photography

Gallery : 8PM

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So what are you normally doing at 8 o’clock in the evening? Or even what are you abnormally doing? That’s what Tara is asking as her theme for the Gallery this week is 8PM.

Until recently my normal activity at that time would have been eating, but we’ve now brought evening mealtime earlier (it is better for you, it seems) so the answer has mostly now become reading, in one form or another. One thing I mostly am not doing at 8PM is taking photographs. But of course there are always exceptions: when late home, away on business, on holiday or just out on the town. Which is how my three contributions come about.

I can’t guarantee they were all taken at exactly 8PM, but they were all taken around then.

Click on any of the images for larger views on Flickr
Shakespeare's Globe
Waiting for the Virtual Curtain
Montage of the Globe Theatre on a very wet evening

We're Going Home
We’re Going Home!
On the M40 into London after another long day at the office

Night Ride
Night Ride Timelapse
Another late evening on the road from somewhere

history, links, science

Missing …

Another selection of links to recent items you may have missed. This edition is an unusual mix of history and science.

Ben Goldacre, writer of the “Bad Science” column in the Guardian, has a new book out this week. Titled Bad Pharma it looks at the ways in which drug companies and their allies distort the evidence about the effectiveness of drugs and mislead regulators, doctors and patients. Here’s an extract.

Can I go back to bed now? We all suffer from insomnia at least occasionally. This Guardian item looks at the problem of persistent insomnia and current ideas on what to do about it.

It seems taking too many painkillers can give you a headache. Duh, my head hurts!

Humans eat humans. Well who knew? But now there is good evidence for prehistoric cannibalism which wasn’t just ritual.

I think we already knew that wild parrots name their babies, but here’s another look at the original study.

This interesting short item from the New York Times looks at the finding of a scrap of papyrus which appears to refer to Jesus’s wife.

Following up on a recent theme the Guardian (well they do have a good science stream) has a piece on the completion of the archaeological dig which may have found the remains of Richard III.

And finally after something like 60 years the experts have decided that three “fake” JMW Turner paintings are actually the genuine article. New technology has provided new evidence that has altered opinions. And finally it’s vindication for the collectors who bequeathed then the the National Museum of Wales.

amusements, memes, personal, ramblings

I've Never Seen Star Wars

Tim over at Bringing up Charlie has started something new. It may even turn into a meme.

As a result of some new-fangled programme on the wireless, which seems to be called I’ve Never Seen Star Wars, Tim has come to realise that there are a collection of things he’s never done or which have somehow passed him by, but which everyone assumes everyone else actually has done. And guess what? The summit of his list is never having seen Star Wars.

Tim then goes on to challenge the rest of us to document the things we’ve never done but which might surprise our friends. Being as I like memes, and I’m insatiably curious about other people, it would be churlish of me not to join in. So here’s my list of a dozen (apparently common) things I’ve never done.

  1. Seen Star Wars or 2001: A Space Odyssey or Clockwork Orange or any of those other iconic films. (See, Tim, you aren’t the only one!)
  2. Eaten oysters or tripe
  3. Worn a dinner jacket or a cocktail dress
  4. Been skinny dipping

  5. Played strip poker or strip pool
  6. Taken recreational drugs
  7. Driven a car or ridden motorbike
  8. Watched Eastenders or (again like Tim) Friends or Downton Abbey
  9. Lusted after Jennifer Aniston or Pamela Anderson
  10. Been to the races (horses or dogs)
  11. Been on a package holiday
  12. Broken a bone

Interestingly only one thing on that list bothers me not to have done. Anyone care to guess which one?

So now I dare everyone else to tell, their darkest, secret, “I’ve never dones” — either in the comments here or on your own blog (with a link in the comments), so we can all have a good snigger. 🙂

words

Word : Ordure

Ordure

  1. Filth, dirt.
  2. Excrement, dung.
  3. Applied to that which is morally filthy or defiling, or to foul language ‘cast’ or ‘thrown’ at a person.

From the French ordure, from ord filthy, foul, which is in turn from the Latin horridus horrid.

personal, pleasures

Reasons to be Grateful: 45

Week 45 (just 15 to go) in my experiment documenting each week five things which have made me happy of for which I’m grateful — and it’s been another strange week where I’ve totally lost all notion of what day it is. Anyway here’s my choice for the week.

  1. Eton. On Monday I had to go to a meeting at Eton College. I always enjoy going to Eton, it is such a civilised place even if one does feel somewhat out of one’s depth. The school itself rambles across a large area, which isn’t surprising as it has to house, teach and entertain over 1200 boys. It includes some wonderful architecture — the old College buildings; the early 16th century Lupton’s Tower and the 15th century chapel are just a delight. What’s also nice is that the town still has something approaching an old-fashioned high street of small shops (many in late Regency properties) although sadly they are now more tourist orientated than domestic. One thing I noticed on this visit was that the whole place was adorned with huge hanging baskets of red, white and blue flowers; the white was a petunia (actually blushed with mauve) which had a delightful scent of jasmine. Somehow Eton always seems so much more friendly and inviting than Harrow.

  2. Sunshine. Yes we actually saw the sun a few times this week! Yesterday (Saturday) was so glorious, even if not hugely warm, it was a shame not to be out in the garden.
  3. Beef Curry. Just for Sue I have to include something about food; and we’ve had so much good food this week. Should I mention Friday’s pan-fried lamb with whisky? Or yesterday’s most excellent sausages with linguine in a spicy tomato sauce? No I think I shall mention Tuesday’s beef curry. Yummy beef having been marinaded all day in curry spices, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and gin; cooked with spinach and served with Noreen’s very lemony rice.
  4. Orchids. My orchids just go on and on. The first ones in flower have now finished and the later ones are following on behind. But on Friday I succumbed to another: a pretty pale yellow slightly blushed with pink, very like the one on the right — a colour-way I’ve not seen before. And I have two (one mine; one my mother’s) which are already growing flowing spikes again. These plants are mad!
  5. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. We are especially enjoying Italian wines at the moment; the reds especially seem much richer and fuller than the French, and I think one is getting much better quality wine for the same money. We first had this Montepulciano at one of our local Italian restaurants and subsequently found it being sold by Majestic Wine. It is a lovely soft but full-bodied red, just right for accompanying those sausages and pasta. Indeed one could sit and drink it all evening.
personal

Five Questions, Series 2 #4

So yet again, somehow, another week has gone round and it’s time to try to answer the fourth of the five questions (series 2) I posed a few weeks back.

Question 4. What are your top five personal values?

As usual; this is a lot harder than it might at first appear.

The Best Year Yet methodology for personal development provides a long list of personal values which one is supposed to categorise under five headings: Very Important, Important, Quite Important, A Little Important, Not at All Important. The idea being that one’s goals should be things that support one’s most important personal values. The complete list is:

Abundance
Achievement
Autonomy
Belonging
Challenge
Closeness
Competition 
Contact
Contribution
Creativity
Excellence
Excitement
Fitness
Freedom
Friendship
Fun
Growth		 Health
Helping Others
Honesty
Independence
Influencing
Integrity
Involvement
Justice
Kindness
Learning
Love
Loyalty
Making a Difference
Order
Passion
Peace
Perfection
Power		 Recognition
Respect
Responsibility
Risk
Security
Self-Expression
Self-Respect
Serenity
Spirituality
Spontaneity
Stability
Status
Success
Tradition
Trust
Variety
Wealth

Now I’m not convinced there’s a whole bunch of difference between some of those, nor am I convinced some of them are actually personal values. Moreover it seems to me that groups can be encapsulated into more meaningful values.

But then another way of looking at the whole question of personal values is to understand the mottoes which resonate and by which one tries to live. Now I’ve talked about mine before, most recently in this series last week. And in fact when I thought about it many of my my top personal values do come out of my mottoes. I guess that shouldn’t be surprising; indeed one might be worried if they didn’t.

So what did I come up with as my top five personal values?

1. Respect. Basically this amounts to Treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself. And it must include at least: Self-Respect, Recognition, Respect, Responsibility, Freedom and Kindness from the list above.

2. Freedom of thought, word and deed. Essentially I should be able to think what I like, say what I like and do what I like with only the absolute minimum of constraint by society’s overarching values (aka. laws). From the list this would, for me, include Spirituality, Self-Expression, Creativity, Freedom, Independence.

3. Honesty. Be honest and truthful in all that you do, which is actually quite hard as we are programmed at least to tell “white lies” as it has been shown that they do oil the wheels of personal relationships. This has to include both Honesty and Justice from the list.

4. Trust. Nothing works without some level of trust between people. Without it there is anarchy and/or violence. I should be trustworthy and trusted by others and should be able to trust them in return. Again this seems to include a number of items from the list: Integrity, Loyalty, Closeness, Friendship, Kindness, Love and of course Trust.

Actually I suppose both Honesty and Trust could really be included under Respect.

5. Sex and nudity are normal. Although this is the value which I espouse, it actually goes a lot deeper. It is all tied up with attitudes to Health, to Respect (especially Self-Respect), to Honesty (why can’t we be honest about these things?), Freedom and Growth.

Looking at that the one thing that seems to be almost all-pervading is RESPECT. Your respect for others is key. But to have their respect you likely have to do most (all?) of the other things too.

Now does anyone dare tell me their top five personal values?

amusements, links

I missed that …

The latest in our irregular series of links to items you may have missed and which interested or amused me. In no special order …

I know about Tibetan singing bowls (I even have a couple) but I had no idea about the existence of the Chinese Singing Fountain Bowl.

Topology is interesting, but also mind-breaking, stuff and the Klein Bottle is just weird. But three, one inside another?!?!

Excellent spoof article taking the p*** out of “top people’s supermarket” Waitrose. Hold on … I shop there!

Could you pass the 11-plus? I did but anyone under about 55 won’t have been given the opportunity. Try these extracts and find out if you’re up to it now — should be easy for an intelligent bunch like you!

Great hairy faces! Well that’s what was at the British Beard and Moustache Championships earlier this month in Brighton. I was going to say only in this country, but I can think of several places which would sport such championships. Bring back Eurotrash!

The Royal Society, Britain’s “national academy of science” have come up with the 20 Most Significant Inventions in the History of Food and Drink. It’s an interesting list, but I’m not sure they’re all what I would have chosen.

We need crazies; they make life interesting. So why don’t more species have awesome names like the Rasberry Crazy Ant? We should all have awesome names like that, Winston Banana, or Willie McSporran.

And finally this week saw the announcement of the 2012 IgNobel Prizes, awarded for the research papers that most make you laugh, and then make you think. Scicurious has the list and has promised follow-up articles over the next week or so.

Enjoy!

words

Word : Shittimwood

Shittimwood

The wood of the shittah tree (a species of acacia) from which the Ark of the Covenant and furniture of the Tabernacle were made.

[From the Hebrew shiṭṭīm, plural of shiṭṭāh; original meaning unknown]

photography

Gallery : Breakfast

1 Comment

The theme for Tara’s Gallery this week is Breakfast, and what’s more this week there is a prize.

Now breakfast is the meal we are all supposed to indulge in. The old saying is Breakfast like king, lunch like a lord and dine like a pauper. And it does actually work. But I can’t get on with it; evening meal being meal of the day is too ingrained from my childhood. Besides I’m not a breakfast-y person; I never have been. I can’t face breakfast immediately on waking. When I was working I never had more than a mug of tea before going out but always wanted something once I got in the office.

Even now when, due to the diabetes, I’m supposed to eat breakfast as often as not I don’t. However when I do I’m not wedded to particular foods; I’ll eat anything I fancy for breakfast.

So here’s my usual somewhat askance take on breakfast possibilities.

Click the images for larger versions on Flickr
Sprats

Caught in the Act

Sheepie

The Tea Drinker 2012

Remains

Fumeuse

medical

Shaping a Healthier Future

There’s a big brouhaha going on in NW London at the moment over the proposals to reorganise the way our hospitals work.

Needless to say all the local agitators and pressure groups are out in force, mostly peddling totally inaccurate messages like “Save our hospitals”, “You won’t have A&E services”, “Major cuts to your health service”.

Needless to say most of this is totally fictional and they have not understood the actual proposals, which are contained in an 80 page consultation document. I even wonder if any of them have read it.

I have been to several public meetings recently. I am appalled at the inability of people to understand the proposals, the way in which everything is parochial, angry and internalised, and their inability to step aside from “it might be inconvenient for me” and see the bigger picture. People are being angry and frightened, because they dislike change and they cannot (or will not) make the effort to understand.

Nevertheless, and although my GP is one of the team responsible for the proposals, in fairness I have to say they have not been well presented, in clear and straightforward messages and in a way which Joe Public can understand. Joe Public does not listen to detailed arguments (he never did!) but needs sound bites and simple statements. The NWL NHS team may be excellent clinicians, but they have not got good PR/marketing/presentation skills — and it shows. I’m no expert but a lifetime in business (including training) has put me ahead of the pack.

As a working thinker I have therefore made it my business to get involved. Having read the consultation document a number of times I have now distilled it down into a 10 slide, simple presentation for my doctor’s surgery patients’ group. And I have tried to help the NHS team to hone their messages.

Here is a copy of my presentation slides, which are on Slideshare. If you are in NW London then please read the presentation.

[slideshare id=14342271&style=border:1px solid #CCC;border-width:1px 1px 0;margin-bottom:5px&sc=no]

NWL NHS Hospital Consultation, 2012 from Keith Marshall

The bottom line is that this is roughly a 10% change in what the patient will see. In other words for every 10 people who go to hospital, one may go to a different hospital. All these hospitals are within something like an 8 mile radius — it’s not like we have to travel 30, or even 60 miles to hospital as is the case in many other areas of the country.

Now I’m not pretending the proposals are flawless; of course they aren’t. There are currently some big gaps like the lack of appropriate public transport services — something he NHS team are well aware of and are already discussing with Transport for London. However ultimately we have to stand aside from our parochial feelings and do what we know is right. In my mind, and regardless of the business case, these proposals are clinically, logically and logistically the right ones and should have been done years ago.

If you can, please also read the Shaping a Healthier Future consultation document.

When you’ve done that please have your say on the proposals; there is an online questionnaire.

The consultation runs until 8 October.