history, links, medical, natural history, science

Monthly Links

Here be my monthly collection of links you may have missed …

Science, Technology, Natural World

Herman Hollerith’s Tabulating Machine was built for the 1890 US census, and led to the first data processing company (which was to become IBM).

So just why did cat-like animals disappear from North America for 6 million years? [£££]

The curious ways of the fishing cats are being revealed by scientists.

Two stories on the discovery of new to science, or rare, species. First a variety of previously undescribed plants. And secondly the hunt for the saloa an almost never seen Asian antelope.

Health, Medicine

A review of the book Recovery: The Lost Art of Convalescence by Dr Gavin Francis. It turns out that proper convalescence is a hugely key stage in getting better.

Worldwide there are a very small number of people who cannot forget anything. One young woman describes what it is like to be medical exception.

Sexuality

It turns out that female dolphins have a clitoris very much like humans, which suggests they too experience sexual pleasure.

Environment

Electric cars and the like may be the way forward, but there are huge problems with their lithium batteries, especially at the end of their lives. [LONG READ]

Art, Literature, Language

There is undoubtedly a joy in rediscovering and reclaiming long-lost words, as Susie Dent extols.

So why are ministers (and educationalists) so obsessed with teaching children to read using phonics?

History, Archaeology, Anthropology

Archaeologists have suggested that some ancient metal tubes unearthed over 100 years ago might be the oldest surviving drinking straws.

The body of Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep I is so well preserved that after 3500 years it is still able to revel much about the man, thanks to modern scanning and that it has never been unwrapped.

The remains of a huge Roman fort, built on the orders of Emperor Caligula, has been discovered near Amsterdam.

A huge mosaic floor has been found in a Roman villa in Rutland, and was featured on the BBC’s Digging for Britain.

New research is suggesting that medieval warhorses no bigger than modern-day ponies, and not huge carthorses as we thought.

London

IanVisits discovers the unexpected history of the stone benches outside Kensington’s museums.

Lifestyle, Personal Development, Beliefs

Another of our favourite bloggers, Diamond Geezer, takes a look at the curiosities of sleep.

Meanwhile Caroline’s Miscellany discovers the old tradition of Molly dances.

Shock, Horror, Humour, Wow!

There’s sad news as the landmine-hunting hero rat Magawa has died at the age of 8 after a stellar career.

And finally something to bring joy … here’s a video of an amazing automated LEGO factory that builds miniature log cabins from cucumbers. Enjoy …

amusements, topographical

January Quiz Answers

OK, so here are the answers to this month’s quiz questions. All should be able to be easily verified online.

January Quiz Questions: British Geography

  1. What is the westernmost settlement in the UK. Belleek, County Fermanagh
  2. Which city is the further west, Bristol or Edinburgh? Edinburgh
  3. Which river forms much of the border between England and Scotland? Tweed
  4. Which headland on the Kent coast is formed mostly of shingle? Dungeness
  5. On the London Underground network, which is the only station to begin with the letter “I”? Ickenham.

Answers were correct when questions were compiled in late 2021.

quotes

Monthly Quotes

The first of this year’s monthly round-up of quotes amusing and/or thought-provoking.

When you meet one little being, it might be a mosquito, or pine tree, or rock, to become Buddha with each of them is your practice. Do you understand? You become Buddha with each of them … This is communicating with a being that appeared for you, to make sure you are enlightened! It is also enlightened. This is how everything is actually happening. Sometimes neither one knows what is going on. Sometimes both completely know what is going on.
[Kobun Chino Roshi]

She was beautiful, but not like those girls in magazines. She was beautiful, for the way she thought. She was beautiful, for the sparkle in her eyes when she talked about something she loved. She was beautiful for her ability
to make other people smile, even if she was sad. No, she wasn’t beautiful for something as temporary as her looks. She was beautiful, deep down to her soul. She is beautiful.
[F Scott Fitzgerald; The Great Gatsby]

youth
today i am the youngest
i will ever be again

younger than each lick of sea
each lash of wave on beach
each pebble skimming stream
each kiss of falling rain

today i am the youngest
i will ever be again

tomorrow
and the next day

– the same

[Hollie McNish]

When you’re a kid you don’t realise you’re also watching your parents grow up.
[source unknown]

I’ll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there’s evidence of any thinking going on inside it.
[Terry Pratchett]

The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.
[Terry Pratchett]

I can write better than anybody who can write faster, and I can write faster than anybody who can write better.
[AJ Liebling]

amusements, memes, personal

Birthday Meme 2022

Something a bit different and off the wall (well, hanging precariously anyway) for this year’s Birthday Meme.

  1. Describe your personality.
    Lime green with spots; the spots start pink, then turn sky blue and fade out in golden yellow. All the while enhanced by wearing a purple stupidity.
  2. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?
    Oh so many choices! Boris Johnson has to be petty much at the top of the list, along with Michael Gove and David Cameron who combined got us right into this mess. Mind you the whole government are in the firing line. Bring back Guy Fawkes.
  3. What shape is the sky?
    A flat plane in an arbitrary, possibly fractional, number greater than 4 dimensions. You get to choose the number, ‘cos no-one else can agree. Personally I favour 7.43.
  4. Where do all the daylight saving hours go?
    They’re stored in a large warehouse in Outer Azerbaijan and used sparingly to give us sunny days during the winter.
  5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be?
    A yew. Sturdy; evergreen; long lived; green on the outside and threateningly dark inside; with poisonous berries.

  6. What is your favourite place in the UK?
    Dungeness (above). Closely followed by Forde Abbey (in Dorset); Rye; and Lyme Regis.
  7. If you could make a rule for a day and everyone had to follow it, what would it be?
    All clothes are banned and everyone must be nude at all times, and in all places. For ever, and ever. Amen.
  8. If you had to replace your hands with something other than hands or claws, what would you put at the ends of your arms?
    Octopus tentacles with eyes on the tip. Just so useful, and such fun!

  9. What mythical creature would improve the world most if it existed?
    Dragon. Think of all those unsuspecting twats it could toast. We could solve the population crisis overnight.
  10. If you had a pet parrot, what would you teach it to say?
    “It’s yer coons, innit.” (in similitude Alf Garnett). Well no-one said it had to be PC.
  11. What crazy name would you give your kid if you were a celebrity?
    Oh so many options. How about: Chardonnay-Madonna CherryPie or Coconut Bingo or Merkin Shaggy Cock.
  12. If you won a trip to go anywhere on earth, where would you go?
    Iceland or more likely Japan (Kyoto & Niigata, above, rather than Tokyo).
  13. Do you believe in the paranormal and would you go ghost hunting?
    My scientific head says “no”; but my heart says “yes” – There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
    And of course I’d go ghost hunting; science is there to find out.
  14. Do you talk to garden gnomes? What do you say to them?
    We usually have a good gossip; they see most of what’s going on:
    “Hello, Old Chap. What’s the latest on the grapevine?”
    “I saw Mrs Jones had a visit from the coalman last Monday; he was there 2 hours. He left hurriedly ‘cos her husband was coming up the road. And he was ever so clean when he left.”
  15. Pick one of your favourite quotes.
    Granny grasped her broomstick purposefully. “Million-to-one chances,” she said, “crop up nine times out of ten.”
    [Terry Pratchett; Equal Rites]
memes, words

Ten Things: January

This year our Ten Things each month are words with particular endings. Clearly this won’t be all the words with the nominated ending, but a selection of the more interesting and/or unusual.

Ten Words ending with -x

  1. hallux
  2. heterodox
  3. dominatrix
  4. meretrix
  5. codex
  6. prolix
  7. calyx
  8. phalanx
  9. phoenix
  10. crucifix

Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to write a story in at most three sentences using all these words correctly. Post your attempt in the comments before the end of the month and there’s an e-drink for anyone who I consider succeeds.

personal

Things to do in 2022

Well now. At this point I normally make public the things I intend to try to achieve during the year. However, like several other things around here, it ain’t going to happen this year.

For why? …

Basically it seems rather pointless. Unless the Covid situation eases up a lot, there’s not much prospect of going anywhere, or doing anything, exciting. Sure there are interesting things to do at home – like family history – but you don’t want to keep hearing about that. Yes the whole situation is extremely tedious and off pissing.

Beyond that, from most of what I’ve written down (and yes, I have written it all down) it might as well be Groundhog Day. Everything looks pretty much the same boring stuff I’ve been trying to do for the last couple of years – and failing mainly because of (a) Covid and (b) depression. Rinse and repeat, ad nauseam.

However what I will say is that the main thing I’ve decided is that this year we should take a serious look at our long-term (personal and family) safety and security. I doubt it is in a very bad state but an in depth look at where we are, what we have, and what ultimately should happen to it, would not be a bad idea. Of course, we may decide we don’t need to do anything. Then again we may feel the need to change everything. Or something in between. We shall see.

Hopefully the year will be better than I fear and we’ll all be here to report on our plans again in 12 months time.

Meanwhile, keep taking the tablets!

amusements, current affairs, ramblings

Predictions for 2022

Once again this year I’ve brought my crystal ball out of retirement and asked it, and my dowsing pendulum, to help me guess what may happen during 2022.

Prognostication has been difficult again this year because of all the continuing unknowns and variables. This is due in large part to the Covid-19 situation, but also the on-going fall-out from Brexit and a dysfunctional UK government.

As before, I’ve divided the predictions into sections: General, World, UK, and Personal. Various items are redacted (although I have them documented) as some might be especially sensitive.

Disclaimer. I remind you that these are just my ideas of what could happen; they’re based solely on hunches and gut feel; I have no inside knowledge, I haven’t been studying the form, and I have a success rate of about 20%. So if you base any decision on any of this I will take no responsibility for your wanton act of idiocy or its consequences.

General

  1. The first half of year is likely to be relatively quiet; but the second half could be turbulent.
  2. Watch out for travel delays and general buggeration during weeks 18-20, 34-38, 38-41 (possibly Covid related), 41.
  3. Also watch out for change around the time of eclipses, especially in areas where they are visible. This year we have:
    • 30/04: Partial Solar Eclipse visible in S Pacific, S America, Antarctica
    • 15-16/05: Total Lunar Eclipse visible in N America, S America, Antarctica, W Africa, SW Europe
    • 25/10: Partial Solar Eclipse visible in Europe, SW Asia, Arabia
    • 07-08/11: Total Lunar Eclipse visible in Arctic, Pacific, NE Russia, NW Canada
  4. There are Supermoons on 14/06 & 13/07. These should herald good news.

World

  1. A number of international treaties are likely to be broken in the second half of the year.
  2. There’s an international incident associated with the Winter Olympics; possibly involving the death of a competitor.
  3. There’s a Republican landslide in the US mid-term elections.
    This allows Trump to resurface as a serious contender for US Presidency in 2024.
  4. Macron is re-elected as French President, but by a small margin.
  5. Ukraine is reabsorbed into Russia despite international condemnation.
  6. There’s a military coup in Chile.
  7. Japan starts dumping the tritium contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear site into sea – without telling anyone this has started; in fact it may have been happening for over a year.
  8. There are continuing, and aggressive, clampdowns on freedom of speech and protest across the world.
  9. At least one country votes to leave the EU.
  10. Three countries announce plans to go cash free by 2025.
  11. In good news, global wine production increases by at least 20%, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere.
  12. Covid-19 is here to stay.
    Another deadly Covid variant emerges just as Delta & Omicron are being defeated.
    Covid variants will start to be named in Hebrew or Chinese.
  13. The first “all flu” vaccine is available and it is combined in the Covid vaccine.
    It’s in Phase III trials this year, so won’t be available for a while yet.
  14. Nevertheless anti-vaxxers become more strident and aggressive as they gain increasing support.
    The number of unvaccinated (for all diseases) is causing major medical and public health issues.
  15. There’s a major infrastructure issue, probably affecting several countries, possibly due to a cyberattack or (more likely?) a large solar storm.
  16. At least one major space mission fails; maybe ISS or Ariane 6, or something else.
  17. There are several high impact astronomical/cosmological events; all due to things previously unknown science.
  18. There’s a major earthquake in the Himalayas.
  19. There’s a major volcanic eruption in Philippines, Papua New Guinea, or Iceland.
  20. This will be another hot and wet year, probably the hottest ever.
  21. Deaths: Dalai Lama, Nancy Pelosi, both Popes, George W Bush, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Angela Merkel, Aung San Suu Kyi.

UK

  1. It is likely the men in grey suits will remove Boris as PM.
    However there’s no prospect of an early general election.
  2. Sinn Féin gain control of Stormont.
  3. Recovery is slower than expected as Covid doesn’t go away.
    GDP will increase by a maximum of 2% as a result.
  4. Road & rail infrastructure spend has to be significantly reduced due to economic shortfalls.
  5. Bank of England interest rate rises to between 1% and 2%.
    Mortgage rates increase significantly but savings rates remain stagnant.
  6. Fuel duty is reduced to stimulate recovery, but at the expense of relaxing “net zero” climate targets.
  7. The State Pension triple lock is removed permanently.
  8. Continuing supply chain problems due to the on-going effects of Brexit, Covid, lack of lorry drivers and a lack of key workers; there’s no resolution in sight and food shortages remain a possibility.
  9. Supply chain and interest rates drive an increase in inflation to between 5% and 10%.
    Meat, fish, fruit & veg all increase by 20% to 25% overall.
    Gas price rises by 50% compared with YE2021 – partly as a ploy to make people switch away from gas.
    Electricity prices rise by 25%.
  10. There is continuing disruption to movement of goods between Northern Ireland and the UK mainland.
    Consequently there’s continuing discord between UK and EU.
  11. The government continues to try to reform TfL and refuse further financial support.
    Bus and tube services are cut back.
  12. HS2 costs rise by at least 30%.
  13. Covid cases remain stubbornly high; averagely on-going 400 deaths/week and 100K cases/week.
    A major rise in Covid cases in January/February due to Omicron variant and Christmas/New Year super-spreader events.
    And another spike in September/October.
    Everyone will need another vaccine booster jab, probably starting in late Spring or early Summer.
  14. There’s further significant rationalisation in the supermarket sector.
  15. The government moves to further criminalise prostitution and recreational drugs.
  16. There may well be a significant event (possibly a disaster) somewhere in Thames Estuary roughly north of Westgate-on-Sea.
  17. Deaths: The Queen, Frank Field, Stephen Fry, George Alagiah, George Monbiot, Piers Corbyn, George Galloway, Dennis Skinner, Andrew Marr

Personal
Five items, including possible deaths redacted from here as the content is bound to be sensitive to people I know. However these items are documented in my files and will be tracked.

Obviously I shall try to keep track and will hope to publish the results at the end of the year. Let’s hope we have a better success rate this year and that the worst of the predictions don’t come to pass.

personal

2021 in Summary

Traditionally at this time I look back at my achievements and engagement (or, more usually the lack of it) over the past year. However I’m not going to do so this year.

Why?

For the simple reason that the year has been such rubbish with the ongoing plague having shut down the ability to do much, or otherwise scuttled most of the things one had vaguely hoped to achieve.

Which means there is effectively nothing to say other than a big fat “Bah! Humbug!”.

Similarly I usually document how well I did against the predictions I made for 2021. Again, I’m not going to do it: partly because of the rubbish year but also as I just don’t have the stomach to plod through it all – that’s at least in part down to my depression.

However suffice it to say that I maintained my track record of getting the majority of my predictions wrong, with the exception of some of the Brexit fallout (and anyone could have foreseen that!).

Normal service may, or may not, resume next year.

food+drink

Peppers with a Haggis Stuffing

For some reason, which I never understood, it was a semi-tradition with my parents to have haggis at New Year. And it is something which Noreen and I have mostly continued.

Why is it that so many people dislike haggis? I wonder how many have actually tried it! Yeah, OK, it is made with sheep’s offal, and many are squeamish about eating offal. For me it is tasty, peppery, and good, filling food; there’s nothing to dislike. I won’t say it is a staple in our house, but it’s something we eat several times a year, and there’s always on on stand-by in the freezer. And you don’t have to eat it with the traditional bashed neeps (swede) and mashed potato. Why not try it as the filling in a “Shepherd’s Pie”?

Anyway this New Year I decided to try something different.

Peppers with a Haggis Stuffing

For once I remembered to take a photo!

You will want …

  • medium or large bell peppers, at least one per person (I used four)
  • a 500gm haggis
  • a packet of stuffing mix
  • 2 “banana” shallots or a medium onion
  • as much garlic as you wish
  • 2 soft tomatoes
  • (optional) some flavouring, like 1-2tbsp HP sauce, or a good slug of Worcester Sauce, or a double whiskey
  • olive oil and/or butter
  • freshly ground black pepper

This is what I did …

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C.
  2. Finely chop the onion, garlic and tomatoes and sweat them in a little olive oil and/or butter until translucent and getting sticky.
  3. Meanwhile halve the peppers (I find they cook better halved); remove the stalks, seeds and pith. Set aside.
  4. Put the stuffing mix in a large mixing bowl and rehydrate with hot water according to the packet instructions.
  5. Remove the skin and chop the haggis into smallish pieces. Add to the stuffing mix and work together well, breaking down the haggis further.
  6. Add the onion & tomato mix, flavouring and some ground black pepper (to taste). Mix well.
  7. Fill the pepper halves with the haggis stuffing and put on one side.
  8. Grease an oven-proof roasting dish, and if there’s any haggis stuffing left over (there probably will be) put it in the dish and sit the stuffed pepper halves on top.
  9. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for about an hour. Remove the foil for the last 15-20 minutes to lightly crisp the stuffing.
  10. Serve accompanied by an alcoholic drink of your choice (beer or whiskey work well) and optionally some green vegetables.

Any leftovers will make a nice cold snack lunch (or even sandwiches).

This was tasty and tangy but not overpoweringly haggis-y – I reckon you could serve it to many people and they’d not know they were eating haggis.