Hare on the Dock at the Hook of Holland
No! I hadn’t been drinking, but I do know a hare when I see one.
As I got off the boat this morning on a wet day at the Hook of Holland, I could not believe my eyes. There wandering up the dock, whilst I waited for passport control, was a rather large brown hare.
Global Warming Denial
The junket at Copenhagen is about to start and we’ll get all of those global warming denial stories. Usually, they are from selfish, overweight people, who are addicted to 4x4s, private jets and all other wasteful indulgences.
But before you embrace what they say, read Johann Hari in the Independent. He analyses all of the evidence and comes to the conclusion that global warming is man-made.
These are the last two paragraphs, which if you can’t bother to read the rest, you should read.
So let’s – for the sake of argument – make an extraordinary and unjustified concession to the deniers. Let’s imagine there was only a 50 per cent chance that virtually all the world’s climate scientists are wrong. Would that be a risk worth taking? Are you prepared to take a 50-50 gamble on the habitability of the planet? Is the prospect of getting our energy from the wind and the waves and the sun so terrible that’s not worth it on even these wildly optimistic odds?
Imagine you are about to get on a plane with your family. A huge group of qualified airline mechanics approach you on the tarmac and explain they’ve studied the engine for many years and they’re sure it will crash if you get on board. They show you their previous predictions of plane crashes, which have overwhelmingly been proven right. Then a group of vets, journalists, and plumbers tell they have looked at the diagrams and it’s perfectly obvious to them the plane is safe and that airplane mechanics – all of them, everywhere – are scamming you. Would you get on the plane? That is our choice at Copenhagen.
Now, I’ll add another thought.
Look at the major countries that are lukewarm on climate change; the United States, China and Saudi Arabia. All have a lot to lose if climate change is accepted. America would have to change its lifestyle much more than any other country, China would have to generate its energy in different ways and poor old Saudi would lose all those oil sales. None of these countries have large areas of low-lying land.
On the other hand, a lot of those countries who believe that action should be done on global warning have a lot of land that will soon disappear. They should know!
So just as the fat bloke in his 4×4 is a denier, so are the United States, China and Saudi Arabia. It is just plain selfishness.
Exclamation Marks
If anybody has read much of this blog, you will notice that I use a lot of exclamation marks.
Why? I just like them!
My father was a fan too. But as someone who has set letterpress type, I can appreciate how some letters are favourites and others you just hate. Try spotting the difference between full-stops and commas in something like 6 or 8 point type. It’s not easy.
But the exclamation mark is always instantly recognisable. So do I use it, as I have this hatred of full-stops?
Simon Mayo asked a question on his radio show, as to whether there were any places other than Westward Ho!, that contained exclamation marks. This prompted a search of Wikipedia and the answer was duly e-mailed in and read out. (Simon must have read out upwards of a dozen of my e-mails, but then his father taught me geography at school.)
Hence this post.
Here’s the e-mail.
The English town of Westward Ho!, named after the novel by Charles Kingsley, is the only place-name in the United Kingdom that officially contains an exclamation mark. There is a town in Quebec called Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, which is spelled with two exclamation marks. The city of Hamilton, Ohio changed its name to Hamilton! in 1986.
Now reading Wikipedia about exclamation marks, observes that computer programmers like me call them shrieks. I do but not because of that.
My father did too! As a printer he was supposed to call them bangs.
Social Networking is Good for Your Writing
A study has shown that children who use technology write better.
Children who blog, text or use social networking websites have better writing skills than those who do not, according to the National Literacy Trust.
I’ve always thought this and it’s nice to be proved right.
At school my English was atrocious and I just about scraped through my O-Level. I struggled along until I met a guy called Stephen Allender, who worked for a company called OTMA. In one course he straightened my writing out.
Looking back, I can see that what I lacked was rules, fluidity and practice. He told me to write in the first person, gave me a set of rules and this then enabled me to get the fluidity. I was also working for ICI and had to write lots of notes and letters, so that gave the practice.
Social networking, such as FaceBook, Bebo and MySpace, are the ideal places to get the practice you need. Often it is easy because you may be sending a message to someone you don’t know, so there is a low embarrassment factor.
Sadly no-one has been able to do anything for my handwriting.
Is This the World’s Naffest Product?
There are certain things in life that I don’t like.
And this product combines two of my least favourite products in one very naff package; the iPhone and a table lamp!
Our World
Whilst writing the previous post about students, I looked up Cliff Michelmore. I’d quite forgotten that he was the presenter of Our World, the first global television link-up, which included segments from the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia.
I remember the program for the performance of the Beatles.
Today, it is most famous for the segment from the United Kingdom starring The Beatles. Performing at the height of the Vietnam War, the group wanted to spread a message of peace and love to the world. They gave a live performance, transmitted at 8:54 p.m. GMT, performing a new song written by John Lennon, “All You Need Is Love”, composed especially for the occasion. The Beatles invited many of their friends to the event to create a festive atmosphere and to join in on the song’s chorus. Among the friends were members of The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Marianne Faithfull, Keith Moon and Graham Nash. The performance required only a single rehearsal.
It made a boring, but worthy program, absolutely memorable. But then no-one in the history of pop music comes anywhere near the Beatles.
Can I remember anything else?
Yes! I can remember tram cars coming out of a tram-shed somewhere. I thought it was Toronto, but it was in reality Melbourne in Australia.
The Art of Brevity
It’s a week late, but I’ve just watched the last episode of Garrow’s Law on my Sky Box.
What fascinated me wasn’t the case, which was about the treason of Joseph Hamer, but Garrow’s method. At the start of the case the prosecution opened with a three hour speech to the jury, but Garrow just made a brief statement and sat down.
My late wife always felt that brevity was a weapon that was rarely used. But used well it could be the most powerful of weapons.
Two Dogs
I reorganised the living room and brought a small Indian rug in front of the television. It has been invaded.
The Staffy is my son’s. The basset despite being female or possibly because of it is in charge.
Note that the basset has one brown and one blue eye.
The Anonymous Widower 