secular.

I still see one problem with this scheme though. There is still a long (3 month) gap between the autumn Equinox and Christmas, at a time when we arguable need a break. Trafalgar Day (21 October) has been mooted as a possible public holiday. I personally don’t like this as I feel we ought to stay clear of celebrating the military and I’d rule out Armistice Day (11 November) for the same reason (see also my dislike of Remembrance Day). Equally Guy Fawkes Day risks being interpreted as celebrating terrorism rather that its defeat. Halloween I would also rule out as it would inevitably perpetuate that annoying American import: trick or treat. Perhaps we ought to celebrate Harvest Festival (which need not, of course, be religious but remind us where our food comes from) in mid- to late-October?

Anyone got any better ideas?

food+drink, ramblings

Early Burns

On 25 January the Scots celebrate their national poet, Robbie Burns, with the eating of haggis, mashed potatoes and mashed neeps (turnip and/or swede depending who you believe) and the drinking of whisky. Not being traditionalists, nor of Scots ancestry (at least in the last couple of generations), we celebrated Burns’ Night in our own way this evening. Yes, we had haggis; but no we didn’t have the whisky.

In fact what we had was a rib-sticking meal of haggis, crushed potatoes, steamed Jerusalem artichokes and steamed broccoli. It was a very quick and easy meal: the potatoes and artichokes took the longest with the haggis needing just a few minutes in the microwave. The artichokes were steamed, with the broccoli florets added almost at the last minute. The potatoes were also steamed and then broken up rather than being mashed to a pulp. We forewent the whisky in favour of supporting the Auld Alliance by washing it down with one of our last bottles of 2010 Beaujolais Nouveau, which had just the right roughness to complement the haggis. The broccoli and artichokes went extremely well with the haggis too. Yes, it was good!

So it wasn’t traditional. So what? I remember buying deep fried haggis and chips from the local chippie when I was a student in York. Equally not traditional but bloody good food on a cold winter’s night on the way home from the pub.

I’ve always liked haggis and fail to see what so many people (think they) dislike in it. These same people would be happy eating gamy terrine, and dishes containing oats (eg. porridge, oaten biscuits). So why the aversion to haggis which is really only a lamb-based, slightly dry, slightly peppery, terrine or coarse sausage with pinhead oats. OK, yes, so it does have offal in it – so does most terrine and sausage. And yes traditionally it is stuffed in a sheep’s stomach – but then traditional sausage casings are pig intestines. All these foods were originally designed as ways not to waste small, less appetising, pieces of animal especially during the lean times of winter. So where is the problem?

Moreover haggis has the advantage of being extremely filling. You think what’s on your plate is a mean helping, but I assure you it isn’t – it’s all in the oats!

If you’ve never had haggis now is the time to try it. Most supermarkets will have haggis at the moment; indeed many now stock it all year round. The commercial brand leader seems to be McSween’s, although if you’re in Scotland you’ll likely find haggis in most butchers. And, for the veggies, McSween’s also do a vegetarian haggis; which I must try sometime, if only to work out how they do it.

So why not push the boat out and have haggis for Burns’ Night on Tuesday? You’re unlikely to regret it unless you overdo the whisky!

beliefs, freedom of speech, ramblings, sexuality, thoughts

Questions about Sex Images

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This post is about pornography and a couple of current fashions in same that I don’t understand. But first let’s get something fundamental out of the way …

What do I mean by pornography in this context? I mean the normal, relatively sane, heterosexual material which can be bought legally in the UK over the counter of the corner shop or licensed sex shop or found easily on the internet. I do not mean anything involving extreme violence, abuse, lack of consent, drugs, children, animals, unpleasant bodily excretions or anything illegal – none of which I would ever condone.

Yes, I admit it, I look at pornography. Well so what? I’m a normal red-blooded male, I still have a pulse and I’m a sexual libertarian (as long as it’s consensual). Most of us have seen (if not actively used) pornography at some point of our lives, with American research showing that almost 90% of young men and over 30% of young women actually use pornography – now translate that into how many have ever seen pornography. So it’s there, we all know it’s there, we all know what it contains and we all know that at the level I’m discussing it does next to bugger all harm.

Having cleared that up, can we now have an adult conversation about it, please?

So there are two things which seem to be fashionable in current pornography which I fail to understand, and which I would welcome someone knowledgeable explaining to me.

Firstly … Why does every female (and a significant minority of men too) have to have their pubic area clean shaven? Yes, it’s a fashion. It didn’t used to be this way. Look at porn images from 30-40 years ago and everyone is hairy. OK, I understand that the lack of hair gives a better view of the genitals, but that doesn’t require complete depilation. I also understand that depilated females are supposed to look younger and more virginal, but given the current concerns with child pornography I would have thought this is something most men (and women) would want to avoid! And I also know that some people prefer a lack of hair as it increases skin contact during sex. But that does not explain why 99% of females are significantly if not totally depliated. Yes by all means tidy the hairy bits up round the edges. We all get a haircut from time to time but we don’t all go around with our heads shaved, so why shave our pubes? What is it about our naturally hairy state that is so unacceptable? Is this something more than pure fashion? If so, why? I don’t get it.

Actually now I think about it I have a subsidiary question. Why is it that the majority of women appear to prefer non-hairy men. Many times I have heard girlies interviewed and give an “Eeeuuwwwww” reaction to the idea of a hairy man – particularly hairy chests and backs. What is it about hairy men that’s such a turn-off? Or again is this just fashion, perpetuated by the likes of the Chippendales?

OK, here’s my second question. One of most men’s dreams (GOK why) is being on the receiving end of fellatio given by some nubile sex goddess (or god). And of course this appears regularly as a pornographic image. But why, oh why, do the girls (I don’t look at the men!) performing the act always look at the camera and look bored? Oh, OK, they probably are bored. But wouldn’t it be a whole sight more erotic if they were concentrating on the job in hand and look as if they are enjoying it? Why must they look at the camera in that desultory way? Sure, eye contact is important to communication, but even at a time like this? Again, I don’t get it.

Now can anyone knowledgeable explain either of these phenomena, please? Are they just fashions or am I missing something deeper?

PS. If I start getting abusive comments they will be deleted, as will any comment which unnecessarily links to pornographic images. You are perfectly entitled to your opinion, and to express it, but you are not entitled to do so in an abusive way. My rules! OK?

current affairs, ramblings, thoughts

Life after Shopping

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The Times; 29/12/2008Today we did something unusual for us — we went shopping, together, to one of our nearby town centres. It could just be the last time we ever do this, given the current economic climate. And also given what we found …

The art shop we particularly went for was shut — for stocktaking; not advised on their website! Unsurprisingly T.K.Maxx were selling cheap clothes and Christmas leftovers; unenticing. Everywhere was much emptier than expected, except Costa Coffee which was full. Coming up for lunchtime and there was hardly a queue for the cashiers in the bank. Woolworth’s was shut; gone. Adams were selling everything at 50% off — not surprising as they won’t be there much longer. I noticed several other closed or boarded up shops. M&S food was only 75% stocked. Noreen wanted some jeans from M&S; no chance of anything she’d wear. WH Smith looked as if it had been ravaged by a herd of hungry wildebeest followed by a troop of starved chimpanzees — oh, sorry they were the shoppers, mostly from the local council estate! Smiths had no newspapers worth reading but thousands of trashy magazines; and coloured pens etc. in at least four different places in the shop. The indoor market was empty.

On the plus side? I eventually found most of the stuff I wanted in Smith’s and a newspaper at the kiosk by the station; I was in an out of the bank in 5 minutes; we were home in time to make our own lunch rather than eat out; and we got the afternoon to do naff all as well. Modified rapture!

Sadly I fear (and I hope I’m wrong) this is the way 2009 is going — downhill all the way. Which puts Libby Purves’s article in today’s Times in interesting perspective. I’m not going to try to precis the article (that would be a stern test for even a master of English language), so follow the link and read it for yourselves. Suffice it to say that the article headings read:

The high street must find life after shopping
We need to rediscover the pleasures of old-fashioned street life, where spending is not the only way to enjoy ourselves

Re-reading that out of context is slightly mind-boggling! Are we really being enjoined to bring back such pleasures as the apprentice boys playing football with a pigs bladder (also known as a yoof brawl) or the ladies of the night? Still I suppose at least the latter do keep money moving round the economy.

beliefs, medical, memes, personal, photography, ramblings, science

4AM


4AM, originally uploaded by kcm76.

This week’s self-portrait: 52 Weeks 39/52 (2008 week 47).

4 AM and I can’t sleep, so I figured I may as well get up for a bit and play.

And as this is week 39 of my 52 weeks “self-portrait a week” I figured I’d do a 13 things as well; so …

13 Things which bore me and which I therefore try to ignore …
1. Richard Dawkins
2. stem cells
3. IVF
4. embryo research
5. climate change
6. Africa
7. elephants
8. whales
9. Lord Winston
10. quantum computing
11. the scientific fetish that life can be only water and carbon based
12. penguins
13. Christianity and Islam

beliefs, history, personal, ramblings, topographical

First English Lottery, 1569

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My previous posting referred to the first English lottery being held on 11 January 1569, and Jilly asks in a comment if it was sold out, because the tickets, at 10 shillings each, were horrendously expensive.

Well I don’t know if it was sold out, a quick Google hasn’t provided an answer, but having researched a bit more I’m not sure if I would actually call this 1569 effort it a lottery at all! Here’s what Wikipedia says:

Although it is more than likely that the English first experimented with raffles and similar games of chance, the first recorded official lottery was chartered by Queen Elizabeth I, in the year 1566, and was drawn in 1569. This lottery was designed to raise money for the “reparation of the havens and strength of the Realme, and towardes such other publique good workes.” Each ticket holder won a prize, and the total value of the prizes equaled the money raised. Prizes were in the form of silver plate and other valuable commodities. The lottery was promoted by scrolls posted throughout the country showing sketches of the prizes.

Thus, the lottery money received was a loan to the government during the three years that the tickets (‘without any Blankes’) were sold. In later years, the government sold the lottery ticket rights to brokers, who in turn hired agents and runners to sell them. These brokers eventually became the modern day stockbrokers for various commercial ventures.

Most people could not afford the entire cost of a lottery ticket, so the brokers would sell shares in a ticket; this resulted in tickets being issued with a notation such as “Sixteenth” or “Third Class.”

According to measuringworth.com 10 shillings in 1569 would now be worth around £105 if you pro rata using RPI or £1210 if based on average earnings.

Interestingly lottery-results-info.com claims that the first ever lottery with prize money was held in Florence, Italy, in 1530. But as there are (apparently) references to lottery-type activity in The Bible, we’ll probably never know.

But don’t things like this make history fun! Much better than all those Corn Laws, Poor Laws, treasons and bloody battles that were inflicted on us at school!

medical, ramblings, science

The Dirty Hands Brigade

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A rather surprising news snippet in this week’s issue of New Scientist describes research showing that women’s hands are much filthier than those of men! It’s only short, so here’s the full item:

Women’s hands boast more bugs

Ladies, your hands are a zoo. Sampling the DNA on human skin has revealed that while women’s hands get washed more often than men’s, they teem with a more diverse selection of bacteria.

Noah Fierer and colleagues at the University of Colorado at Boulder swabbed the palms of 51 students leaving an exam. When they amplified and sequenced the DNA, they found 4742 species of bacteria in total – nearly 100 times as many as previously seen. On average, each student carried 150 distinct species and 3200 different strains. Women had different bacteria and a greater number of species than men (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0807920105).

When the team tracked the bacterial composition of eight people’s hands after they had been washed, they found that some bacteria preferred clean hands, while others appeared later. Men always had fewer species, though. The researchers suspect this is because men’s skin is more acidic, as in nature acidic environments have less microbial diversity.

Surprisingly, every hand was very different. Only five species were found on all hands, while any two hands – even from the same person – shared just 13 per cent of species. Fierer says it may be possible to tell from the bacteria on an object which individuals have touched it.

Apart from the observation that men’s skin is more acidic that women’s (I can’t even see why this is; must be something to do with hormones, I guess) it is hard to see what might cause this. Basic hygiene is clearly not the answer. Go figure!

amusements, food+drink, ramblings, science

Equilateral Chocolate

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In his “Anti Gravity” column in the latest (November issue) Scientific American Steve Mirsky write rather mischievously, even zen mischievously, about recent food research “trivia”. The article contains this gem of a paragraph:

The journal Science reports that mathematicians from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University and the Free University of Brussels have igured out a better way to wrap spherical pieces of chocolate. There’s a lot of wasted material when wrapping spheres with square pieces of foil or paper. But our intrepid geometers found that by using equilateral triangles rather than squares, they could generate a savings of 0.1 percent. That’s one full square saved for every 1,000 pieces of triangle-wrapped chocolate you eat.

Doh? Well so what? Well let’s (very roughly) translate that into something meaningful.

Making some reasonable assumptions about wrapper size and weight … If every man, woman and child in the UK ate just 10 triangular wrapped chocolates this Christmas the savings in the wrappings would amount enough paper/foil to cover a full size football pitch. Can’t imagine Wembley Stadium covered in chocolate wrappers? OK. The weight of that saved wrapping is roughly equivalent to 1,000 ½lb boxes of chocolates! Now that’s a lot of over indulgence, even by my standards!

Oh and you can find the full Steve Mirsky article here.

beliefs, memes, photography, ramblings, topographical

Calendar Meme 29/09/2008


Calendar Meme 29/09/2008, originally uploaded by kcm76.

This week’s Flickr photo meme. This hasn’t really worked how I thought it would, but interesting to do, and surprisingly hard.

1. polesden avenue, 2. Frost February morning on field work, 3. The Mighty Daffodil, 4. Spring Greens, 5. Bluebell Woods, 6. Village Cricket 2, 7. SUFFOLK: BUSY-BEE, 8. Summer Around Old Arley Warwickshire, 9. Spider Web, 10. Rishbeth Wood dressed up for Autumn, 11. Bolton Abbey Leaves on sidewalk after rain, 12. Nottingham Christmas lights, 2006

Please pick a favorite photo for each of the 12 months, something that brings that month to mind . . . starting with January and ending with December.

1. January
2. February
3. March
4. April
5. May
6. June
7. July
8. August
9. September
10. October
11. November
12. December

Created with fd’s Flickr Toys.

beliefs, medical, photography, pleasures, ramblings, science, thoughts

It's Easter

It’s Easter Day. And I’ve spent almost the whole day doing literary society work – well it is the end of our financial year coming up and membership renewal time, so lots of mailing to do.

Just as well I have plenty to do as I don’t like Easter; I think I never have; I always enjoy Christmas but not Easter. And no, it’s not because of my atheism and general lack of belief in anything – I enjoy a long bank holiday weekend as much as anyone. It’s just that I always feel Easter is a dismal time; I don’t know why. Which is weird as I am (marginally at least) affected by SAD and about now start to look forward to and appreciate the lengthening days. Maybe this year feels worse than most as Easter is so early, and it’s grey, wet, cold, and snowing on and off. I’m ready for a 3 month holiday in the sun: sun, sea, sand, warmth, wine, good food. I wish!

Now where did I put that lottery ticket?