current affairs, medical

Social Murder?

Murder is an emotive word. In law, it requires premeditation. Death must be deemed to be unlawful. How could “murder” apply to failures of a pandemic response? Perhaps it can’t, and never will, but it is worth considering.

Thus opens an interesting and thought-provoking editorial from Kamran Abbasi in BMJ (PDF) on 4 February. As always I bring the tl;dr key points.

When politicians and experts say that they are willing to allow tens of thousands of premature deaths for the sake of population immunity or in the hope of propping up the economy, is that not premeditated and reckless indifference to human life?
… … …
At the very least, covid-19 might be classified as“social murder,”as recently explained by two professors of criminology.
… … …
If not murder or a crime against humanity, are we seeing involuntary manslaughter, misconduct in public office, or criminal negligence?
… … …
More than a few countries have failed in their response to the virus; the global missteps are many and well documented by the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.
… … …
But the global picture does not absolve individual leaders and governments from responsibility.
… … …
[M]uch of the media is complicit too, trapped in ideological silos that see the pandemic through a lens of political tribalism, worried about telling pandemic truths to their readers and viewers, owners, and political friends … truth has become dispensable as politicians and their allies are allowed to lie, mislead, and repaint history, with barely a hint of a challenge.
… … …
The most important lessons from this pandemic … are less about the coronavirus itself but what it has revealed about the political systems that have responded to it.

However necessary, basically nothing is going to happen.

personal, ramblings

Happy Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year

The Chinese zodiac is based on the lunar calendar that assigns an animal (and its reputed attributes) to each year in a repeating 12-year cycle, with the year beginning on a variable date in January or February. Originating from China, the zodiac and its variations remain popular in many East and Southeast Asian countries.

Both the Chinese and Western Zodiacs share the characteristic of having the cycle divided into 12 parts, with the ruler of each defining the personality or events of the person born under that sign. But there are major differences too. The Chinese Zodiac does not correspond to celestial constellations, and it has a 12 year cycle rather than a 12 month cycle.

The year beginning today, 12 February 2021, is the Year of the Ox; more specifically the Metal Ox. Oxen used to be capable farming tools in an agricultural society, and thus became the symbol of diligence, persistence, and honesty. In Chinese astrology, Ox is a faithful friend that made great contributions to the development of the society. Like the Ox, people born in the Year of the Ox are industrious, cautious, hold their faith firmly, and always glad to offer help.

Tradition has it that the Ox ranks second in the Chinese zodiac because it helped the Rat but was later tricked by it. The myth goes that the Jade Emperor declared the order of zodiac would be based on the order of arrival of 12 animals. Ox could have arrived the first but it kindly gave a ride to Rat. However, when arriving at the finish, Rat jumped ahead of Ox, and thus gained first place.

Also on this day, 12 February:

Execution of Lady Jane Grey, in 1554, she was only 16 (or maybe 17) years old. She was Queen for 9 days in July 1553 following the death of Edward VI and following the intentions of his will; however the Privy Council changed sides and put Mary Tudor on the throne. Having been held in the Tower of London, Lady Jane Grey was subsequently executed as she was seen to be a treat to Mary.

Birth of Abraham Lincoln in 1809. 16th President of USA, March 1861-April 1865. Having lead the North through all but the last few weeks of the American Civil War, Lincoln was assassinated on 15 April 1865.

Happy Chinese New Year

amusements, memes

Ten Things: February

This year our Ten Things series – which surprisingly appears on the tenth of each month – continues concentrating on the amusing, both real and fictional. So this month we have …

Ten Strange Modern Jobs

  1. Snake Milker
  2. Animal Colourist
  3. Penetration Tester
  4. Teddy Bear Surgeon (see right)
  5. Digital Prophet
  6. Cheese Sprayer
  7. Oyster Floater
  8. Toilet Sniffer
  9. Hairapist
  10. Bike Fisherman
food+drink

Armagnac

Realising before Christmas that there was a deficiency in the drinks cabinet I was looking for a bottle of good, but not outrageously expensive, brandy.

I don’t know why, but for many years I have always veered towards Armagnac rather than Cognac (or even Calvados). It’s probably just down to quirkiness, and wanting to do things slightly unusual.

TariquetAnyway I chanced to look at Armagnac, and came across Armagnac XO Domaine Tariquet, which sounded worth trying. At the very least we’d have something reasonable for adulterating trifle etc.!

It was definitely worth trying, in fact for me it is a superb find. Although at first you may think it is an ordinary brandy it is not the all too common “fire water”. It is light, in both colour and intensity – unlike much easily available Cognac and even Janneau Armagnac. However don’t just gulp it down; it has to be savoured.

Now I’m not generally one for getting all the subtleties of aroma and bouquet from wine and spirits. I like wine; I enjoy the way wines differ and have overall different bouquet and flavour – but I don’t generally get the hints of plum, pear, walnut, or fresh tarmac, so beloved of wine writers. My palate is not that sophisticated; it is more “big picture” than fine detail.

But cup your glass of Tariquet in your hands to warm it slightly – as you should with all brandy (this is why brandy glasses are the shape they are!). The warmth releases all the more subtle aromas. And coming from the Tariquet is a divine waft of incense; proper church incense.

You know when you walk into an old church – Roman, Orthodox or High Anglican – there is this pervading aroma of incense? A background misty aromaticity of incense used over the years which emanates from the very fabric of the building? That is what I get from Tariquet. For me it is simply divine.

Armagnac XO Domaine Tariquet is available from Waitrose and many good wine merchants.

amusements, memes

Things to Think About: February

This year we’re beginning each month with a (potentially logical) oddity to think about, and to keep the brain cells active. This month:

If you rip a hole in a net, there are actually fewer holes in it than there were before.

Please leave your thoughts in the comments.

environment, food+drink, history, links, medical, natural history, science

Monthly Links

OMG! Just what is going on round here? We’re already at the end of January! That means it is only 328 days to Christmas, so better start that shopping now. But before you do here is my monthly collection of links to items you may have missed.

Science, Technology, Natural World

First of all here’s yet another look at whether the universe was made just for us.

Much more fun though here is a physicist who is unravelling the knotty problem of knitting.

Meanwhile scientists are still trying to work out what is causing the exploding craters in Siberia. [LONG READ]

Scientists think they have finally solved the mystery of why wombats shit cubes.

Here’s another apparent oddity: some eagle rays in New Zealand have produced young despite no obvious male input.

London’s Natural History Museum finds 3800-year-old beetles preserved in a long-neglected bogwood specimen.

XKCD provides a remarkable insight into the world of bird and dinosaur evolution.

Health, Medicine

As usual I am avoiding all the articles on Covid-19, ‘cos you hear enough of that without me adding to the deluge.

However it is interesting to understand how we cope (or not) during a year without hugs.

Sexuality

Apparently we shouldn’t do it just before going to sleep.

Environment

There are all sorts of projects wanting to reintroduce lost species to the UK. We know about wolves and beavers, but now there’s a project which wants to reintroduce lynx to the Scottish Highlands.

There is also a movement to bring back Britain’s wonderful flower meadows.

History, Archaeology, Anthropology

A drawing of a pig in Indonesia may be one of the oldest cave paintings ever found.

There is increasing evidence that in ancient times female warriors were not uncommon. The first from Science News and the second from the New York Times.

Here’s Going Medieval on slavery, propaganda, and the politics of history. [LONG READ]

Leprosy was a feared disease in medieval times, but the leper had a conflicted existence of both good and evil.

What do you do when there isn’t a common, stable currency? Well, of course, you use eels?

While sodomy was considered more sinful, clerical sodomy presented considerably fewer challenges to the Medieval Church than clerical marriage.

Here’s a short history of the Tudor Whitehall Palace. [LONG READ]

Food, Drink

Absinthe has never been hugely popular in the UK, and unlike many European countries it has never been banned here. Despite that it is only now that London has it’s own Absinthe distillery.

So what really are the origins of haggis? Is it truly a Scottish delicacy or did the Scots appropriate it? [LONG READ]

Lifestyle, Personal Development, Beliefs

This Guardian article on atheism contains some really bizarre manifestations of non-belief. [LONG READ]

And finally … The curious and spellbinding history of cheese and witchcraft.

medical, personal, ramblings

Horrible Times 17: Surreal

Yesterday was Day 323 of self-isolation for me. And it turned out to be quite a surreal experience because I got my first Covid-19 vaccination.

As regular readers will know I turned 70 earlier this month, so I’m (just) in the 15 million people the PM is promising will be vaccinated by mid-February. Until the last few days this had looked pretty unachievable to me.

On Wednesday of last week, at a PPG** meeting, our GP’s Practice Manager said that they had almost finished inviting the over-75s for vaccination – which I found slightly surprising – and implied they would start calling the over-70s in a week or so. OK, I thought, if I’m lucky I may get invited in 2-3 weeks time.

Imagine my surprise when the next day I received a text inviting me to book my jab. Follow the link to make a booking, it said. Knowing this was the preferred approach, I did. I was offered a slot for yesterday afternoon at the Town Hall (one of two centres doing vaccinations in the borough). It’s a taxi ride away so I wasn’t overjoyed, but I booked.

A local London black cab driver is offering local people fixed price wait-and-return trips to vaccine centres. He quoted me what I knew was a good price and I booked him to take me.

Come the day, I’m a bit concerned. This will be only the fourth time in 323 days I’ve been off the premises. I don’t know the cab driver (except on social media). And I have to mix with hundreds of the great unwashed at the Town Hall. I made this worse by not leaving myself enough time to get ready at ease (because I went to sleep after lunch – as you do) so I was a bit flustered. But we got there. Paul the cab driver was bang on time, friendly and helpful. He got me to the appointment 15 minutes early, so I expected to wait.

There is no queue! Check in at the front desk. Go to the Waiting Area, be checked in again. I’m still expecting to wait, but after a couple of minutes I’m called. Check in a third time at another desk and be given my official card; sit and wait in another area.

Now go to that station where a nurse asked the usual questions (date of birth, allergies …) and stuck a needle in my arm. I hardly felt it, less even that a flu jab. Then because I’ve had the Pfizer vaccine, go to another room to sit for 15 minutes to make sure I’m OK. And then home.

I was out of the house for no more than 60 minutes, including a 15-20 minute taxi ride each way and 15 minutes “under observation”.

But it was so weird. I find our Victorian Town Hall bizarrely labyrinthine at the best of times. But having hardly been out for a year, being among so many people, having to be careful of social distancing, and not having been in a black cab for well over a year … plus mask, gloves and hearing aids … and (let’s be honest) what is still by normal rules an experimental vaccination … well it was all rather surreal.

What made it worse was that having got home, and changed, I still felt contaminated for the rest of the day, which was partly the Town Hall, but mostly the proximity to the number of people. And that was quite unexpected!

The after-effects? So far after 24 hours, effectively none. My arm was a bit sore last night, less so this morning and now it has almost gone. That’s all.

So what was my impression of the NHS’s running of the programme? Absolutely astonished and gobsmacked, in a good way.

At first sight, from the outside, it looked as disorganised as I feared it might be. But it wasn’t! It was actually well organised, efficient, great care over safety, well staffed. I didn’t count, but there were around two dozen NHS people there. Of them about 10 were clinicians (two preparing injections and 6-8 actually administering them). The rest were checking people, shepherding, helping those with mobility problems, and generally watching over social distancing. It wasn’t frantically busy but steady; enough that no-one was under pressure or rushed – which makes for good care and safety. Everyone was helpful, friendly and in a good humour; I heard no-one grumbling.

Yes, it was well organised. For just one centre like this, for at least 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, with NHS staff volunteering for the work in addition to their normal jobs … getting the vaccine supply and patient supply to match up … well the logistics is not easy. To do that countrywide, in the time available, is a huge achievement.

From what I saw, the IT systems behind it all are good, especially given the scale. Everything the centre needs seemed to be there, it works, and seems pretty slick. The IT is sufficiently complex that I also don’t know how it’s been put together in the time available. There may be a load of swans paddling furiously under the surface, but if there are it doesn’t show.

I know we all moan about the NHS’s ability to get things done, and done properly, but from a patient’s perspective this one looks like a resounding success. I was really impressed.

** Patient Participation Group for a GP Practice. I’m Chairman of our group.

amusements, quotes

Monthly Quotes

Here goes with our first collection of quotes, thought-provoking or amusing, for this shiny new year …

I like to imagine that the world is one big machine. You know, machines never have any extra parts. They have the exact number and type of parts they need. So I figure if the entire world is a big machine, I have to be here for some reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason, too.
[Brian Selznick, The Invention of Hugo Cabret]

If there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist, it’s another nonconformist who doesn’t conform to the prevailing standard of nonconformity.
[Bill Vaughan]

While we may judge things as good or bad, karma doesn’t. It’s a simple case of like gets like, the ultimate balancing act, nothing more, nothing less. And if you’re determined to fix every situation you deem as bad, or difficult, or somehow unsavoury, then you rob the person of their own chance to fix it, learn from it, or even grow from it. Some things, no matter how painful, happen for a reason. A reason you or I may not be able to grasp at first sight, not without knowing a person’s entire life story — their cumulative past. And to just barge in and interfere, no matter how well-intentioned, would be akin to robbing them of their journey. Something that’s better not done.
[Alyson Noel, Shadowland]

If we were to one day encounter a form of life more powerful and intelligent than our own, and it regarded us as we regard fish, what would be our argument against being eaten?
[Jonathan Safran Foer, Eating Animals]

Leaving the EU was an emotionally charged political proposition, not an economic one. It was a desire rooted in a vision of British sovereignty richly marinaded in a heady mix of nostalgia and bogus victimhood, fanned by Britain’s media, and which made the enormous error of confusing sovereignty with power.
[Martin Kettle, Guardian, 24 December 2020; https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/24/boris-johnson-brexit-deal-britain-eu-sovereignty-economy]

It is all very well for the Westminster magistrate to inflict a fine on a man for ringing his muffin bell to the annoyance of the inhabitants of that rather aristocratic city, but after all it is very much in the nature of straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. The muffin man’s bell is not quite the noisiest thing in London, and it is a passing nuisance at the best. He rings as he goes, and soon out of hearing. But what of church bells especially the one-string sort? What of piano organs, German orchestras, Salvation Army bands, and such abominations of noise and clatter as motor ‘buses and motor-cars? In London it is by no means uncommon to have a motor-car or taxi-cab rumbling and snorting outside one’s door for five or ten minutes at a time.
[John Bull magazine; 4 February 1911]

The lesson I have learned after so many Ebola outbreaks in my career are be fast, have no regrets. You must be the first mover. The virus will always get you if you don’t move quickly … If you need to be right before you move, you will never win. Perfection is the enemy of the good when it comes to emergency management. The greatest error is not to move.
[Michael J Ryan, WHO; quoted at https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/boris-johnson-isn-t-the-only-one-to-blame-for-britain-s-covid-crisis]

What do you mean, rock can’t think? The whole of modern technology is based on the fact that, actually, it can!
[Terry Pratchett]

I regard a compassionate, warm, kind-hearted person as healthy. If you maintain a feeling of compassion, loving kindness, something automatically opens your inner door, through which you can communicate much more easily with other people – you’ll find that they are just like you.
[Dalai Lama]

If the penalty for a crime is a fine, then that law only exists for the lower class.
[unknown]

Science is not about building a body of known “facts”. It is a method for asking awkward questions and subjecting them to a reality-check, thus avoiding the human tendency to believe whatever makes us feel good.
[Terry Pratchett]

There are enduring irritants – late trains, extortionate taxi fares, youths misbehaving on buses, rudeness on the telephone, and the lack of discipline and moral fibre. The answer to these problems is corporal punishment and temperance, it seems.
Carol singers are a nuisance and wine should not be served with Christmas lunch. Then there are the Mormons who are coming to take our women, the ever-present danger posed by the Church of Rome, fast cars, appalling things on the radio, cinema and television, people singing, dancing and playing sports on a Sunday, mixed bathing and women – “female relatives, friends or fancy bits” – who are allowed to wear the hallowed uniform of the Home Guard.
[Nigel Cawthorne; Outraged of Tunbridge Wells: Original Complaints from Middle England]

… reader Tim Hall “needed to measure [his] dog correctly for his Christmas present”, and found the advice online was to ensure the dog was standing “with all 4 feet (1.2m) on the floor”. We suspect the leaden hand of algorithmic proofreading here. Certainly, it is something New Scientist’s all-too-terrifyingly flesh-and-blood subeditors would never have let pass. They wouldn’t have had a non-metric dog in the house in the first place.
[“Feedback”; New Scientist; 9 January 2021]

amusements, memes, personal

Birthday Meme

So twenty questions making up my birthday meme.

  1. Something you want to do again next year? Survive.
  2. What’s a bad habit you picked up this year? Sloth.
  3. What are you excited about for next year? Nothing. I don’t do excitement.
  4. If you could send a message to yourself back on your birthday last year, what would it be?
    The seat belt sign is on. Hold on tight. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
  5. Did you create any characters (in games, art, or writing) this year? If so, describe one.
    Serge Tyde. Harbourmaster of a small SW England town. French extraction (probably via his maternal grandmother). Very suntanned; always to be seen in shorts, and bare-chested in warm weather. Partial to a glass of red.
    Also living in the same town is Sir Chiltern Waternut, retired diplomat.
  6. Do you feel your age? Physically: always. Mentally: seldom (apart from depression).
  7. Did your appearance change in anyway? Yes, hair cut even shorter than before.
  8. What was your favourite article of clothing this year? Post a pic if possible? The Emperor’s new suit. A picture would definitely frighten the horses.
  9. What was one nice thing you did for someone else? Online grocery shopping & delivery for Jean.
  10. What was one nice thing you did for yourself? Good food.
  11. Did anything happen that you were sure would change you as a person but it really didn’t? No.
  12. Did anything happen to you that you were sure wouldn’t change you as a person but it did? No.
  13. Pick three people who share your birthday and share what you know about them.
    • Harry Gordon Selfridge (1858-1947). American-English businessman who founded Selfridge’s Department Store.
    • Arthur Scargill (born 1938). English miner’s union leader who led the miners strikes in opposition to Prime Ministers Edward Heath (in 1972, 1974) and Margaret Thatcher (in 1984-85). Communist; activist; politician.
    • Brian Moore (born 1962). English rugby player who gained 64 caps as hooker.
  14. Is anyone listed as being born on the same day as you (ie. the same year)? If so, what do you know about them?
  15. List three people who died on your birthday and tell us what you know about them.
    • Thomas Hardy (1840-1928). English novelist and poet. Like most of the writers of “classics” I was turned off his work at school.
    • Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966). Swiss sculptor and painter. Famous for his sculptures of extremely tall and slender figures.
    • Edmund Hillary (1919-2008). New Zealand mountaineer and explorer. On 29 May 1953 Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers confirmed to have reached the summit of Mount Everest.
  16. List three notable events that took place on your birthday.
  17. Tell us about a holiday that falls on your birthday.
    Excepting a national day in Albania (which I have been unable to verify) the only holiday I can find on 11 January is the Japanese Kagami biraki which marks the end of the New Year holiday and the return to work. Although not a public holiday, it is widely celebrated.
  18. Three Fears. No money. Being widowed. Dementia.
  19. Three things I love. Sex. Warm sun. Quiet.
  20. If you could live anywhere in the world, under any circumstances whatsoever, where would you go and what would your house be like?
    A beach, somewhere warm and sunny all year. An unpretentious, spacious, but not over large, modern house with light décor, and big windows and/or patio doors. It needs to be close to all amenities. There’ll be several cats and a large well stocked koi pond, set in a mature garden which is secluded enough to allow nudity. I’ll need a gardener and a housekeeper.

Toodle Pip!