83.173.161.26 53045144 53000688 My intention today was to write an intelligent and perceptive article about the Kraft-Cadbury polemia* and thus went in search of new news to make my writing thoroughly up to date. However, whilst scrolling down the opening page of the guardian.co.uk a headline caught my eye: <em></em><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/29/sceptics-homeopathy-mass-overdose-boots" title="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/29/sceptics-homeopathy-mass-overdose-boots" id="link_0">Homeopathy Mass "Overdose" Planned</a>. How surreal, I thought. Is this a really concerted effort to commit suicide in a chemical "free" manner? A new-age cult, who are concerned about orthodox overdose methods? Are they trying to prove that homeopathic remedies are not dangerous? Or is it just a group on Facebook akin to that of "Let's All Go Out and Panic-Buy Carrots"** My curiosity made me follow the link and was informed that people planned to stand outside a chain of chemists across Britain, guzzling homeopathic remedies in an attempt to demonstrate that they have absolutely no effect. Interesting idea. My comment on this behaviour is simply an observation of the well-known fact that homeopathic remedies need to be taken over time in order to work - similar to the idea of taking a small about of poison every day to make oneself immune. I doubt taking vast quantities of arsenic in one go will do anything other than kill you stone dead. However, I also doubt that the frenetic consumption of these homeopathic remedies are going to lead to death (although the sicker side of my humour thinks it would be darkly amusing if it did) (only in fiction, only in fiction...), but I do believe there is a point being missed. On the other hand, they could be completely right. And it is probable that absolutely nothing will happen to them. Maybe if they repeated the campaign on a weekly basis for a period of six weeks, they would be the healthiest people in the world. Or at least set off the metal detector when they went through Security in airports. But this isn't the thing that really caressed my curiosity nodules. Oh no. Reading through the article, I discovered who had actually organised this campaign. I have to quote this directly from the Guardian, because my words cannot make it any more brilliant than it already is. <em>"It is being co-ordinated by the Merseyside Skeptics Society, a non-profit organisation dedicated to "developing and supporting the sceptical community"."</em> And I smiled. Only in Merseyside, in my home terrain, in the land of the eternal comedian and whinger, where the wonderful people are brutally and beautifully honest, often ignorant, but will fight for absolutely any passing whim that takes their fancy tooth and nail especially when it is in opposition to the status quo; where the intelligence and ability to see right through people curses us with black humour and an unenviable insight into the deepest flaws of mankind, ourselves included; only in the cradle of this English writer, similarly cursed, could such a group (sorry: non-profit organisation) exist. Fantastic. I'm glad I don't live there anymore, but these little reminders of my fellow Merseysiders and how they fill their evenings and weekends with dedication to a cause worthy of ancient Greece, gives me a warm fuzzy feeling, and not so alone in the world. Well done, Merseyside Skeptics. I don't agree with you about homeopathy, but I'm elated that you express your darker view of the world with such gusto. <small> </small><img src="http://www.books-about-california.com/Images/The_Jewel_City/The_Thinker.jpg" id="img_0"> <small>*invented word, I suspect. </small><small>**really exists, go and check.</small> <img src="file:///Users/alex/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.png" alt=""><img src="file:///Users/alex/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot-1.png" alt=""> 0 2010-01-30T15:25:50+01:00 2010-01-30T14:46:00+01:00 53191375 only-in-merseyside- 2010-01-30T15:25:50+01:00 9 1 2010-01-30T15:31:08+01:00 83.173.161.26 53045144 53000688 1. Postal voting - does this really conform with secret ballot? 2. It is equally possible to fall in love with a serial killer as it is with a dull dull normal person. And it will probably still end up being the same, repetitive, bitter disappointment. 3. How many phones should a person have? 4. Did I water the plant? 5. Is it mutually exclusive to have a life and a family? 6. I know where income tax came from in the UK, but where the hell did it come from in other countries? Sleep well. 0 2010-01-20T00:49:58+01:00 2010-01-20T00:44:00+01:00 53187760 six-more-things-to-ponder-at-bedtime 2010-01-20T00:49:58+01:00 9 1 2010-01-20T00:49:58+01:00 89.7.125.23 53045144 53000688 It's about time I revisited this empty notepad and scribbled down some thoughts for you. The world seems to have changed colour, particularly the United Kingdom which has lost all tones of green and gone a decidedly whiter shade of white. <img src="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00668/england360_668880a.jpg" id="img_0"> Somewhat incredible. People seem to be going into hibernation because there is no other option available to them, I cannot remember a winter like this ever happening in my lifetime in the UK, perhaps it did when I was a child, but we didn't make such a fuss about it. But such low temperatures and so much snow, is surely something that I would recall. I see the snow falling out of my window (I'm refined to indoors for health reasons) and wonder if we'll hit Siberian-like conditions here too. But I somehow doubt it. Just what this country could do without. We've had the economic freeze, now for the real thing to truly destroy monetary turnover. I like that nature can remind us of what is actually important. That She is. We can't escape her whimsy and she will always win. We can float off on a material and somewhat flimsy plain, but nature will always show us what is real and what is not - one way or another. I think it is a good start to the year. One can advance with one's eyes open having a better idea of what nature is capable of. And she is always a master of timing. For those who are not aware of the acronym above, it means Happy New Year. And I wish this to you all. 0 2010-01-09T23:13:29+01:00 2010-01-09T22:52:00+01:00 53184380 hny 2010-01-09T23:13:28+01:00 9 1 2010-01-10T18:41:12+01:00 89.7.125.23 53045144 53000688 As somebody suffering from loss recently commented, it is one of the most difficult things to cope with. Because it is simply that: loss. Nothing can fill that gap that is left by the departure of a loved one, because they are uniquely and solely talented in being that person that we are going to miss so much. I still cry with my friends when they lose someone, I cry for them, for the way they must feel, and probably for my own gaps as well. It is important to remember the good things about a person, because that is how they go on living in our minds and hearts. Remember the smile they wore when they cracked a joke. Remember their face when they met their grandchild for the first time. Remember the lessons they taught you, the experiences they showed you, and the strength they always had. Remember that you would not be you without them, but that you don't stop being who you are now that they have passed on to another plain. The best thing one can do is appreciate that life and humans have their limitations, and it is important to live the best one can. And know that you are never alone. The English are strange when it comes to death. We never quite know what to say. We skirt around the topic to avoid putting our foot in it, and that fear causes an uncomfortable silence which is worse than anything we might have done wrong*. Then we have the funeral and a wake - to celebrate the life of The Departed. A custom I adore, because I think we should celebrate a life. What better way to recall and release? One should feel tragedy in order to overcome it. So for those who are feeling loss, my heart is with you. And here are two quotes to put things into perspective: "I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge -- myth is more potent than history -- dreams are more powerful than facts -- hope always triumphs over experience -- laughter is the cure for grief -- love is stronger than death." (Robert Fulghum) and "I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter." (Winston Churchill) <small>*I am fortunately removed enough from my culture to be able to say what I feel in such circumstances. And always be on hand with a limitless supply of hugs when necessary. </small> 0 2009-12-08T18:33:33+01:00 2009-12-08T18:03:00+01:00 53176596 loss 2009-12-08T18:33:33+01:00 9 1 2009-12-08T18:33:33+01:00 89.7.125.23 53045144 53000688 There has been in existence for many moons a concept of "six things". Six things I do in the mornings...Six things that make me smile... Six things that mean I'm an English teacher (absolutely true and available on the Macmillan teacher's blog) (I'd put a link, but I'm afraid that's be one of the Six Things That I Can't Currently Be Arsed To Do). So here I give you Six Things That Are Annoying Me At The Moment. 1. The complete unprofessionality of my Popular Telecomunications Network (International) agent, and inability to meet up with her, organise anything with her, receive any kind of news about the progress of our arrangement with her, or indeed speak to her via the very device that took so very long to get out of her in the first place (AKA the Telephone). I respect her so called "working" hours. I'm not convinced that she does. 2. The apparent unavailability of a flat of reasonable price and size and furnishings for me to live in. 3. That despite number two, and seven weeks of really researching this, everybody seems more than prepared to assure me that the market is bad and there are thousands of flats out there. "Out" I think is suitable word, "findable/available/easy to locate/visible to the naked eye" - these are not. 4. The discomfort of my bed. 5. My living arrangements in general. (Is that cheating? The individual annoyances wouldn't fit into 6, or, indeed, single figures.) 6. The fact that although when I started this list I felt thoroughly disgruntled with the world, and I continue to feel as such, I can't seem to name all the factors that are causing this so have therefore managed to only successfully define five things that are really annoying me at the moment. Oh no - there we go. There may be future 6 things lists, but I'm not promising anything. 0 2009-11-25T21:58:02+01:00 2009-11-25T21:40:00+01:00 53173494 six-things-or-possibly-more- 2009-11-25T21:58:02+01:00 9 1 2009-11-25T21:58:02+01:00 89.7.125.23 53045144 53000688 I have been surprised by surprise this week.* I am of the female persuasion. This is not news and has little surprising about it. I did some sewing today - that's just how female I am. It was necessary sewing, not pleasurable sewing (which I suspect is a concept beyond my understanding), but sewing nonetheless which demonstrates without a doubt my female-ness. (Yes: I am pandering to stereotypes. It's for effect. All will make sense shortly.) This week I changed the door handle on the door to my bedroom. This was necessary as some time ago it broke in a spectacular fashion one morning when I was trying to get out of my room and start the day. The lock had been a bit buggered** for a while and the morning fight with the handle and lock to get out had been becoming almost ritualistic in it's increasing difficulty and annoyance. Since that amusing (sic) morning I've had to keep my door from closing so as to avoid being imprisoned or having to escape over the balcony. But with the disturbances from outside of my bedroom filtering in more easily and making my life as a flat-share-ee even less enjoyable I found it necessary to swap my broken handle for that of the living room and take the lock out while I look for another. Making it possible to close my door. This obviously involves using a screwdriver. Which I have become quite adept at in the 13 years I've lived away from home. Drills and hammers are even more fun, which are what I now require to finish the job and put in my brand new shiny lock and handle bought yesterday from the ironmongers. The combination of having two "X" chromosomes <em>and</em> the ability to use tools has caused quite a scandal. I forget sometimes how non-English this country is. Women just don't do these things, or at least that's how it would appear from the reactions I've been getting. Surely that's just a myth? Please tell me it is just a myth... I'm practical, I can cook and sew <em>and</em> fit locks and put bookshelves together. But where I come from that's normal. *<small>The lack of the indefinite article highlights the sense in that sentence, or at least one would hope, but I'm expecting all to become clear... ** </small><small>fam!</small><small> broken or not working properly, normally due to abuse or time. </small> 1 2009-11-15T16:04:21+01:00 2009-11-15T15:39:00+01:00 53170944 2009-11-16T20:03:03+01:00 practicality 2009-11-15T16:04:21+01:00 9 1 2009-12-04T04:23:52+01:00 89.7.125.23 53045144 53000688 Having just read my brother's post about his recent television jaunts and his list of 101 things to do, I began to ponder a few things. My first thought was: Why don't I make a 101 things to do list? Second: But, I've already done many things this year that I haven't done before and they should have gone on the list. Third: Bugger, I should have made the list at the beginning of the year. Fourth: Yes, Alex, but if you had made the list, would you have achieved all the things you actually have, if you had planned to do them? Fifth: Probably not. Sixth: Aha, there is the major difference between beloved brother and me. It's true, and maybe it's simply due to my undeniably rebellious nature, but if I plan things or think ahead, the plans just don't happen. I can have objectives, and reach them but I have to do this in a way that is not written or often even discussed with people, because the minute it goes into print it becomes an official commitment which I may or may not the be able to stick to. Whereas, Sibling Of the Older Variety has an ability to formulate a plan and see it through to the end. The plan causes the Motivation. In my case it causes the <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/procrastination" title="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/procrastination" id="link_0">Procrastination</a> . It's possible that I'll start a 101 things to do list next year, but I think in my case it would be better to make a 101 things <em>done</em> list. That way I get the sense of achievement without having the pressure to perform. Is it related to position in the family? Or simply wildly different personalities? <small>*Yes. it's a bad pun.</small> 1 2009-10-28T13:04:19+01:00 2009-10-28T12:51:00+01:00 53166022 2009-10-30T14:36:58+01:00 the-relative-difference-between-siblings- 2009-10-28T13:04:19+01:00 9 1 2009-12-03T17:39:33+01:00 89.7.125.23 53045144 53000688 I know, the title makes it sound like a paper submitted in the first term of the new "Philosophy of Biology" course that they're running in the University of X. It isn't. I was simply pondering the heart and the stomach and how close they are, not simply in actual physical terms, but also in the theme of love, appetites, and weight-gaining as a sign of happiness and the opposite as an indicator that all is not well. I notice that when I am in love (which does happen occasionally) I find myself enjoying all of life's pleasures a little more. I have a greater appetite. Everything tastes that little bit better, and I normally have a large appreciation gland* for carnal pleasures as it is, but even more so when love is cursing through my veins. I also see it in others. I am a good, inventive and enthusiastic cook. And I'll admit that the whole "a way to a man´s heart is through his stomach" theory is one that I exploit to the full as I love cooking for people, I love feeding people, and I love watching people enjoy the selection of flavours that I treat their palates to. I've seen it in male friends, family and also various boyfriends of mine that when they fall in love they demonstrate it by putting on weight, not permanently but there is that short period in which they take pleasure in everything that goes into their stomach and it warms my heart to see it. Overly thin and gaunt people are often so sad, and lacking in warmth. Is it the diet, or is the lack of affection? And why are there so many single women in their forties in perfect shape? Stressed, unhappy, but with a size 6 dress size. Is that really a compensation? Being overweight is not good either, and some abuse food as a replacement for love - equally unhealthy as avoiding food altogether. But some meat on a person shows that they are human, with a heart and a stomach. Not just furnished with a perfectly formed mouth for smoking and complaining with. Love makes me enjoy what I eat, and (fortunately) enjoy walking, running, doing exercise in general, laughing and smiling. So it all balances out in the end. *<small>This doesn't exist: I have just invented it, before you go looking in dictionaries.</small> 0 2009-10-25T20:54:10+01:00 2009-10-25T20:30:00+01:00 53165077 internal-organs-and-their-relative-metaphorical-proximity- 2009-10-25T20:54:10+01:00 9 1 2009-10-25T20:54:10+01:00 89.7.125.23 53045144 53000688 Gender is a curious thing. And I'm not simply talking about That Which Causes Me to Make The Greatest Number of Mistakes When Speaking the Spanish Language. I refer to the social phenomenon of Feminine and Masculine. Men (males) and Women (females) are different by nature, this is a well established fact and has allowed for a variety of publishing successes, on top of late night (single sex) conversations, debates in pubs (or classrooms in my case), newspaper columns and even the occasional blogpost. Not only do we come in different shapes, we also have different wiring. I accept this. I often revel in this. I occasionally get stupidly frustrated by this, but it's how things are. Gender is not so clear. And often the traits of one can shine out of the opposing sex. Sometimes you find somebody who is, or at least appears, totally balanced in terms of gender. It can be shocking, delightful, and a little unnerving. Often it is difficult to separate gender from sex. But it is true that you meet men who are rather feminine, not necessarily in their mannerisms, but in their way of interpreting data or responding to certain situations. Likewise you find women who are more masculine in their behaviour, and their preferences I'm not sure which is more dangerous. I was going to rant about the restrictive lifestyle in Britain today. I chose the more peaceful path for the good of my blood pressure. 0 2009-10-18T21:51:58+02:00 2009-10-18T21:34:00+02:00 53163074 gender- 2009-10-18T21:51:58+02:00 9 1 2009-10-18T21:51:58+02:00 89.7.125.23 53045144 53000688 Exists for a good reason. I think it may be to protect friendships. Today it came to my attention that a collection photos that I had taken of the Eiffel Tower on my recent jaunt around Europe, and had consequently passed on to an engineer friend (stress: good friend) of mine who had asked for them, have, in fact, been passed further on by said friend to numerous colleagues and may well appear in the next edition of his organisation's journal. Well. My first question was: Have I been accredited for these photos? Answer: No. My second question was (along the lines of, and refining for publicationable* purposes): Did you possibly consider that maybe it may have been a good idea to ask the taker of these photos permission before circulating them around your esteemed establishment? Answer: Don't be ridiculous. (I had this conversation in spanglish so I am paraphrasing a little) Me: annoyed. Other: incredulous that I should be annoyed. Now, I proposed the concept of an idea being told by one person to a good friend and then this person discovering after a little time that this idea had been taken on board and used by an official body as being similar. The response was distracted but generally indicated that it wasn't the same thing. And perhaps it isn't <em>quite</em> the same thing. But it's close enough. How would I feel if somebody copied these blog entries and published them as their own? Infuriated. My response would be the same as it was to this discovery. His response: That I was being ridiculous. So I ask you fellow blog-writers/journalists/photographers: How would you feel in this situation? I don't want money, just recognition for something that I have produced as being something that <strong>I </strong>have produced. Is that so unreasonable? *<small>that is an Alex-made-up-word but you catch my drift</small> 3 2009-09-26T02:08:38+02:00 2009-09-26T01:55:00+02:00 53156967 2009-10-01T13:52:52+02:00 copyright 2009-09-26T02:08:38+02:00 9 1 2009-10-01T13:52:52+02:00