It's behind you: Great White stalks ocean canoeist | Mail Online

Another 15 secs...

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Cattle shown to align north-south

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Cattle shown to align north-south

Recent Aerial photo

Just found this on interweb. I'm pretty sure it's from last spring, mostly because of the shadows and river level. I'm curious to know how someone who is unaware of the "green roof" would interpret this image - a small house with three grass terraces? Ask your friends and let me know...

Police are on the lookout for a dangerous man

Please call if them if you know anyone matching this artist's impression.

de Menezes timeline

A very disturbing, minute by minute description of the death of Jean Charles de Menezes.

I thought later that it would be almost as disturbing if the victim were guilty.

I is well bad, innit

onegoodmove: Marcus Brigstocke Loves Us

Open and serious question, from one who is yet to have a teenager. What is the appropriate response to the 2-cap issue?

Remember to shave

Father And Son For Mother And Wives Love

A public apology to all Germans

Within Europe, England has the the reputation of having the worst food. It's certainly not near the top of the list but I always found it ironic that Germans would tease us about it when their cuisine is far, far worse (e.g., Eisbein and Labskaus). My retort was usually to point to their Birkenstock shoes -- ugly ugly ugly.

But now everyone here seems to wear "Crocs".

So to all Germans. Sorry. You are clearly a more evolved race.

Unfortunate Advert

Medicine to the Dead

I'm going to try to keep this blog for personal stuff from now on. I have set up another for all my other rants.

"To argue with a man who has renounced his reason is like giving medicine to the dead. -- Thomas Paine"

Burning Bush?

This is a really fascinating visualisation of the inside of a cell. The online version might be a bit jerky, so try downloading it instead.

I suggest skipping to 7:00 minutes in, as the speaker is a bit up himself.

Is a burning bush really that impressive compared to such natural wonders?

Flooding from rear

The level rose another foot after this - the sandpit on the right is now completely under by several inches.

Latest flooding

Big surge yesterday afternoon; my castle is now my island. There's still a long way to go before real trouble though. I've lost a few things from my "basement" and my driveway is partially washed away.

The neighbours on the mill have been flooded though. And they're on holiday. Luckily we got lots of people round to shift all the furniture to the first floor. Harder work was keeping all the canal boats off the bank (they'd capsize when the level drops). I had to do much of the donkey work as I was the only one with waders.

What are my rights?

BBC NEWS | Magazine | Can you pass a citizenship test?

Q12: "The police turn up with the ambulance and an officer asks you to attend an interview at the station. What are your rights?"

I was pleasantly surprised that the answer is what I'd hoped, rather than expected. (Nevertheless, I got it right!)

Clinton puzzle

Hint: extra funny for a Republican.
The answer is in the image filename.

Christmas pressies so easy this year...

Submissive Jesus: Prayer Answering Talking Head:

WARNING: this could be seriously offensive to many - even I felt it goes a little bit far. (Am I getting soft?)

God Delusion comedy rant

Very funny - by Marcus Brigstocke (Now Show, Radio 4, 3.43 MB, 7:22)

"and if you want to wear a ring to prove you're not having sex, you can get married like the rest of us."

Today's Math Lesson

The Primate Diaries: Today's Math Lesson:

"Fundamentalists: believe 2+2 =5 because It Is Written. Somewhere. They have a lot of trouble on their tax returns.

'Moderate' believers: live their lives on the basis that 2+2=4. but go regularly to church to be told that 2+2 once made 5, or will one day make 5, or in a very real and spiritual sense should make 5.

'Moderate' atheists: know that 2+2 =4 but think it impolite to say so too loudly as people who think 2+2=5 might be offended.

'Militant' atheists: 'Oh for pity's sake. HERE. Two pebbles. Two more pebbles. FOUR pebbles. What is WRONG with you people?'"

Harry Potter - the story so far

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Can you tell whole Potter story?: "Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Rubbish."

Sorry I missed this party. No childcare

Ship of fools: Johann Hari sets sail with America's swashbuckling neocons - Independent Online Edition > Americas

Another one for my Christmas list

Wal-Mart To Sell Jesus, Religious Action Figures - Local News Story - WKMG Orlando

Quoits anyone?

The Sun Online - News: Pagans have a cow over Homer

Bananas

This is not a parody. But this is. The Wikipedia entry shows how "god made" wild bananas actually are.

If you find this amusing, Google them to find footage of their "Coke can" proof that god exists.

Battlestar Galactica

I feel like a geek eulogising about a Sci-Fi show, but this is just fantastic. No. Seriously. Fantastic.

The ensuing TV series was pretty good too, but dragged a bit.

Beat global warming

I don't know if it was the intention but it's very relevant to the current issue about the Chinese becoming the world's biggest polluters.

What is Godly Play?

Please can someone tell me what this means?

Teaching with time

Through the regular, predictable shape of each Godly Play session, children are implicitly introduced to the importance of and need to set aside and structure our time when we prepare to come close to God. This patterning of time allows not only for preparation and a period dwelling on being in the presence of God through Scripture, but also allows time for discerning a personal response to such experience as well as time set aside to journey on from this intimate experience back into 'everyday' life. The patterning of time helps the child to recognize safe enough ways of risking the emotional investment to become deeply engaged and open to God and to themselves. Children are helped to recognize the significant personal thresholds that need to be crossed as we do this. They are indirectly taught the spiritual strategies of entering and leaving devotional time.
A 'lesson' adopts the established pattern of Christian worship. Entering the playroom is the first threshold, marked by a personal greeting at the door. Preparation both individually and collectively occurs as the children gather in a circle around the storyteller, sharing news and settling down in expectation of the day's presentation. Next, God's word in the form of a story is presented as something to which a special kind of attention is paid by both adults and children alike - a mysterious gift rather than as narrative entertainment or platform for a teaching point. Time follows for 'collective response' as the group of children and adult(s) wonder together about the many meanings and resonances for them in the presentation. Then time is allowed for individual response and further discovery of meaning as the children each choose for themselves ways to work/play using a wide variety of art and craft materials, or the story materials themselves 'in their own way'. Typically this personal time ends with re-forming as a group, as a community, and a 'feast' (of juice and biscuits) is shared together to mark this period. The session ends with a word and or gesture of personal blessing for each child as they both leave behind and take with them something of their experiences.

Please tell me what this means! Ryan is being taught this bullshit. And I genuinely don't know what to do. Should I withdraw him from all RE (as is my right)? Should I bite my lip?

The school's vicar is from Kenya. His wife is a convert from catholicism. They are very nice people.

Banning circumcision

Another good e-petition, IMHO. There is another one, with more signatories, but I prefer the sentiment here.

"Female circumcision is already proscribed in UK Law.

Male child circumcision is a traditional practice within some religious communities. Surgeons and Muslim Groups pressure for it to be performed on the NHS.

Everyone has the right to manifest religious belief, but that right is not absolute. It may be limited to protect the rights and freedoms of others. The rights of the parents to circumcise their children are however in conflict with the rights of the child to autonomy, privacy, dignity and protection from cruel inhuman or degrading treatment.

Male circumcision removes a normal body part with mechanical, sensory and immune functions. The government has a right, if not a duty, to take steps to abolish it even though to do so would be in conflict with the rights of the parents.

Male child circumcision may be performed for therapeutic reasons where strictly justified to treat disease."

I was shocked to learn of how many times this procedure leads to serious complications, sometimes fatal. What exactly are the medical qualification a (religious) circumciser must attain beforehand?

Ideally, I would prefer a more general petition "Ban religious tolerance"...

Wheelchair man gets highway ride

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Wheelchair man gets highway ride

Yet another story that must surely be a hoax.

Bear robot rescues wounded troops

Surely a spoof?

Bear robot rescues wounded troops (BBC)

Of course, it won't be ready for Iraq, or they would have made it look like a pig, to scare of the insurgents...

One for my Christmas list

I thought this site was a spoof at first, but now I'm not so sure (it links through to a real PayPal payment page)

I love this bit:

Disclaimer: These Cilice belts are intended as collector’s items for display purposes only. Cilice belts have the potential to inflict discomfort and/or harm to the individual if used and it is the individual (purchaser or user) that must accept responsibility for any harm inflicted. Use of these belts is entirely at the purchasers/users risk. Cilice.co.uk cannot be held responsible for subsequent harm. All purchasers must be at least 18 years of age. By clicking the ‘buy now’ button, you are accepting these terms and conditions.

Catholic education.

I suffered from this sort of bullshit. Look at me now. I'm fine.

Ben at Lamb Ale Festival

Abolish all faith schools...

This is one e-petition I whole-heartedly agree with.

Double Indemnity

I thought I couldn't despair more more after hearing about His Alleged Holiness's audience with the McCann's. I won't rant more about this as some people think I might be being a tad insensitive.

But this story leaves me barely able to type...

"Malaysia's constitution guarantees freedom of worship but says all ethnic Malays are Muslim. Under Sharia law, Muslims are not allowed to convert."

Sensitively or not.

(I'm hoping to calm down and write something more constructive soon.)

Good illusion

What's the difference between the shapes of these two table tops?

Obviously (because this is an illusion) the two are exactly the same. Go on, measure! Apparently it's the legs that are the primary influence.

I grabbed this from Beyond Belief (talk #7). The whole thing I highly recommend as a way to fritter away 17 hours of your life. Intelligent debate (mostly). No whooping.

UPDATE: the same talk links to a fascinating online questionnaire highlighting certain innate prejudices we "all" have. For example, to categorize something as, say (fat or black) vs. (thin or white) is a task that can be done much faster than (fat or white) vs. (thin or black). Truly enlightening and I urge everyone to have a go.

Woman: Blame devil for infant in microwave - CNN.com

See - this is what happens

MingeWatch (2)

I can't believe this is my second post on this topic. Now it's
Kylie's turn.

Something must be done.

I will survive

I was sent this a while back and now I have it permanently on my computer to cheer me up whenever I feel low. That's the power of the holy spirit, I guess.

Sarah Brightman & Hot Gossip- Starship Trooper

I had forgotten how wonderfully bad this was.

OK, I'll admit it, I was 12 when it came out and was taken in by the leotards and Star Wars theme.





Hey, Captain Strange, won't you be my lover
You're the best thing that I've ever discovered
Flash Gordon's left me, he's gone to the stars
An evil Darth Vader has me banished to Mars

Tell me, Captain Strange, do you feel my devotion
Or are you like a droid, devoid of emotion
Encounters one and two are not enough for me
What my body needs is close encounter three

Still, it's not hard to see how she was on a slippery slope to
this nonsense. (I'm thinking more of the video - the song is actually not too bad.)

Workers rescued from giant vat of fish feces - CNN.com

Oooh, no thank you, Madam.

Are you damned?

Under God?

I was genuinely shocked to learn that "under God" was only added to the U.S. "Pledge of Allegiance" in 1954.

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."

This gives me so much more respect for the "Founding Fathers".

YouTube - Lou Dobbs with Christopher Hitchens

YouTube - Lou Dobbs with Christopher Hitchens - New US Citizen

"Religion ends and philosophy begins, just as alchemy ends and chemistry begins and astrology ends, and astronomy begins."

Nice attempt to be "prime time friendly" on the subject of the one-way nature of the birth canal.

Highly recommended.

My theory of quotation marks (and a prediction)

Alan Johnson disappeared in Gaza. For many weeks there was no confirmed news yet it was assumed he had been kidnapped.

Today, a girl was "kidnapped" in Portugal. Quotation marks kidnapped. Despite reporting what appears to be 'clear' evidence of a forced entry, etc., the BBC still talks about a girl who "may have been abducted".

I have seen this sort of thing many times before. I think the BBC knows something but can't report it.

On this basis alone, I predict that the father/uncle/mother/etc. will be found to have had something to do with it.

Update (9th May 2007): as with most predictions, I was wrong...

Update (8th September 2007): maybe not...

Tired and Flushed

Ben found a typically comfortable place to sleep after a long day at school.

Cheap Toys

Playing in the road dirt has lost none of its appeal.

Ryan's Adventures in Wonderland

Ryan was off school today after his eye swelled up badly after an insect bite. He wasn't actually unwell so I used the opportunity to go to Bicester to buy him some new shoes.

We had a great time but I was slightly saddened to realized that this was pretty much the first time I had spent proper "quality" time with him since Georgina died. Ben is frequently asleep at home but I always seem to have wanted to do other ("house") things. And I realized that this was the first time in several years (which in Ryan's terms really means his whole life) that we had been to shops other than supermarkets.

Nevertheless, Ryan said to me that today was "the bestest day in [his] life". And do you know why?

Woolworths.

The absolute sense wonder (and awe) he had walking up and down the aisles (of toys, mostly) really should have been videoed. Truly comparable to young Mr Bucket in the Wonka factory. I had to make many excused to bemused parents because of his constant whelps of delight.

Almost as good, he got some sandals with some flashy-light things.

Slow and sickly

I found this lovely slow worm in the garden and brought it into school for Ryan to "show and tell". It panicked a but and regurgitated 3 slugs it had been digesting. Yuck!

Poor Moor

For many years we've had moorhens nesting in the garden. Every year they hatch around 6 chicks but I've never seen them make past the first day in the water. Maybe a pike gets them.

This year the pair have excelled themselves in poor parenting. Not only have they built their nest right next to the house, so that they get scared away everytime of us makes the slightest noise, but they also seem to be trying to hatch a golf ball. Do they think the pike will choke on it?

Looking for a good pasta recipe?

Well this has to be the best one ever...

"Boil pasta in abundant salty water, drain and pour pasta in boiling hot ragù. Mix and serve with grated Parmesan cheese."

Wipe your arse less, suggests Sheryl Crow | The Register

Wipe your arse less, suggests Sheryl Crow

She clearly knows nothing about my gastro-intestinal workings:

"I propose a limitation be put on how many squares of toilet paper can be used in any one sitting. Now, I don't want to rob any law-abiding American of his or her God-given rights, but I think we are an industrious enough people that we can make it work with only one square per restroom visit, except, of course, on those pesky occasions where two to three could be required."

Carrotty Walrus

Bald boys are, of course, much fiercer.

It's that time of year

Yep, Mr Clipper comes out of hiding.

Spud gun

If you do a search on Google for spud gun, you get things like this on UK pages.

Americans seem to think on a different scale altogether.

Guess which type I fancy building!

Treehouse phase 2 complete

All the walls are now up. I need to add some cladding to the outer walls but there is some temporary timber to stop accidents.

Timber is phenomenally expensive these days (it's the Chinese, apparently) so I'm thinking about a flat root instead of a slopped one. My original estimated budget was £150 but it's £400 already. I wanted a cedar shingle roof but that would have been £200!!

Treehouse: first wall up

 It may not seem like it, but this has been quite an ordeal. It's especially tricky now the school holidays are here and the boys both take a keen interest. Ben in particular likes to climb up 7 or 8 times a day.

Another treehouse pic

 

Treehouse phase 1

What have I done? Can't see any future A&E visits, can you?

I based this design on one from the highly recommended "The Dangerous Book for Boys" but struggled with my slanting and twisted willow tree. Eventually I had to purchase a laser level to get everything straight.

The walls should be easy, but I'm worried about the roof. This will be tricky, just because it will be so far off the (uneven) ground.

Luckiest pervert in England?

There's an old joke:

A man visiting Belfast is approached by a tough looking local. "Are you Protestant or Catholic?" he asks. The man considers that whatever he answers, there's a big chance he'll be wrong and get beaten up, and eventually is inspired to answer "Jewish". The other pulls out a gun a shoots him, exclaiming "I must be the luckiest Arab in Belfast.".

I was reminded of this yesterday when I was working in my garden and a passing woman asked me about the lack of privacy the glass in my house affords. I told her that if someone was passing at 11 o'clock at night and happened to catch a glimpse, from 80 yards, of me getting ready bed, then that person would indeed be the luckiest hairy-fat-bald-fancying pervert in England.

Old map of Lock area

I found this old OS map of Pigeon Lock. Dunno the date.

Of minor note:

• our garden used to be part of the field behind


• the pub/house next door used to be close to the river (where it flooded)


• the old path is shown as a ford on the other side of my house

Christopher Hitchens on Free Speech

A fine use of 20 mins. Very un-PC, but I think it's fantastic.

House hunting? Beware the Grim Reaper

This is classic.

Latest Flooding

More of the same, I know, but this is now higher than I've ever seen it before.

Tesco upped fruit prices before special offer

Tesco upped fruit prices before special offer

Common scam, apparently. A BOGOF will get loads of extra sales and most people will assume a bargain. But if the price has been doubled before?

Even better for the retailer, they can later ("legitimately) reoffer the product at "50% off", even though this price is possibly even higher than the original.

The return of God?

I don't normally expect to read such interesting stuff from journalists, let alone Mr Humphrys (I'm not a big fan), but this is an exception.

Space pioneers take first small steps

BBC ON THIS DAY | 9 | 1995: Space pioneers take first small steps

This guy had the same Ph.D. supervisor as me. I had a long chat with him in the physics lab. canteen (before his flight).

Psychic museum closes due to unforseen circumstances | The Register

Psychic museum closes due to unforseen circumstances | The Register

Knitted breasts help new mothers

This tickled me far me than is reasonable.

BBC NEWS | England | Merseyside | Knitted breasts help new mothers

I'm "country" now

When neighbours start delivering these to you, you know.

Now what do I do with them?

Mr Deity

Just wanna make sure you've all seen these.

Schneier on Security: Non-Terrorist Embarrassment in Boston

It's really hard to find anything to add to this. My favorite bit:

"It had a very sinister appearance. It had a battery behind it, and wires."

Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens debating blasphemy

Listen to Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens debating blasphemy at last year's Guardian Hay Festival from Guardian Unlimited: Culture Vulture

Highly recommended (albeit time-consuming, 78 minute playtime) debate. The direct link to the MP3 is here

BBC apostrophe catastrophe

Panorama has tonight "exposed" Mr Taranissi for offering risky and unproven treatments. I posted a comment on the BBC Online forum which prompted a call from one of their journalists: BBC NEWS - Defending the IVF doctor.

Obviously, having 2 lovely children as a result of his treatments, I am hardly unbiased, but I would urge everyone to watch the unedited interview with Mr Taranissi. It's an hour long but even a watching a few minutes will, I suggest, convince you of his sincerity, notwithstanding any legal/compliance issues.

Georgina was very knowledgeable about these things and I know she would be horrified. She was always particularly critical of Prof. Robert Winston.

New climbing opportunities

 

The school bench has been one of my best acquisitions from FreeCycle - the boys absolutely love it. Of course, as I've set it up here, it gives them great scope to scare visitors...

Ben's first day at school today

Will the teachers prevail?

Ben missing his "12 minutes of fame"

Ben was already a media darling before he was born, and he's obviously missing the attention.

Yesterday he wandered off from the house, in just shirt, nappy and boot and was in absentia for maybe 60 mins. Many men in black arrived and a helicopter was on its way before young, oblivious Mr B wandered out from a neighbour's shed.

As you can imagine, I was calm and rational throughout.

Harold song

Harold the Helicopter

Who do you call when the chips are down
When your back is against the wall
When there's no way out
And time is running out
And you're heading for a fall?
High in the sky
Suddenly comes the hero
You can rely on him

Harold the Helicopter, pride of the skies
First to the rescue should help be required
Harold the Helicopter, brave is he
Courage is his name
So look to the skies, should danger arise
Look to the skies, for Harold will be there

He is a natural hero
He is guardian of the skies
And down through the years there are many tales
Of his courage in the skies
Out from the clouds
Suddenly comes the hero
We recognize that sound

Harold the Helicopter, pride of the skies
First to the rescue should help be required
Harold the Helicopter, brave is he
Courage is his name
So look to the skies, should danger arise
Reach for the sky, for Harold will be there

Harold the Helicopter, pride of the skies
First to the rescue should help be required
Harold the Helicopter, brave is he
Courage is his name
So look to the skies
See how he flies
You can rely
For Harold will be there

River in flood

Level way up. Not yet anywhere near the level of 4 years ago (when we had to put all the furniture up on brick) but the rate of rise is quite dramatic.

Of course, we should be safe in the house if there is bad flooding, but it will still be a major pain to sort out all the garden tools, etc., stored at lower levels.

Sorry no photo - haven't got a new camera yet.

Camera buggered

I often feel I'm over-protective when I stop the boys playing with delicate or dangerous thing, but I became Mr-Not-Pleased when I let Ryan take a few pictures yesterday.

It was promptly dropped and the lens is now in its own little heaven.

Charity donation anyone?

(As an aside, I took the camera apart to see if I could fix the focusing. I gave myself a massive shock by shorting out the flash. Scary!)

Ben on beam

Of course, there's no reason to suppose that a 2 year old wouldn't be perfectly safe balancing several feet in the air above a concrete surface.

Hide from scary lunch.

Too healthy

Ryan's birthday cake

He's obsessed with all things Dr Who - not old enough to be properly scared, I guess.

Anyway, who could be scared by Licorice Allsorts?

"The Ivy" Shepherd's Pie Recipe

SHEPHERD’S PIE

Serves 8

900 g each good-quality minced lamb and beef (mixed and not too fatty)
vegetable oil for frying
0.5 kg onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
8 g thyme, chopped finely
25 g flour
50 g tomato purée
1 ltr dark meat stock
50 ml Worcester sauce
150 ml red wine
8 half servings of firm mashed potato, with no cream added

Season the minced meat. Heat some vegetable oil in a frying pan until it is very hot and cook the meat in small quantities for a few minutes, then drain in a colander to remove all the fat. In a thick-bottomed pan, heat some more vegetable oil and gently fry the onion, garlic and thyme until they are very soft. Add the meat, dust it with flour and add the tomato purée. Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the red wine, Worcester sauce and dark meat stock, bring it to the boil and simmer for 30–40 minutes. Strain off about 200 ml of the sauce to serve with the pie. Continue to simmer the meat until the liquid has almost evaporated. Take it off the heat, check the seasoning and allow it to cool. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6. To make the pie, put the meat into a large serving dish or individual dishes and top with potato. Bake for 35–40 minutes.

A good accompaniment for Shepherd’s Pie is Mashed Neeps.

You wanna piece a' me?

Ryan has a Vinnie moment.

Severe hair

Ryan's haircut was waaaay overdue but nevertheless he started whinging. I lost it a bit so now he has this. Actually, I like it.

New water feature

I have just added some new plumbing to the sandpit. Hopefully this will save a little water for the planet. Ben likes getting soaked underneath while Ryan presses the button.

A slightly gratuitous shot across the roof toward the valley beyond. In case this makes you too jealous, be aware that this is taken from my bathroom...

This is not too bad. Got a bit o' wildlife too.

My roof is now in flower. Unfortunately the flowers are tiny and my camera has poor macro so it's quite hard to get a good shot.

Summer in the river.

it's good to be able to remind oneself, after a long winter, just why this place is so great.

Healthy eating

This is just to remind myself that sometimes the boys get to eat healthy food. Od course, I was holding a plate of chips above my head to get his attention.

Bogey Protection?

I don't think so.

Wrong side of the bed

For some reason, Ryan has taken to sleeping under his bed (he does this by himself, sometime during the night). He won't say why but maybe I'll have to stop him watching "Doctor Who"....

Throught the looking glass

Ben has discovered a new way into my (normally off limits) office, wwhereby he has to walk about 12 feet along a narrow ledge, itself 3 feet off the ground, and then through a window.

I shall have to watch this tricky fellow.

Let there be heat

It's only a year late, but my stove has finally been installed. Just in time for the end of the winter. It has shelf to warm buns. Which is nice.

Ben & Ryan in the bath

It's been a long time since I've posted a bath photo. Roll on new cliches.

Reading

Ben certainly does a good job of faking it.

Kingfisher

A common visitor. Sometime two of them.

Trolley fun

One of their favourite games. Harder work for me as I have to push them around at high speed avoiding crashes...