Wordless Wednesday – ahoy there!
Posted on December 9th, 2009 by James Higham
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Filed under: Diversions
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Things to do in Paris
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Roots of European anti-semitism
Posted on December 9th, 2009 by James Higham
In Haaretz: Opposition leader Tzipi Livni on Tuesday urged Sweden’s foreign minister, Carl Bildt, to abandon an EU plan to issue an official call for the division of Jerusalem between Israel and the Palestinians.
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Filed under: Politics & economics, Society & human issues
Big seas hit Hawaii
Posted on December 9th, 2009 by James Higham
Apparently, the high waves which hit Hawaii every five years or so are back and yet early this year there were also high winds and seas:
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Filed under: Leisure, travel & sport, Society & human issues
Vinyl at Ten
Posted on December 8th, 2009 by James Higham
Interesting about the reemergence of vinyl: Vinyl’s renaissance springs from both musicians and fans longing for something more tangible than just listening to music on a digital file, said Paul Simcoe, co-owner of Toronto’s Criminal Records.
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Filed under: Technology & ideas
Punch at Nine
Posted on December 8th, 2009 by James Higham
A man went to a beach party and drank some of the punch. He then left early. Everyone else at the party who drank the punch subsequently died of poisoning. Why did the man not die?
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Filed under: Diversions
Evening listening – a bit of romance
Posted on December 8th, 2009 by James Higham
One of my favourite groups - the trumpeter and I have been in touch and that woman is so beautiful. They are nice people.
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Filed under: Music
F*^%$@&**!!ing utilities companies
Posted on December 8th, 2009 by James Higham
Hope Today I walked in at my mate’s place and said, “There’s only one thing I detest more than global socialists and feminazis.” “Er – fellow bike riders? Spammers?”
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Filed under: Society & human issues
Climategate
Posted on December 8th, 2009 by James Higham
As I.A. Richards said, in Science and Poetry [1926]: We believe a scientist because he can substantiate his remarks, not because he is eloquent and forcible in his enunciation. In fact, we distrust him when he seems to be influencing us by his manner. Hence I trust no report from either side quoting “good scientists” [...]
9 Comments »
Filed under: Politics & economics, Society & human issues
Blinded by “modern” social constructs
Posted on December 8th, 2009 by James Higham
Britney Spears, Shakira, whoever – doesn’t matter who they are, the motif’s the same: The Colombian-born singer said it was a ”privilege” to be speaking in front of the 400 Oxford University students at the world-famous debating society, as others including the Dalai Lama have done.
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Filed under: Society & human issues
Art Deco at Ten
Posted on December 7th, 2009 by James Higham
Queens, NY Art Deco was an opulent style, and its lavishness is attributed to reaction to the forced austerity imposed by World War I, making use of many distinctive styles, but one of the most significant of its features was its dependence upon a range of ornaments and motifs.
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Filed under: Politics & economics
Good news Quiz at Nine
Posted on December 7th, 2009 by James Higham
1. How fast does Richard Noble plan to go? 2. Whom did Irena Sendler save? 3. What anti-oxidants in red wine can possibly lower heart disease and prostate cancer? 4. Which large nation, in 1949, instituted Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday? They dance a lot too. 5. What was the name of the appalling [...]
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Filed under: Diversions, Society & human issues
Late evening listening – and all that jive
Posted on December 7th, 2009 by James Higham
Gauche or lots of fun?
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Filed under: Music
Reds under the beds? Don’t laugh too loudly.
Posted on December 7th, 2009 by James Higham
Sue, of Mumbled Vociferation, wrote: How bad can we actually allow it to get? By the time 5 years have passed, France will have stolen our financial sector (that’s what they’re planning) and we will be left with virtually nothing.
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Filed under: Politics & economics, Society & human issues
Meredith Kercher – the hold Knox has on everyone
Posted on December 7th, 2009 by James Higham
It was not my intention to post again on this but a commenter replied and it has to be answered. The commenter cannot accept that an “innocent girl” can be a cold blooded murderess and so blames the prosecution and brings in defendent testimony as evidence.
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Filed under: Society & human issues
A matter of minutes
Posted on December 6th, 2009 by James Higham
In the episode of the Twilight Zone called “A Matter of Minutes”, a suburban couple wake up to building noises and while their clock radio says past 11 a.m., the husband’s watch says just past 7 a.m. The noises continue, he goes downstairs and comes upon a work team of blue men who are taking [...]
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Filed under: Diversions
The day hath ended
Posted on December 6th, 2009 by James Higham
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Filed under: Politics & economics
Late evening listening – tinkling the ivories
Posted on December 6th, 2009 by James Higham
The first Steinway Hall was opened in 1866. It seated more than 2,000 and quickly became an important part of New York’s cultural life, housing the New York Philharmonic for the next 25 years, until Carnegie Hall opened in 1891. Concertgoers had to pass first through the piano showrooms, which had a remarkable effect on [...]
3 Comments »
Filed under: Music
Schooner versus ketch in a split rig
Posted on December 6th, 2009 by James Higham
One feature of sailplans that has to be considered beyond the sailing characteristics is accommodation. Design is always such a compromise. If you dislike bermudan rigs and sloops in particular, then your only real cruising choice is a split gaff rig like the above. Then you come down, really, to schooner versus ketch. There are [...]
11 Comments »
Filed under: Diversions, Leisure, travel & sport
Mankind is naturally monogamous
Posted on December 6th, 2009 by James Higham
Otherwise the institution of marriage would not have been the central societal institution throughout history. Religious strictures were hardly a recipe for people’s desire to marry partners in so many cultures. The question of sexuality and religion was addressed by Charlotte Brontë in Jane Eyre: Jane endeavours to attain an equilibrium between moral duty and [...]
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Filed under: Society & human issues
Charlotte Bronte – to love or be loved
Posted on December 5th, 2009 by James Higham
Charlotte Bronte had as rough a time as any Victorian girl could expect and yet there was, in all the coldness, a way of thinking, a way of writing, which frowned on frivolity and promoted serious feelings and commitments, something increasingly unknown today: During the summer, in fact, an old friend of the family came [...]
2 Comments »
Filed under: Society & human issues
Late evening viewing – Sutcliffe and Bird
Posted on December 5th, 2009 by James Higham
Frank Meadow Sutcliffe needs no introduction and some of his superb photos are below:
4 Comments »
Filed under: Music
Tale of a tooth or three
Posted on December 5th, 2009 by James Higham
Thought I might blog on this before the anaesthetic wears off. That’s not me, by the way, just a file photo but there were three ladies in there doing their worst and as they’d predicted, it was a bit messy. You didn’t need to know this but hey, what’s a blog for? Apparently something was [...]
5 Comments »
Filed under: Society & human issues
Meredith Kercher has been avenged
Posted on December 5th, 2009 by James Higham
This link takes you to all posts on this blog mentioning Meredith Kercher. To save you the trouble, the best analysis, leaving my posts aside, is that of the latter commenters on Why I Think Amanda Knox is Guilty, where everyone leaves aside the infighting and starts to look again at the evidence itself. So [...]
16 Comments »
Filed under: Society & human issues
Housekeeping
Posted on December 4th, 2009 by James Higham
Readers, your humble blogger is not 100% and needs to be so by tomorrow morning, otherwise they won’t let me have the surgery. So I think it might be an ultra-early night, sorry and see you again tomorrow.
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Filed under: Blogging
Hey, big spender
Posted on December 4th, 2009 by James Higham
Through a combination of unsustainable aspirations in the average person and the tightening of the screws by the credit lenders over a couple of decades, resulting in home and automobile prices reaching ridiculous levels, leaving aside the crisis for one moment – we are where we are. Bankratedotcom takes a look at the difference between [...]
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Filed under: Society & human issues
The sheer wastage
Posted on December 4th, 2009 by James Higham
This much is true of course: The independent National Audit Office (NAO) said Friday the government was justified in asking the public to shore up the shaken sector at the height of last year’s financial crisis — although lending to businesses was likely to miss targets.
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Filed under: Politics & economics
Fish ‘n chips at Ten
Posted on December 3rd, 2009 by James Higham
Fish ‘n chips, French style Ever wondered how the French would do chish ‘n fips? Well, get along to The Bowler, 13, rue d’Artois, VIIIe, Paris. Tél. : 01 45 61 16 60. Tlj. Fish and chips : 14 €. Carte env. 20 €. and find out. Here’s the lowdown on Fish ‘n Chips at [...]
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Filed under: Leisure, travel & sport
Pub Quiz at Nine
Posted on December 3rd, 2009 by James Higham
1. What is peculiar about the Smith’s Arms in the Cerne Valley at Godmanston, Dorset? 2. What is significant about the Orchard Inn, Bristol, in 2009? 3. A gimme for us, hard for the non-Brits – what is CAMRA? 4. Ye Olde Fighting Cocks is in a battle over which issue? 5. Who produces Old [...]
10 Comments »
Filed under: Diversions, Leisure, travel & sport
Late evening cafe culture – dying away?
Posted on December 3rd, 2009 by James Higham
Bernard Quartier, president of the National Federation of Cafes, Brasseries and Discotheques, doesn’t believe the trend is the result of new smoking or drink driving legislation. He says cafe owners simply haven’t been keeping up with the times. “I think cafes are out of sync with society.” he says. “They were in sync during the [...]
5 Comments »
Filed under: Leisure, travel & sport, Society & human issues
Tactical Nuclear Penguin v Old Peculier
Posted on December 3rd, 2009 by James Higham
The Beeb: BrewDog was previously branded irresponsible for Tokyo by Alcohol Focus Scotland, which complained to The Portman Group. BrewDog themselves also complained, in what was said to be a bid to highlight the best ways to educate people about alcohol. The brewery had then followed up Tokyo with a low alcohol beer called Nanny [...]
8 Comments »
Filed under: Society & human issues
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