Following the atrocity in Syria over the weekend, a spokesman for the regime stated "We never" and suggested that the opposition militia blew their own children up to discredit a misunderstood regime just trying to restore a little law and order into a country beset by armed Islamic gangs willing to kill their own people.
In 1993, during the siege of Sarajevo, the Serbs lobbed a high explosive shell into a crowded market place and killed 68 people in 1 terrible flash. They promptly blamed their opponents for "staging" the blast themselves. Later, much later, it was found to be a hideous lie: the Serbs were of course responsible for those killings, and countless others.
In the fog of war, there are usually at least 2 opposing stories circulating as to who was to blame, and observers struggle to remain "rational" and "balanced". Sooner or later we have to rub the scales from our eyes and recognise the truth when it is staring us in the face. Why should Syrian opponents massacre their own children? The answer: they wouldn't, and didn't. Those children were torn apart by cannons owned by Mr Assad, and were fired on his orders: the orders of a desperate man who has lost his way and clinging to a belief that he can threaten and bully his own people into submission. Such tactics cannot work for ever. He knows his own life is in jeopardy. If he wants my advice (which he probably doesn't) I'd suggest he takes his family to exile in some luxurious bolthole in Switzerland- it's what was offered to Saddam in 2003
; in retrospect it was an offer he should definitely have taken up...
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Saturday, 26 May 2012
Pelagius pronounces post torch cleanup "too good"
Yesterday we went down to the bottom of our street to see the Olympic Torch pass by, thereby taking in the rather pleasant and very British atmosphere generated by this momentous incident. Right in front of our eyes we witnessed the "sacred fire" being passed from one bearer to another, with cries of "Go for it mate!" and "Good lad!"
It was really rather good, despite my studied cynicism of all the hype and pocket-lining that accompanies every games, our own no exception.
I was going to go out this morning to retrieve the doubtless copious quantities of cans and bottles left behind by the crowds lining the route near our house, but I find the street cleaners have beaten me to it. The streets at 8 am were already scrubbed clean. Only problem: all that recyclable rubbish is now heading, not for the recycling dump but the landfill site. Damn!
It was really rather good, despite my studied cynicism of all the hype and pocket-lining that accompanies every games, our own no exception.
I was going to go out this morning to retrieve the doubtless copious quantities of cans and bottles left behind by the crowds lining the route near our house, but I find the street cleaners have beaten me to it. The streets at 8 am were already scrubbed clean. Only problem: all that recyclable rubbish is now heading, not for the recycling dump but the landfill site. Damn!
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Palegius goes for gold
5 years ago my bank persuaded me to put some money into an "ethical green investment fund". Last month it matured and I received a cheque for... exactly the same sum I had invested in the first place. Perhaps I should consider myself lucky; I could have got back far less. So with part of that money I indulged a fantasy I have had for many years: owning some gold.
When I was a little kid my dad told me he had bought some "gold shares". I think he meant they were shares in a South American gold mine, but I always thought the shares were actually made of that strange yellow metal which drives men mad. And ever since I have wanted some for myself. Last week I bought a handful of gold coins, which in 5 years I am pretty confident will be worth more than I paid for them. We shall see. Meanwhile they are mine to lust over; to feel their satisfactory weight in my hands, and to speculate on the hardship of the men who had to extract it from an Earth reluctant to give up its treasure.
All the gold ever found in the world could be contained within a cube measuring less than 20 metres a side. But the amount of earth shifted to find it would make a mountain 10 times the size of Everest...
Gold. like all the other heavy metals, was formed in the nuclear inferno at the heart of dying stars, just moments before they went supernova. And now a tiny quantity of that unique substance is mine. Feels kinda good, I must say.
When I was a little kid my dad told me he had bought some "gold shares". I think he meant they were shares in a South American gold mine, but I always thought the shares were actually made of that strange yellow metal which drives men mad. And ever since I have wanted some for myself. Last week I bought a handful of gold coins, which in 5 years I am pretty confident will be worth more than I paid for them. We shall see. Meanwhile they are mine to lust over; to feel their satisfactory weight in my hands, and to speculate on the hardship of the men who had to extract it from an Earth reluctant to give up its treasure.
All the gold ever found in the world could be contained within a cube measuring less than 20 metres a side. But the amount of earth shifted to find it would make a mountain 10 times the size of Everest...
Gold. like all the other heavy metals, was formed in the nuclear inferno at the heart of dying stars, just moments before they went supernova. And now a tiny quantity of that unique substance is mine. Feels kinda good, I must say.
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Alice Arnold you rock!
This redoubtable newsreader has become celebrated for more than her voice. Recently she tweeted that she had seen someone toss a plastic bottle from their car. Thinking "No, no, I'm not having that", she popped the bottle back through the window of the car saying something like "I think you may have dropped this accidentally". Very diplomatic. I'm not very good at the diplomatic arts myself; I would would have been a lot mote sarcastic, and risked a punch in the face for my trouble.
Being a woman she stood a much better chance of getting away with her potentially risky action, but she still took a chance. Good for her!
Our society needs more of this sort of thing: the challenging of unacceptable behaviour, right then and there when it happens.
This morning I went to the supermarket and as I left my car a lady was sitting in the car next to mine, working on her laptop, with her motor running. When I emerged 1/2 an hour later she was still on it, and her motor was still running. I pointed out that I had noticed what she was doing and she replied that she had to keep the engine running to keep going. I asked her if her laptop did not have a battery, but she chose not to continue the conversation. I was as polite as possible, and simply shrugged and walked away. Do you think she took any notice of what I said? I hope so, but I'm not sure. But I did try...
Being a woman she stood a much better chance of getting away with her potentially risky action, but she still took a chance. Good for her!
Our society needs more of this sort of thing: the challenging of unacceptable behaviour, right then and there when it happens.
This morning I went to the supermarket and as I left my car a lady was sitting in the car next to mine, working on her laptop, with her motor running. When I emerged 1/2 an hour later she was still on it, and her motor was still running. I pointed out that I had noticed what she was doing and she replied that she had to keep the engine running to keep going. I asked her if her laptop did not have a battery, but she chose not to continue the conversation. I was as polite as possible, and simply shrugged and walked away. Do you think she took any notice of what I said? I hope so, but I'm not sure. But I did try...
Friday, 11 May 2012
Pelagius meets ET
Not so long ago, scientists could not bring themselves to believe stones could fall from the sky. In 1795 the French chemist Lavoisier, who had become famous for his discovery of oxygen, declared it was impossible. Then in 1811, near the village of La Leigle, hundreds and hundreds of stones were found scattered over an area of several square miles. Detractors had a bit of a problem dismissing that so lightly, and before long it became accepted wisdom.
4000 years ago, in the high Altiplano of northern Argentina, 50 tons of iron rocks fell in a place which the Indians named "Campo del Cielo"- the field of the Sky. In 1576 the conquistadors heard of it and used some to repair their equipment. Then in the 90s, a Brit called David Bryant was given permission to go there and take everything he could pack into his Land Rover. And last week I bought a piece of that fall from him. Fitting comfortably in the hand, but weighing a chunky 2 kg, it bears the "sculpting" marks from its journey through the atmosphere, as well as a small impact crater which probably formed while it was in deep space. 92% iron, 7% nickel and 1% cobalt, iron meteorites are believed to come from the iron cores of large planetoids which existed in the early life of the solar system about 4.2 billion years ago, but then collided in cataclysmic explosions, showering fragments throughout local space. There, some of them formed into "rubble piles", collections of stones kept together by gravity, orbiting the sun for billions of years before being perturbed in some way, and beginning their slow spiral towards Earth- and me.
4000 years ago, in the high Altiplano of northern Argentina, 50 tons of iron rocks fell in a place which the Indians named "Campo del Cielo"- the field of the Sky. In 1576 the conquistadors heard of it and used some to repair their equipment. Then in the 90s, a Brit called David Bryant was given permission to go there and take everything he could pack into his Land Rover. And last week I bought a piece of that fall from him. Fitting comfortably in the hand, but weighing a chunky 2 kg, it bears the "sculpting" marks from its journey through the atmosphere, as well as a small impact crater which probably formed while it was in deep space. 92% iron, 7% nickel and 1% cobalt, iron meteorites are believed to come from the iron cores of large planetoids which existed in the early life of the solar system about 4.2 billion years ago, but then collided in cataclysmic explosions, showering fragments throughout local space. There, some of them formed into "rubble piles", collections of stones kept together by gravity, orbiting the sun for billions of years before being perturbed in some way, and beginning their slow spiral towards Earth- and me.
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
we voted for a coalition government?
COMMENT
David and Nick appeared together yesterday to tell us that the coalition was bloodied but unbowed by their reverses at the local elections.
"We may have wanted to govern by ourselves", said David, "But you the people wanted a coalition government and that's what you got".
I've heard this said before and it has partly entered the public consciousness as a "reality", but is it really?. To me it imputes a far greater power to the electorate than exists in real life. We didn't get together as a nation to ensure a hung parliament. That may have been what happened but we didn't plan it out. We couldn't. Or did I miss out on some nationwide conspiracy to vote in one way in 1 constituency and a different way in another, to ensure there would be no overall majority?
I think the reality was that there has never been less difference between what was on offer from the 3 main parties, and as a result we were uncertain which way to vote. We knew they were nearly all corrupt after the expenses scandal, and this eroded our faith in politicians generally. Basically, it was a case of little choice, or even no real choice. Did we really want a coalition? I don't think so.
David and Nick appeared together yesterday to tell us that the coalition was bloodied but unbowed by their reverses at the local elections.
"We may have wanted to govern by ourselves", said David, "But you the people wanted a coalition government and that's what you got".
I've heard this said before and it has partly entered the public consciousness as a "reality", but is it really?. To me it imputes a far greater power to the electorate than exists in real life. We didn't get together as a nation to ensure a hung parliament. That may have been what happened but we didn't plan it out. We couldn't. Or did I miss out on some nationwide conspiracy to vote in one way in 1 constituency and a different way in another, to ensure there would be no overall majority?
I think the reality was that there has never been less difference between what was on offer from the 3 main parties, and as a result we were uncertain which way to vote. We knew they were nearly all corrupt after the expenses scandal, and this eroded our faith in politicians generally. Basically, it was a case of little choice, or even no real choice. Did we really want a coalition? I don't think so.
Friday, 4 May 2012
shock horror drama: washing your hands works
In the early 19th century a Viennese physician called Ignaz Semmelweiss noticed that the rate of puerperal sepsis (a devastating and often fatal infection seen in nursing mothers) in wards covered by doctors was anything up to 10 times higher than on wards controlled by midwives. Understandably, he couldn't help wondering whether this might have something to do with the doctor's custom of performing post-mortem examinations in the morgue, and then coming straight over to the maternity wards- WITHOUT washing their hands. To the execration of his medical colleagues, he introduced the compulsory practice of hand washing with chlorinated lime before examining live patients.
The mortality rate on the doctor's ward fell quickly to match the rate in the midwive's ward. He didn't know about bacteria: they hadn't been discovered yet. He just reasoned the doctors must be transferring something nasty from the cadavers to the women patients.
Nearly 170 years on, research has confirmed his findings: repeated hand washing by nurses, visitors and especially doctors in hospitals has significantly reduced "cross-infection" rates, particularly in cases of MRSA, which fell by over 50% in the years since this "new" practice was introduced.
As Semmelweiss might have said: well duh!
The mortality rate on the doctor's ward fell quickly to match the rate in the midwive's ward. He didn't know about bacteria: they hadn't been discovered yet. He just reasoned the doctors must be transferring something nasty from the cadavers to the women patients.
Nearly 170 years on, research has confirmed his findings: repeated hand washing by nurses, visitors and especially doctors in hospitals has significantly reduced "cross-infection" rates, particularly in cases of MRSA, which fell by over 50% in the years since this "new" practice was introduced.
As Semmelweiss might have said: well duh!
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
what about this frickin weather?
Today and yesterday were fine; Monday it poured down steadily throughout the day. About right for early May, I guess. But the spring was anything but normal. March, which is supposed to come in like a lion and go out like a lamb, though in my experience tends more to come in like a lion and go out like a drowned rat, was the driest and warmest seen in Britain for over a hundred years. There were many days which were indistinguishable from summer except that it got dark quicker.
April, by stark contrast is supposed to be the driest of the year, apart from July, but this year it was one of the wettest (and coolest)ever.
What's going on? Turns out, it's that pesky jetstream again. In March, the jetstream stayed north of the British Isles, allowing a huge bubble of warm air to remain "blocked" as the meteorologists say. Good thing there wasn't an Icelandic volcano erupting, for these were the conditions last year that swept all the ash down into northern Europe and scuppered air travel for many days. Then in April it swung south and brought all the Atlantic depressions homing in to the lower half of Britain, where they gratefully discharged their millions of tons of water.
Our summers depend on this fickle phenomenon. In the "right" place, and that isn't very often, we get a dream summer. In the "wrong" (that is to say, the normal) place, it's a washout...
April, by stark contrast is supposed to be the driest of the year, apart from July, but this year it was one of the wettest (and coolest)ever.
What's going on? Turns out, it's that pesky jetstream again. In March, the jetstream stayed north of the British Isles, allowing a huge bubble of warm air to remain "blocked" as the meteorologists say. Good thing there wasn't an Icelandic volcano erupting, for these were the conditions last year that swept all the ash down into northern Europe and scuppered air travel for many days. Then in April it swung south and brought all the Atlantic depressions homing in to the lower half of Britain, where they gratefully discharged their millions of tons of water.
Our summers depend on this fickle phenomenon. In the "right" place, and that isn't very often, we get a dream summer. In the "wrong" (that is to say, the normal) place, it's a washout...
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
April book and film review
Welcome to my April cultural review. See tomorrow's blog for Dr P's take on the weather (ooh!)
BOOKS
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALICE B. TOKLAS, by Gertrude Stein
There are 2 things wrong with this title. It isn't an autobiography, and it isn't about Alice B Toklas. In fact the whole thing is like some sort of big in-joke. Whether the joke is on the reader I'm not sure. The book is actually about La Gertrude herself of course, chronicling her (and ABT's) life in Paris in the first 20 years of the 20th century. There must have been something special about the girl. She hob-nobbed with all the greatest artistic figures of the age, including Picasso, Matisse, Braque and many others, and (if the book is to be believed) they all seemed to find her deeply fascinating, and not just because she had access to limitless wealth and bought their paintings by the hundredweight.
The style is certainly quirky: punctuation is poor or nonexistent, capitalisation is sparse and illogical, yet the attention is held somehow, and I find myself wanting to read one of her "proper" books, like "Three Lives", which apparently received genuine critical acclaim. Watch this space...
L'ARGENT (MONEY), by Emil Zola.
An unscrupulous financial speculator is down on his uppers, but is determined to make it in the Big Time by launching an audacious money making scheme. But is it all a house of cards? Zola is one of the greatest writers of the 19th century, much more accessible than say, Victor Hugo. And here he dissects out the black hearts of the money men of the Paris Bourse with ruthless authenticity. A splendid piece of writing and truly thrilling.
FILMS
GUN FURY (1953) D- RAOUL WALSH.
A stagecoach is robbed, and the bad men take a pretty passenger hostage (just why is not clear). But her fiancee, shot and left for dead, vows to get her back. Raoul was on a roll around this time, making such films as "White Heat" only 4 years earlier, which still stands as one of the best crime thrillers ever made, and "High Sierra" which is nearly as good. But he must have gone walkabout on this one, which is illogically plotted and poorly acted throughout. You could probably leave this one out and not be missing much.
THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES (2009) D- JUAN JOSE CAMPENELLA
A young woman is raped and murdered, and a grizzled detective dedicates his life to capturing her murderer. A film of remarkable subtlety and human insight, illustrating (if we needed any further proof) just how confusing and complex life can be. Slowly we are drawn into the hypnotic web the film creates. Settle down and enjoy.
THOR (2011) D- KENNETH BRANAGH
In Asgard, Thor falls out with his dad (Odin, right?) and is bansihed to modern-day Earth, shawn of his magical powers. Then he hooks up with Natalie Portman (some super-beings get all the luck).Highly enjoyable nonsense from our Kenneth, who, given the brief of making a summer holiday blockbuster for American teens, has really done rather well. I say, when's Thor 2 coming out? I'm gonna be there...
CYRUS (2010) W-D- JAY and MARK DUPLASS
A vulnerable divorcee (the excellent John C Reilly) snags Marisa Tomei, and is taken back to her place, but there her 20 year old son is waiting. He is not best pleased his mum has formed an emotional attachment, and, feeling his own relationship with her under threat, determines to bring it down... A brilliantly written and acted little psycho-drama with all involved performing at their best, this is one of the best films I've seen this year. Strongly recommended.
BOOKS
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALICE B. TOKLAS, by Gertrude Stein
There are 2 things wrong with this title. It isn't an autobiography, and it isn't about Alice B Toklas. In fact the whole thing is like some sort of big in-joke. Whether the joke is on the reader I'm not sure. The book is actually about La Gertrude herself of course, chronicling her (and ABT's) life in Paris in the first 20 years of the 20th century. There must have been something special about the girl. She hob-nobbed with all the greatest artistic figures of the age, including Picasso, Matisse, Braque and many others, and (if the book is to be believed) they all seemed to find her deeply fascinating, and not just because she had access to limitless wealth and bought their paintings by the hundredweight.
The style is certainly quirky: punctuation is poor or nonexistent, capitalisation is sparse and illogical, yet the attention is held somehow, and I find myself wanting to read one of her "proper" books, like "Three Lives", which apparently received genuine critical acclaim. Watch this space...
L'ARGENT (MONEY), by Emil Zola.
An unscrupulous financial speculator is down on his uppers, but is determined to make it in the Big Time by launching an audacious money making scheme. But is it all a house of cards? Zola is one of the greatest writers of the 19th century, much more accessible than say, Victor Hugo. And here he dissects out the black hearts of the money men of the Paris Bourse with ruthless authenticity. A splendid piece of writing and truly thrilling.
FILMS
GUN FURY (1953) D- RAOUL WALSH.
A stagecoach is robbed, and the bad men take a pretty passenger hostage (just why is not clear). But her fiancee, shot and left for dead, vows to get her back. Raoul was on a roll around this time, making such films as "White Heat" only 4 years earlier, which still stands as one of the best crime thrillers ever made, and "High Sierra" which is nearly as good. But he must have gone walkabout on this one, which is illogically plotted and poorly acted throughout. You could probably leave this one out and not be missing much.
THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES (2009) D- JUAN JOSE CAMPENELLA
A young woman is raped and murdered, and a grizzled detective dedicates his life to capturing her murderer. A film of remarkable subtlety and human insight, illustrating (if we needed any further proof) just how confusing and complex life can be. Slowly we are drawn into the hypnotic web the film creates. Settle down and enjoy.
THOR (2011) D- KENNETH BRANAGH
In Asgard, Thor falls out with his dad (Odin, right?) and is bansihed to modern-day Earth, shawn of his magical powers. Then he hooks up with Natalie Portman (some super-beings get all the luck).Highly enjoyable nonsense from our Kenneth, who, given the brief of making a summer holiday blockbuster for American teens, has really done rather well. I say, when's Thor 2 coming out? I'm gonna be there...
CYRUS (2010) W-D- JAY and MARK DUPLASS
A vulnerable divorcee (the excellent John C Reilly) snags Marisa Tomei, and is taken back to her place, but there her 20 year old son is waiting. He is not best pleased his mum has formed an emotional attachment, and, feeling his own relationship with her under threat, determines to bring it down... A brilliantly written and acted little psycho-drama with all involved performing at their best, this is one of the best films I've seen this year. Strongly recommended.
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