David Weeks

A CHRISTMAS CAROL and the CONJUROR

2011-11-21T13:51:00.001Z

Time is running out...... Book Now!

Encounter Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and the Ghost of Jacob Marley in this literary and magical entertainment by Brian Sibley and David Weeks featuring Charles Dickens' celebrated "ghost story of Christmas" as performed at the author's Public Readings in 1858 with amazing interludes of magical bafflement!

The British Library Conference Centre

Friday 9 December at 18:30

Saturdays 10 December at 14:30

Book tickets here: British Library

Magic for All

2011-09-06T15:27:00.005+01:00

October at the Museum of Childhood sees a week of Magic.

'Simply Magic' is Simply Fun.

Book now to avoid disappointment...

A Christmas Carol and the conjuror

2011-08-28T17:24:00.003+01:00

Click on the Title and you will be taken to the British Library where you can book tickets!

:o)

Should we move?

2011-08-19T12:06:00.004+01:00

and if so, how far should we move and how fast?

Happy Blogday to Brian

2011-05-15T11:43:00.003+01:00

You have click on the heading to see what this is all about!

Number Crunching

2010-05-10T10:26:00.046+01:00

Hung, and not so well hung, parliament.
All this talk about a coalitions and working together for the good of the country still misses consideration of one particular option.

The BBC has published a very clear visualisation of possible coalition possibilities:

Now look at the votes cast for the parties and the % of the vote for each party:

Add Conservative votes to those for Labour and you get 19,311,005 which is 65.1% of the votes cast.

If politicians really did want a 'Government of Unity' for "the good of the country" then the 59.1% with Lib/Dems is not as good as a Con/Labour cooperation.

Final thought:
If the politicians really had the interests of the country foremost, rather than their own tribal allegiances and lust for power then all the parties would form a ~ Government of Unity ~ a full coalition

Gave me a lift!

2009-06-15T11:41:00.018+01:00

There I was standing in an elevator at Queen Mary's Hospital when an elderly woman tottered in and surveying the buttons for the choice of floor declared to the other passengers;

"I'm no good at lifts ~ mechanical"

Whilst the lift is indeed moved by mechanical means of gears, cables and counterweights the actual user interface is purely physical/electronic; push the button whose number corresponds to the floor number to which you wish to travel, and wait.

I smiled, I pressed the button for her in an artistic, rather than mechanical, way!

picture

I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue lives on . . .

2009-05-01T23:50:00.002+01:00

Here is the Washington Post's Mensa Invitational which once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are the winners:

1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.
2. Ignoranus : A person who's both stupid and an asshole.
3. Intaxicaton : Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
4. Reintarnation : Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
5. Bozone ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
6. Foreploy : Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
7. Giraffiti : Vandalism spray-painted very, very high
8. Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
9. Inoculatte : To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
10. Osteopornosis : A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
11. Karmageddon : It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
13. Glibido : All talk and no action.
14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
16. Beelzebug (n.) : Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
17. Caterpallor ( n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

The Washington Post has also published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.

And the winners are:

1. Coffee , n. The person upon whom one coughs.
2. Flabbergasted , adj. Appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.
3. Abdicate , v. To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
4. esplanade , v. To attempt an explanation while drunk.
5. Willy-nilly , adj. Impotent.
6. Negligent , adj. Absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.
7. Lymph , v. To walk with a lisp.
8. Gargoyle , n. Olive-flavored mouthwash.
9. Flatulence , n. Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.
10. Balderdash , n. A rapidly receding hairline
11. Testicle , n. A humorous question on an exam.
12. Rectitude , n. The formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.
13. Pokemon , n.. A Rastafarian proctologist.
14. Oyster , n. A person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.
15. Frisbeetarianism , n. The belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.
16. Circumvent , n. An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men

I was tagged

2009-04-07T11:34:00.008+01:00

by Brian Sibley
to reveal six things of relatively little importance. Quite hard to do as so many small unconsidered trifles often have far more important consequences in the future . . .

* During a game of ‘chain he’ a friend, at the end of the line, fell and broke his front tooth.

* A small child on a small bike swerved into my bike so that his pedal stopped my front wheel, abruptly - I went over the handlebars and broke my front tooth.

* I went to to a recording of ‘The Frost Programme’ and saw Cleo Laine sing.

* I learnt to drive on a series of old cars and vans and so became used to a variety of control layouts and conditions of vehicle necessitating various ‘tricks’ to keep the engine running.

* During childhood the TV broke down and my family lived for several years with no television, to the scandalous surprise of friends.

* A porter at a hospital where I once worked during the college vacation would often stand, staring into space. He was, he said, trying to work out why his own business, making packaging, had gone bust. He never did reveal his solution!

Updated Web Page

2009-04-07T09:47:00.019+01:00

A new page containing; apart from some more pictures of me in action; a role call of spectators you may have heard of and a series of quotations from various e-mails that express good responses to my performances.

Visit page to see the rest...

Web-site ~ at last

2009-04-03T10:39:00.007+01:00

After much time, well years actually, there is now more than just a 'holding page' at this address

Inconsequential Trivia

2008-11-28T11:04:00.010Z

Back in 1966 I started to keep a record of the magic shows that I performed; details of venue, times, audience, effects performed and income generated.

Apart from a total number of shows for each month and then year, I kept a running tally of the total number of performances.

This week I passed the 4,000 mark.

Curious Irony

2008-11-18T23:20:00.009Z

A Curious Irony ~as a computer virus affects hospitals

The Royal London Hospital is among the three hit by the computer bug

Three London hospitals have been forced to shut down their entire computer systems for at least 24 hours after being hit by a virus.

St Bartholomew's (Barts) in the City, the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel and The London Chest Hospital in Bethnal Green are affected. A spokesman said well-rehearsed emergency procedures were in place. Theatres and outpatient departments had remained operational, and patients with appointments were still being seen. The spokesman said walk-in patients were being accepted at accident and emergency, and processed using manual back-up systems. But ambulances were being diverted to neighbouring hospitals to ensure that seriously ill patients did not suffer as a result of the slower manual systems being used. The patient transport system used by elderly or disabled patients to attend routine appointments has also been disrupted. The spokesman said the virus was "not malicious", and the infection was "self-contained".

Credit Crunchie

2008-11-16T12:30:00.006Z

Following the problems in the sub-prime lending market in America and the run on HBOS in the UK, uncertainty has now hit Japan.

In the last 7 hours Origami Bank has folded, Sumo Bank has gone belly up and Bonsai Bank announced plans to cut some of its branches. Yesterday, it was announced that Karaoke Bank is up for sale and will likely go for a song, while today shares in Kamikaze Bank were suspended after they nose-dived.

Samurai Bank is soldiering on following sharp cutbacks, Ninja Bank is reported to have taken a hit, but they remain in the black. Furthermore, 500 staff at Karate Bank got the chop and analysts report that there is something fishy going on at Sushi Bank where it is feared that staff may get a raw deal.

Courtesy HoaxSlayer

Speak up about dumbing down

2008-11-10T12:06:00.015Z

The great thing for TV, is to get people who will embarrass themselves for the entertainment of others, whether it be marriages that are on the rocks discussed in a public forum; sad 'z' list ex-performers who get into reality show in an attempt to revitalize their careers; nice old codgers who really can't cut the mustard in ballroom dancing; performers who get it spectacularly wrong, or a performance that is simply edited to show the worst bits ~ all in the name of entertainment. Paying a class act would be far too expensive! I guess this is what is meant by dumbing down. Even experienced broadcasters can sink to the level of leaving messages, in bad taste, on an elderly actor's answering machine and we all saw where that led!

It must be a sign of getting mature when one harks back to days when entertainers were skillful, fun, but not always 'novel'. How I still enjoy a classical piece of jazz or a routine by Victor Borge (Who? you ask; it's an age thing. C'est la vie)

Anonymous commentator & 0870 numbers

2008-11-04T22:52:00.003Z

In reply to my entry about Olympic Airways I received a response from 'anonymous'.

As a general rule I do not encourage anonymous postings/replies; after all I've put my name to what I've written, why can't others do the same.

The poster comments about the excessive charges of an 0871 number and that it shouldn't be a premium rate number.

In reply all I can say without fear of contradiction is that I called it from a mobile in order that I could put it on a speaker to save me getting arm ache as I waited for a reply ~ a reply which, in fact, never came! Further I saw the phone bill for this singular call, £1.43.

I take the writer's point that it is the mobile phone company who are 'ripping' subscribers off with their excessive charges.

I feel another rant coming on about 0870 numbers and would point you to a web-site about this very subject.

Why Olympic Airways are Total Rubbish

2008-11-04T18:59:00.014Z

The following correspondence is probably self -evident to explain the title:

From: MAIL@DAVIDWEEKSMAGIC.COM

Subject: Re: Your flight has been re-scheduled

Date: 11 September 2008 17:40:12 BDT

To: telsales@olympic-airways.gr

September 2008 David Weeks London UK

Dear Whoever you are at Olympic Airlines ~ no name given,

My name is David Weeks but you only seem to think of me as 'Dear Passenger',

I am deeply disappointed in your totally inconsiderate behaviour.

I book a flight on your airline because I have no choice ~ you have a monopoly control of flights in and out of Kalymnos.

In good faith I book a connecting flight from Athens back to London allowing enough time to make the change at Athens.

You now inform me that for 'Operational reasons' which in fact means absolutely nothing apart from, because you feel like it and you can, because you have no opposition. nor competition to consider, change the time of the flight so that it arrives in Athens after my London flight has departed.

You say:

We apologize for any inconvenience, this may have caused you and thank you for your understanding.

Your apology is meaningless, the inconvenience and extra expense you have no idea about, and no, I do not understand, because you do not explain.

When I ring your office in London (£1.43) I am told without any hint of an apology that you have the 'right' to change booked flights, everyone has the right to change booked flights and there is nothing I can do about it. Further that you have no responsibility, whatsoever, for the considerable inconvenience and expense (an overnight stay at the airport £128.34, and £171.20 to change the onward flight) that you now cause this passenger. It is a "tough luck for you" attitude that simply makes me want to vomit.

Having changed my Athens to London flight I phoned you, Friday 25 Jul at 11:01, to double check that the flight was still booked for the original date. After 33 minutes (00:33:40) having been held in a queue, then told I was next in line to be answered I got taken back to the back of the queue. All this on a premium rate number (08712000500). How pathetic that you cannot attract passengers and resort to charging premium rate numbers to deal with enquiries.

The fact that you didn't deal with the enquiry but charged me £7.14 in return for nothing, speaks for itself!

Your complete inefficiencies have cost me £308.11. You may be quite sure that I will never travel anywhere using your airline, ever again.

What compensation are you going to offer me?

Despite the new time you sent me, the flight, in fact landed late at Kalymnos and then took off late too.

Olympic Airlines does not, in truth, have a good reputation ~ I wonder why? You now have another dissatisfied ambassador who will not hesitate to tell all his friends and acquaintances of the totally shabby treatment that he has received at your hands and that travellers should rather go by boat than suffer the ineptitude in both service and customer relations that you presume to offer. In telling everyone I meet about the fantastically low quality of your outfit I have discovered a whole range of other horror stories relating to Olympic Airlines. The sooner you cease trading the better it will be for the planet, and for all travellers.

One very disgusted ex-customer,

David Weeks.

On 25 Jun 2008, at 03:51PM telsales@olympic-airways.gr

Re-scheduled Flight
Booking Reference: RXKU8H

Dear Passenger,

There is a schedule change on your flight(s) booked with Olympic Airlines due to operational reasons.

Your flight OA13 on 08SEP originally scheduled to depart from Kalymnos Island to Athens at 07:15, has been now changed to flight OA15 08SEP, departing from Kalymnos Island at 16:35 and arriving in Athens at 17:35.

We confirm your flight details, as follows:

Passengers
WEEKS/DAVIDMR
SIBLEY/BRIANMR
Your Flight
From To Departure Arrival Flight Travel Category

Kalymnos Island Athens 08SEP 16:35 08SEP 17:35 OA15 ECONOMY

We apologize for any inconvenience, this may have caused you and thank you for your understanding.

Should you have any further questions, you are welcome to call your local Olympic office.

Have a nice flight,
Olympic Airlines

Over a Month later I receive a reply:
Dear Mr Weeks,
RE: RESCHEDULINGS
Thank-you for your email letter dated 11^th September 2008, which I receivd today from our Athens Head Office.

Naturally it is always our intention and desires to operate each of our flights in accordance with published schedules, and we are concerned when circumstances beyond our control prevent us from doing so.

The airline industry and its operations are notoriously affected by multiple uncontrollable factors and for this reason timings are not guaranteed and the airline cannot be held liable/responsible for connections or separate contracts, with independent travel insurance being the only possible avenue for restitution.

There is no compensatory factor applicable to such circumstances under EU regulation EC261 / 2004 as more than 14 days notice was given.

We ask you to accept our repeated apology for the inconvenience encountered.

Yours sincerely,

Tony D Little
Customer Services & Administration Superintendent

So now we know why the mess happened; why we get no compensation; why the customer service is non existent and why I shall never ever fly with this rubbish outfit, ever again.

SPAM

2008-10-30T19:34:00.004Z

When Monty Python spoke of Spam it was funny. Now the world is awash with Spam!
Herewith an attempt to fight back:

Anti spam fights spam bots

The purpose of this page is to make it so spammers who attempt to collect email addresses off the web, via programs, will not have real email addresses in their database. Anti-Spam causes problems because they will have to clean out their list. It also makes their database worthless for reselling purposes because the company purchasing their spam database will have worthless email address.

How ANTI-SPAM works

This page has fifty randomly generated email addresses (refresh and new ones will appear). At the bottom of the page is a link to this page again, essentially reloading it for programs to collect more fake email addresses. Email collecting programs (spam bots) will be sent into an infinite loop by following the link at the bottom of the page and will get more and more fake email addresses stuck in their databases.
Spam is the electronic world's biggest problem. A fool proof method of filtering out spam does not yet exist, but we don't have to sit back and take it. Anti-Spam pages like this one make spamming less profitable and is our way to help

FIGHT SPAM.

Help out and join the fight again Spam!
Want to help with the Anti-Spam effort? When a spammer's program visits your web page, they will check all the pages that you link to for email addresses. So, all you have to do is link to this page and whenever a spammer's program scans your page, they will be sucked into this one. To link to this page use this simple code: which can found by clicking this link and going to their site. Embed the code into your web-site and give the spammers a run for their money!

Anti Spam

Where to see 'real' history!

2008-10-09T23:32:00.006+01:00

So there I am in the British Museum in awe of the ancient achievements of Hadrian and seeing various artefacts from his period when I hear . . . .

"You know Jane? . . . well she has Marcus Aurelius in her conservatory."

So I guess it's all round to Jane's place for an additional dose of culture!

Family Fun Day

2008-01-31T22:06:00.000Z

Lavatory Humour

2007-11-03T18:19:00.001Z

Whilst in Amsterdam, at the Photography Museum, I was forced to ask myself whether or not I should emerge from this loo to join the rest of the party.

Finally, I took the plunge, as it were, and did.

Light(en) Up? ~ not any more!

2007-06-24T18:32:00.000+01:00

The above Pdf is available for printing but must be at least A5 size before being displayed. There is a dotted guide line with the implication that scissors are to be used. Worryingly, because there is no advice which indicates that care should be taken with the use of sharp implements! If we are to become a total nanny state then these things need to be thought through. What follows is from an official government site. From which we learn, amongst other things, that 'smokefree' is now a word as is, 'nosmoking'. I have had tell my spell-checker to learn this, and eschew. 'smoke free' and 'smoke-free'; likewise ignore, 'no smoking' or 'non smoking' in favour of 'nosmoking'. It's a throw back to that old joke about a character called. 'Nosmo King'. I am mildly curious to know why 'herbal' concoctions cannot be indulged ~ they are non-carcinogenic but perhaps it paves the way for 'other substances' to be enjoyed. Enjoyment is the one thing that is to be prevented. Will any of this help the reduction of carbon emissions, or just raise the temperatureof those who are being nannied into a certain course of action? I know the arguments for this legislation but am constitutionally inclined to resist and resent being told what to do and what not to do; especially by politicians.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When will the new smokefree law start?
Sunday, 1 July 2007.

Who will enforce the new law?
Local councils and port health authorities will enforce the new law and will have the power to appoint enforcement officers, such as environmental health officers, trading standards or local community support officers.

Does the law just apply to cigarettes?
No, it covers all substances that a person can smoke. These include manufactured cigarettes, handrolled cigarettes, pipes, cigars, herbal cigarettes and water pipes (including shisha, hookah and hubblebubble pipes).

Can I still have a staff smoking room?
No, but you can have an outdoor smoking shelter, although there is no requirement for you to do so. If you decide to, you will need to ensure it is not ‘enclosed’ or ‘substantially enclosed’.You may also need to consider other issues such as planning, licensing and building control, noise and litter.

Can I smoke in my own car?
Yes, the new law doesn’t cover vehicles used primarily for private purposes.

I share a work vehicle with another smoker. Can we still smoke?
No, the law is designed to protect smokers and nonsmokers from secondhand smoke. Smoking will only be permitted in work vehicles that are for the sole use of the driver and are not used by anyone else for work either as a driver or passenger.

I work from home. Will it be required to be smokefree?
If more than one person uses any part of a private dwelling solely as a place of work, then it will be required to be smokefree.

Does new smokefree law apply to premises and vehicles used for voluntary work?
Yes, the new law applies to all work, including voluntary work.

I occasionally use my private car for voluntary work, will it need to be smokefree?
No, vehicles used primarily for private purposes will not need to be smokefree.

Are nosmoking signs required in heritage buildings?
Any premises required to be smokefree will need to display nosmoking signs that meet the requirements of the new law prominently at entrances. The new law allows flexibility for signs to be designed and displayed in a way that fits the decor of premises.

Where can I get more information? For further information, visit smokefreeengland.co.uk or call the Smokefree England information line on 0800 169 169 7. You can also ask your local council for advice and support.

**************

The new 'nosmoking' signs are available in eight different languages though the graphic would seem to be universally recognised. Still, it enables us to use yet more paper to clutter up our visual environment with tat and rubbish in addition to what we have already.

There's money to be made from these signs. Thirty four different versions can be ordered from:
"No Butts Bin Company"
If you are partially sighted fear not for:
"Additional formats, for example large print and braille, may also be made available on request."

If you really want to continue smoking then perhaps you should be committed to a Mental Health Unit where the legislation doesn't come into effect for another year exactly ~ don't ask! Alternatively, if you reside in a care home there may well be little havens of comfort reserved for you, apart from the bike sheds. Though if the bike shed in question is 'partially enclosed' then it will be deemed to be 'smokefree'. So, no excuses . . . Now for the penalties:

Penalties and fines for breaking the smokefree law
If you don't comply with the new smokefree law, you will be committing a criminal offence. The fixed penalty notices and maximum fine for each offence are:

Smoking in smokefree premises or work vehicles:
a fixed penalty notice of £50 (reduced to £30 if paid in 15 days) imposed on the person smoking. Or a maximum fine of £200 if prosecuted and convicted by a court.

Failure to display no-smoking signs:
a fixed penalty notice of £200 (reduced to £150 if paid in 15 days) imposed on whoever manages or occupies the smokefree premises or vehicle. Or a maximum fine of £1000 if prosecuted and convicted by a court.

Failing to prevent smoking in a smokefree place:
a maximum fine of £2500 imposed on whoever manages or controls the smokefree premises or vehicle if prosecuted and convicted by a court. There is no fixed penalty notice for this offence.

Local councils will be responsible for enforcing the new law in England. A telephone line (0800 587 166 7) will also be in operation from 1 July 2007 to enable members of the public to report possible breaches of the law. This information will be passed to local councils to follow-up as appropriate.

Just like parking offences, if you pay up early it is cheaper. Interestingly, those who have to enforce the law suffer heavier penalties than the smoker who has broken the law! Acts of ommission carry heavier penalties than acts of commission. To help everyone become more friendly and sociable, in this new world order, there is help line where you can report to the authorities those who are breaking the law, by smoking; by failing to stop others smoking; by failing to post 'nosmoking' signs .

The Venetians too, had this kind of 'grassing' system to report malefactors, and enemies of the state, however, that was ended a few hundred years ago.

Bocca di Leone

Secret of Political Success

2007-06-23T00:33:00.000+01:00

I read today, as a teaser to a Times magazine article that is to appear on Saturday, that the departing prime-minister, Tony Blair had a pair of hand-made, brogue shoes. He wore these, to every parliamentary question time, since 1997.
No harm in that I guess, good to know that these Church's shoes lasted so well and had only to be resoled once in all that time.

What is slightly disturbing is that the leader of our country is on record as declaring them to be his "lucky" shoes.
Forget statesmanship, forget informed wise leadership ~ what we seem to rely upon is a pair of "lucky" shoes.

Tonight at work in the Criterion restaurant, I was chatting to some American tourists who volunteered that they not angry with George Bush, because you cannot be angry with someone who is so palpably stupid and lacking in any brain. Perhaps, he too, would benefit from lucky footwear!

Olympic Standards

2007-06-09T10:55:00.001+01:00

Well there it is . . . a lot of money spent, a team of 'creative' people working to a brief, and many meetings and many hours, to achieve this.

I guess that, as part of the design requirement it had to be able to be animated, so it probably does what it says on the packet.

Many folk think it's not very good and have come up with their own variations ~

Other designers have created some really good, colourful designs that could easily be animated too.

My favourite has to be:

I think that we could do much better than the official logo which, however much hard work went into it, is no substitute for talent!

PR for Eurostar

2007-06-04T14:37:00.001+01:00

Train travel gets on board the ‘horse-drawn’ bandwagon?

From: Eurostar advertising

"Tread Lightly. Two words. One commitment.
A whole new approach to European travel.

Global warming is a scientific fact. No one can afford to ignore it. Travellers are worried about it. And the industry is talking about it. But actions speak louder than words.

You may already be aware that a Eurostar journey is 10 times less polluting than flying. But we believe that everyone can do more. So, from November 14th 2007, the day we open at St. Pancras International, we are changing the way we operate as a business. We have now launched Tread Lightly, an initiative designed to further reduce our impact on the environment (what scientists call our ‘footprint’) and to help our travellers do the same.

As part of this initiative, we have made a commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a further 25% per traveller journey by 2012. Consequently, we will be making changes across all areas of our business, from the big things like energy efficiency, paperless ticketing and waste management, through supply chain selection to smaller cultural changes like recycling in our offices.

Any remaining emissions will be offset, at no cost to the traveller, meaning that from November 14th 2007, Eurostar is proud to offer carbon neutral journeys.

We’re on a journey. A very important one. And, as ever we’re delighted to have you with us."

My slight confusion arises in trying to reconcile these two statements:

“Any remaining emissions will be offset, at no cost to the traveller, meaning that from November 14th 2007, Eurostar is proud to offer carbon neutral journeys.”

So carbon neutral by 2007 ~ Splendid.

“we have made a commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a further 25% per traveller journey by 2012.”

Does this mean that they go from Carbon Neutral journeys (2007) to Carbon Negative travel (2012) as they reduce emmissions by a further 25% ?

Is it me, or does this lack ‘joined up thinking’?

Perhaps the "Tread Lightly" quotation needs to finished as intended by W.B.Yeats; " Tread lightly because you tread on my dreams."

Dream on Eurostar!

Seeing is Believing!

2007-06-03T23:46:00.000+01:00

Here is a collection of visual illusions that exceed in interest many that I have previously seen; together with explanations as to what is happening.

Credit to Michael Bach for assembling 71 Optical Illusions & Visual Phenomena
(Visual Illusion · Optische Täuschung)

Enjoy!

Sea View?

2007-05-28T00:08:00.001+01:00

I guess if mud and gravel aren't your forte then facing away from the sea and the sailing dingy is a reasonable alternative; in which case I cannot help but wonder why they bother going to the beach at all!

I am reminded of those day-trippers who arrive at the seaside car-park and then set up their picnic table adjacent to the boot of their car. I guess they can keep an eye on the car whilst they eat. It sort of defeats the object of a 'day out' somehow.

(Photo: Whitstable, Kent. May 2007 David Weeks)

Google Humour

2007-04-18T12:06:00.000+01:00

Google has a sense of humour ...
Take 60 seconds to do this. I bet you will past this on to someone else. It's too funny not to.

1. go to www.google.com

2. click on "maps"

3. click on "get directions"

4. type New York in the first box (the "from" box)

5. type London in the second box (the "to" box)

6. hit the "get directions" button just to the right

7. scroll down to step #23

OBITUARY

2007-04-15T08:21:00.001+01:00

MR. COMMON SENSE

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Mr. Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knew for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; appreciating that Life isn't always fair; and accepting that Maybe it was my fault.

Mr. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned, but overbearing, regulations were set in place: Reports of a 6 year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teenager suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student.

His condition worsened and Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get Parental consent to administer Paracetemol, Sun lotion or a Band-aid to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge financial settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by his 3 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I'm A Victim.

His funeral had few mourners because his passing largely went un-noticed.

Original by Allen Jesson
See his Blog: thoughts and musings

Pathetic Panasonic

2007-04-12T00:15:00.000+01:00

So, I present Brian with a new camera because I think that he deserves encouragement with his photography and this slightly larger model than the Ixus camera, which got stolen, has a better grip and has a stabiliser. Our friend Sophie has one and we were impressed with the results. Lumix DCM FZ7 for the technophiles. It came without a camera case.

After a search on the internet I find that the case for this camera is in the USA. I try to purchase it but I have to register for an account and, yes there is no space to register in the UK. I send them e-mails asking if they ship to the UK. I guess by their lack of response that they don't even e-mail to the UK. Dead end. No-one in the UK seems to have this item so I finally find Panasonic's UK site. Now I will get somewhere . . .

I phone them:

"Hi, I'm trying to track down a camera case for the Lumix DCM FZ7. Can you help?"

"There is one but it is not available in this country"

"Er yes, in the USA?"

" Not in this country ~ we are seeing if they can be made available."

" You mean I can buy a Panasonic camera in this country but not the case for it?"

"There is a case for it ~ but it's not available in this country."

"Mmmm (What a load of rubbish this international corporation is) What do you suggest I do?"

"Go to Jessops and buy a third party case."

"Thank you. Goodbye"

Panasonic are, therefore, pathetic. Buyer beware!

David Weeks MIMC

2007-04-09T00:07:00.000+01:00

Out of the blue, but in time for Easter, came an announcement that the President of The Magic Circle has recommended me to be elevated to MIMC which stands for Member of the Inner Magic Circle. This promotion will mean very little to the general public but within the club it means that you have arrived! The award, curiously, is in the gift of the President and is then, by convention, ratified by the council. It is not, like the Associate of the Magic Circle (AMIC) nor Membership (MMC) achieved through an examination.

Ask not the reason why me? Be grateful at the honour bestowed!

Well, thanks.

Kylie Entertained

2007-04-03T14:24:00.001+01:00

Here is an edited version of my earlier post in which I get to have fun with Kylie Minougue at her book launch ~ Waterstones 30th September 2006

Likings & Loathings

2007-03-29T15:38:00.004+01:00

Back in February Brian posted 'Likes and Dislikes' relating to a particular letter of the alphabet; many others joined in the game and I too, requested a letter.
Late, but here is the letter:

LIKES:

Men and Mates and in particular My Man (Brian) and, in the past, Michael

A boy's best friend ~ My Mother

The goddess of the night, that pale satellite of the earth, the Moon

On the Moon these are found and on the earth too, those magnificent enduring lumps of geomorphological creation Mountains

To make me Mirthful or Mournful or Meditative or a combination of all of them ~ Movies

My hobby and my job, Magic, and a writer about this, the late Billy McComb

Meals, Meat and Muffins (better than crumpet)

The human quality of Magnanimity

DISLIKES:

Muddle and Mess in thought or lifestyle

Mispronunciation of the word 'Homosexual'. The root being Greek for 'same' rather than Latin for 'man'

Misunderstanding of the root of the word 'Chairman'; from the Latin in which the person who is invested with the power at a meeting, rather than assigning a gender. If this were understood then the word 'Chair' for this task would be replaced correctly with 'Chairman'

Misunderstanding of the Millennium and the proper understanding of when it started; at the end of the year 2000.

Mealy-mouthedness ~ call a spade a shovel

Misguided philanthropy, Misanthropy & Meaness of spirit

Munitions. When did they ever actually solve anything?

Misappropriation: theft of videos, films, ideas of others.

Managers who believe in top down, rather than bottom up, style of management. This is exemplified, perfectly, by the continual government legislation of education

Medicine that has so many side-effects that it does more harm than good in the long run

Members of Parliament. In fact most politicians who have their own interests and desire for power taking precedence over the well-being of those they should be serving.

Oh dear I seem to have more dislikes than likes ~ I blame the letter!

Why do it?

2007-03-15T10:15:00.000Z

Just because something can be done isn’t necessarily a reason to do it.

Version Tracker lists programmes, daily, that are available on Mac computers.

This one turned up today:

Keymileage - 0.5.2  measures how much your fingers move to type

Product Description:
Keymileage figures out how many miles your fingers travel when typing. You can even measure really long files.

Keymileage tabulates in both the simplified Dvorak layout and the QWERTY layout.

If you can think of a reason for having this, then you can at this site ~ and free too!

I'm It!

2007-03-13T10:05:00.000Z

Brian certainly likes to keep his reader's busy.
Firstly, I foolishly asked for a letter of the alphabet in order to compile a list of 'Likes' and 'Dislikes' , which I have yet to complete; and now, this game of 'Tag', which feels more like a truth game that used to be played late at night by students after a glass or two, too many.

Five little known facts about David:

1) My first public, magic performance from which time I kept records, was in 1966 at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, Kent, to the staff and some patients. It was the only time I used a female assistant throughout the act ~ someone who thought they knew what was best suggested this. She was fine, but for my money, superfluous!
Tonight I perform my 3,524th show since keeping these records.

2) Whilst still at school worked in a sound studio on a pilot production of 'The Tempest' with Fiona Walker (Far from the Madding Crowd) and Robert Powell (Doomwatch, Mahler et.al)

3) Adapted, directed, recorded and edited my version of Ray Bradbury's 'The Fire Balloons' whilst in year 11 at school. Interesting and fun.

4) Spent several hours in a cell at Swanley Police station, whilst still a teenager. DPP decided not to proceed ~ nuff said.

5) Joined the Bexleyheath Society of Magicians at 14 years old. The club lowered their joining age in order to let me in! Later I won their Stage Magician competition.

If you are reading this then consider yourself tagged!

B.A. ~ Bl**dy Awful!

2007-02-26T00:06:00.000Z

BA offered me the chance to upgrade my flight for £50
I go on on-line and try to to do this.
I can’t.
I send an e-mail asking why this is.

The reply:

Dear Mr Weeks
Thank you very much for contacting us.
To be sure you have an answer from us as swiftly as possible, I would be grateful if you will speak to our customer support team. They deal with all pre-travel enquiries and they'll be happy to give you individual assistance.

Please phone them on 0870 850 9 850 and give your booking reference number when you call.

I'm sorry not to be more immediately helpful, but do please phone our customer support team. They'll do all they can to help you at once.

Best regards

Praveen Satheesan  
British Airways Customer Relations 

I phone the number given:
After an interminable wait I ring off and send another e-mail:

Your reply sent me back to your telephone enquiry service. Here I pay for the privilege of being held in a queue and listening to endless BA adverts and information.
Even early on a Sunday morning you experience and extremely high volume of calls ~ well it is a pre-recorded message so you always experience a high volume of calls ~ perhaps this should tell you something!

I have visited BA.com and failed to "manage my booking" and was told to ring you.
I ring you and your message suggests I go on-line.
I am quite dizzy going backwards & forwards. . . .
Most unimpressive.

Looks like the upgrade isn’t going to happen!

Vindicated?

2007-02-23T00:35:00.001Z

So at last, it seems, that those theatrically juvenile members of the public, who previously complained , have at last recognized that an actor is person playing a part in a play, not a 'character' from a film.

The Daily Mail on their web site (click the link) has a number of the audience, who attended a preview, admitting, at last, that this actor, Daniel Radcliffe, is a professional who is doing a good job in a magnificent and important play.

Good luck to him!

Smile

2007-02-21T09:21:00.000Z

Picture

Smile awhile and whilst you smile, another smiles, and soon there are miles and miles of smiles.

You don't stop laughing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop laughing.

:o)

TRUE?

The World's Easiest Quiz

2007-02-17T23:37:00.000Z

Passing requires 4 correct answers

1) How long did the Hundred Years' War last?
2) Which country makes Panama hats?
3) From which animal do we get catgut?
4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
5) What is a camel's hair brush made of?
6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal?
7) What was King George VI's first name?
8) What color is a purple finch?
9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from?
10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane?

All done?

Scroll down to check your answers below.

ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ

Passing requires 4 correct answers

1) How long did the Hundred Years War last? 116 years
2) Which country makes Panama hats? Ecuador
3) From which animal do we get cat gut? Sheep and Horses
4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? November
5) What is a camel's hair brush made of? Squirrel fur
6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal? Dogs
7) What was King George VI's first name? Albert
8) What color is a purple finch? Crimson
9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? New Zealand
10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane? Orange, of course.

(And don't try to tell me you passed!)

Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T09:00:00.000Z

Valentine's Day Trivia

Did you know that...

Teachers will receive the most Valentine's Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts.

15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day.

More than 50% of cards are sold the week of the holiday, with the largest and most elaborate Valentine cards sold 48 hours before February 14.

About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets.

Cupid, another symbol of Valentines Day, became associated with it because he was the son of Venus, the Roman god of love and beauty. Cupid often appears on Valentine cards holding a bow and arrows because he is believed to use magical arrows to inspire feelings of love.

Hallmark has over 1330 different cards specifically for Valentine's Day.

In the United States, 64% of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine's Day with their sweethearts.

70% of those celebrating the holiday give a card, followed by a telephone call (49%), gift (48%), special dinner (37%), candy (33%) restaurant meal (30%), and flowers (19%).

Valentine's Day Superstitions

To be awoken by a kiss on Valentine's Day is considered lucky.

By tradition, a young girl was supposed to eventually marry the first eligible male she met on Valentine's Day.

In Great Britain, a woman would write the names of their sweethearts on small scraps of paper which would be placed on clay balls. The balls were dropped into water with the belief that whichever scrap of paper surfaced first would be the name of the man destined to be the future husband.

Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seed that remain on the stem, and that is the number of children you will have.

Seeing different animals on Valentine's Day can result in different ways; seeing a goldfinch, you will marry a millionaire; seeing a robin you will marry a crime fighter; seeing a dove, you will have a happy peaceful marriage. (Maybe it's a good day to go to the zoo!)

What a Load of Rubbish!

2007-02-08T23:12:00.000Z

We are led to believe that councils up and down the country care about the environment and to this end they instigate and encourage householders to separate their rubbish so that glass and cardboard and paper can be recycled. A separate collection of this recyclable material is made on a weekly basis. What a good socially responsible thing to do.

This week in conversation with two restaurateurs, who operate in Lambeth, South London, I discover that those 'green' credentials are not what they appear.

These restaurants, between them, produce at least one hundred empty glass bottles per day and numerous sacks of paper and cardboard; in fact the bulk of their waste is not left-over food but this recyclable stuff.

Multiply this by the number of restaurants in this borough and it is clear that there is the potential for an enormous quantity of recyclable material to be collected from relatively few locations.

Is it recycled? Not on your life. It goes to landfill!
Why on earth would the council pass up on such a treasure trove?

It goes like this . . .

Domestic waste is split by the householder. There are two collections per week. one for landfill, one for recycling.

A different firm collects the waste from restaurants and even though it is bagged-up according to type of material, because it has to be collected daily the firm charges those from whom they collect £2.50 per bag; none of this is recycled.

So why don't the restaurateurs take their recyclable stuff to a depot or recycling place ~ because then they are fined for 'fly-tipping'.

It's no win position for them ~ more money is made out of them by charging per bag and increasing the land-fill rather than exercising the socially responsible option.

Any council that behaves like this really is ~ "RUBBISH!"
The point is these restaurants are not producing 'rubbish' but resources.

"Local councils are responsible for the collection and disposal of refuse and have an obligation to reduce waste and promote recycling." Greenhouse Trust

Snow

2007-02-08T22:20:00.000Z

Today we went to the park for a photo opportunity and a coffee.

Here in south of London the snow came, and almost as quickly, it went.

A school decided to introduce a class to the joys of snow-balling.

A message paced into the snow, rather than a sandy beach, revealed at least one person was happy and demonstrated the multi-cultural nature of this area of London.

The Garden failed to attract anyone to take their ease. . . .

. . . except one intrepid fellow.

A coffee in the Cafe was needed:

© David Weeks 2007

The Ten Commandments

2007-02-06T14:51:00.000Z

Brian is busy writing away, creating an adaptation for reading and to be recorded by Sir Cliff, of the Holy Bible ~ in 50 sections.

Now, how long did the bible take to compile in the first place?
How long has Brian been given?
Nuff said.

Today he started on The Ten Commandments but then put that on hold until he's demolished the walls of Jericho ~ a much easier task.

So I thought: the ten commandments, why ten; how come it took so long for Moses to get them?
I 'Googled' (it is a new verb, even though spell check wants 'goggled')

I discover that God didn't have any modern implements with which to write; no paper and pen. Just look~

Quite fantastic! I expect he needed a manicure afterwards.

I then discover that these stone tablets still exist. even though they are somewhat the worse for wear, and cracked:

Imagine my amazement when, on closer inspection I discover that there is more than one
set of tablets. Each of them cracked in their own different way.

In truth, they are not tablets but a single piece of stone; so all those pictures showing Moses with one tucked under each arm are quite wrong.

Not only that, but God made other versions of His Laws:

The Lab's EEG/ERP Research

Some of the lab's resarch (sic) exploits scalp recordings of EEG signals to study the operations and neural circuits that support visual cognition. For some of our work, signals recorded from subjects' brains are converted into event related potentials (ERPs), which are synched (sic) to particular events or actions in experimental tasks.

And then there are Mickey's Laws

That's not all! You can still obtain the Ten Commandments without the fag of going up a mountain. Just see how nice they are, and you get discount for bulk purchases ~ not quite sure why you want more than one set, perhaps to send as presents . . . or to jog the conscience of a covetous neighbour, maybe.

Sensibly the single stone has been made into two proper tablets and the Holy Words now have a textual reference (Exodus) in order to find the whole of each law rather than just the first few words that are inscribed here. In addition there is now a nice little easel on which they can be displayed permanently, instead of hiding them away in a dark old box they called an Ark.

I'm sure that you will just be falling over yourself to obtain these wonderful items so here are some more details:

These Ten Commandments stone tablets weight about 10 pounds. Not too heavy then.

Each of the two tablets are about 8.5" x 15". See, TWO tablets, not one.

The tablets come with an easel. Artistic

These plastic stone composite tablets are guaranteed to last a life time. Not just one lifetime either, but many!

The Children of Israel displayed the Ten Commandments in stone.
I bet they didn't have a nice easel though.

Deuteronomy 4:13 And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.

Cost per Set of Stone Tablets
Quantity Price
1 $59.95
2 $56.95
4 $55.00
10 $49.95

Add $5.95 for shipping.
I bet Moses wishes this service was available to him.

To get your Ten Commandments stone tablets, write to the address below, or call 931-935-2110 or toll free at 1-877-210-5266, or send us an e-mail. We appreciate your donations to help us continue supporting the Ten Commandments. These monuments would look great in front of your church or in your flower garden.

I am sure agree these are a simply 'must have ' item.

More thoughts about The Ten Commandments can be found here :o)

Priorities

2007-02-02T10:47:00.000Z

Celebrity Big Brother watched by thousands including children in the privacy of their bedroom TV, maybe reality, but is it art; does it have form , shape and structure; does it mean anything, have a point of view, communicate? Is it simply a sequence of relatively mundane, insignificant, random snippets broadcast with a spurious importance brought about by marketing and the promise of money, involving the viewer who can collectively affect who stays and who goes ~ all ultimately totally insignificant.

Yet, despite the inanity of it all, and yes intelligent friends who watch compulsively admit that it is a complete waste of time, this stuff has reached a level of importance out of all proportion to its worth.

The Telegraph has an article which sees CBB as being significant especially, it seems to Martians observing the nature of British Society! "...she (Jade) has established herself as the most successful Big Brother contestant ever, worth about £8 million."

The verbal racist abuse that has been so widely reported and indeed, the investigation by police continues, has reached to the highest levels of government ~ "British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Treasury chief Gordon Brown and Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram have commented on the incident, which South Asian and anti-racist groups said revealed the face of racism in Britain." Edmonton Journal

All this as a result of a manufactured, over-hyped programme, having no artistic merit.

By contrast there are the fictional books of Harry Potter read, and watched in the film versions, by thousands of children. Not, in my opinion, the greatest pieces of literature, but nonetheless, it is an art form with imagination, shape and a story to tell.

Daniel Radcliffe who plays the eponymous hero is an actor doing a job of work, rather well as it happens. So when this actor gets an offer of another job to perform in a stage play, a play that has proved its worth, is a modern classic that is superbly written, powerful, thought-provoking and containing a lead role that a young aspiring actor would die for, what happens?

Parents are up in arms and are bombarding Harry Potter fan-sites with emails. One reads, "We as parents feel Daniel should not appear nude. Our nine-year-old son looks up to him as a role model. We are very disappointed and will avoid the future movies he makes."

A classic error in which a spectator confuses a fictional character with the real-life actor who plays that part. Daniel Radcliffe is to appear in Equus the play, not a film version. Of course nudity, even the mere thought of it, is utterly degrading, disgusting and morally debasing. Perish the thought that it is in any way appropriate to the context of the play that Anthony Shaffer wrote. The chances are that thousands of ‘Potter’ fans will not make the pilgrimage to the live theatre in London to witness the play.

Indeed whilst the play may not be suitable viewing for youngsters, it is it about nudity per se; it's a far more intelligent piece than that. That Daniel Radcliffe should be criticized in this way shows a very narrow, blinkered view of acting and theatre, and an ignorance about this play in particular.

Interesting to read the Washington Post which cites a number of child actors who grew up and played roles a long way from their cutesy beginnings.

What this silly reaction to Equus and more widespread complaint about CBB have in common is the use of sex to sell.

In an interview, David Pugh the producer reveals that spin and hype are the chief motivating considerations in his casting of Daniel:

“And now the world can see exactly what Daniel Radcliffe will look like in Equus, as the stunningly opportunistic beautifully staged publicity photos for Equus have been released. Did Pugh mention the versatility that Radcliffe displayed when asked to humanize the dichotomy of a boy who who is so aroused by horses that he is then forced to torture them? Did he comment on the moral dilemma at the heart of the play concerning the treatment of the mentally ill? No! He started talking about how big Daniel Radcliffe's penis is:

"We had never seen him with his clothes off before. We all went 'Wow!'

Celebrity Big Brother is also driven by sex in their choice of hapless victims and wannabes:

"31-year-old Shilpa has been included in the list 'to spice things up and sex up the show' in what is likely to be the steamiest season so far."

Possibly they got more 'steam' than they had bargained for ~ but then it is this kind of steam that drives the engine of publicity on which this show survives having, as it does, absolutely nothing else to commend it except pandering to the strange and slightly kinky desires of the voyeurs who tune in so avidly.

Sad that Equus should be caught up on a similar kind of promotional hook, but that the actor should be criticized for working on it shows that somewhere along the line we have our priorities sadly misaligned.

Carbon Footprints

2006-12-01T16:23:00.000Z

I read in the paper today that:

"The Eddington report highlights the importance of reflecting the external costs of transport in the price paid by users, whether this be for congestion or environmental impacts."

It suggested that travellers, by whatever means they move, should pay the real cost, in environmental terms, to combat global warming.

He says that cars, planes, trains and so on must be charged for their relative emissions of carbon, their relative contributions to climate change.

As the Times put it: "all modes of transport should pay their full environmental costs, including compensating for their contribution to climate change."

So, high polluting forms of transport become more expensive than others.

Much of the transport in this country is to move goods from one place to another. So, should we reinvest in the waterways network; employ thousands of porters to shift millions of items from port to warehouse via public transport?
The increase penalties charged to move goods either inwards or outwards will be passed on to the end consumer ~ that's you and me!

My question is, no matter how much more money I pay, or you pay, I fail to understand how is this will combat, or as the article has it, "compensate" for global warming?

Twinkle, twinkle . . .

2006-11-30T21:15:00.000Z

Just as many households find that when they come to test the Christmas tree lights, there is one which is failing to light; that the whole string may then fail, if wired in series; those Council illuminations that bedeck various lamposts are just as bad, but fail to be fixed.

Are there no standards left anymore?

Waterstones Job 30th September 2006

2006-11-08T00:17:00.000Z

Kylie Minogue - and Magic!

In the last minute of this film report there is an interesting meeting of the entertainer at this event with its star.

The Quirkiness of Folk

2006-10-20T23:00:00.000+01:00

Click here for Brian's account

Whilst the ceremony to remember those who lost their lives here was indeed moving (see Brian's account above) and the inscription on the unveiled, memorial stone, not only thought provoking but also a tribute to the caligrapher's art; I was fascinated to observe the behaviour of those in attendance.

The memorial stone is essentially a two dimensional piece, and none the worse for that; so why do people feel compelled to look at the back of it? Have a look at the video clip to see just what I mean.

It's rather like those recipients of the 3D. Pop-Up Greetings cards who look at the reverse of the image to see if it too, is printed ~ I know I do, and am pleased, and satisfied when it is!

What people look at

Athens on the move . . .

2006-10-17T15:55:00.000+01:00

My first experiment in uploading a video clip, tricky for a non technophile!

Athens from the hotel rooftop. Evening September 2006

Just like any city in the world, I guess, there is the background wail of the emergency vehicle siren

Click here for more images from Brian's Blog

First Cuckoo?

2006-10-15T21:54:00.000+01:00

Time was, when 'The Times' always published a letter from the first person to have heard the first cuckoo of the year.

I think it time to add to this idea of first hearings, or in this case sightings, with the first Christmas decorations of the year.

I claim the honour!

Tonight, 15th October 2006, in Gosling Way, Kennington, London I saw the first Christmas decorations of the year, not only up, but illuminated too; courtesy of Lambeth Council.

Ten weeks before Christmas and lit decorations ~ I think that someone within the council has gone quite cuckoo.

Parking Rant, the First.

2006-10-10T23:22:00.000+01:00

I am driving down a road and find that so many cars are parked on either side that there is only room for one vehicle to pass by at a time.

Residential Parking Scheme Announcement

Those that have parked here, have had to pay the council for the privilege of doing so on a road near, if they are lucky, to where they live. 'Residents Parking Only' is what the plethora of posts each with their plate, lining the street, announce.

The thinking about controlling parking in this way is to avoid irresponsible parking and ensuing there is no obstruction caused by selfish and inconsiderate positioning of vehicles.

In this there has been a conspicuous failure of policy, I think, as I pull over, yet again, to allow an on-coming vehicle to squeeze past.

The council planners have ensured that congestion is guaranteed to be caused in their planned provision of parking spaces. Perhaps it is really about making money and charging the motorist simply to leave their vehicle unattended.

Research says . . .

2006-10-04T18:10:00.000+01:00

so it must be true.

Back in June I suggested that children who have too little contact with their parents but grow up with nannies and toys instead, suffer.

I read in the paper yesterday, that research shows children such as these now lack the conversation skills needed, when they go to school ~ many find it hard to string words into a sentence. The reason given is the lack of parental, quality time; the use of electronic baby-sitters; and the all pervasive television set.

Many electronic games, it seems to me, do not engage the player in dialogue but only develops thumb skills. Mobile phone texting often seems to replace vocal communication, which is ironic given that the telephone was invented to communicate via the voice!

What this means, the report went on to say, was that more resources (money and time) will have to be spent within the education system to make up for this initial deficit.

What a bonkers world we have created! Greater potential to communicate than ever before, but a generation who find speaking coherently a real challenge.

Nonsense

2006-08-10T00:20:00.000+01:00

One fine day in the middle of the night
The sea caught on fire;
The blind man saw it, and the deaf man heard it,
And the man with no legs, ran for the engine,
Which came along drawn by two dead horses
Ran over a dead cat and half-killed it.
My next song shall be a dance, told to you by a female gentleman,
Sitting at the corner of a big round table, bare-footed
With his father’s boots on, eating soup with a fork.

Perfection?

2006-08-07T12:54:00.000+01:00

Today at a party, the parent of the birthday child observed that another, visiting child, was in tears because the bubble tail on the miniature bubble balloon I had made for her had burst.

When I make balloon toys for children I always say that if they break they should sing ~ ‘Da da-da da daaa daaa’ and resist the impulse to cry.

The mother explained that this crying child was:
a) robust, as she was the youngest child in her family
b) a perfectionist which is why the burst part of the balloon dog was so upsetting.

I responded that if she were a perfectionist then she would suffer constantly as she went through life as things were seldom perfect.

The mother was having none of that defeatist talk; ‘there is nothing wrong with wanting perfection’. I agreed but added that the little girl would need to find a way to respond and to deal with things when they were less than perfect.

Days later an elderly and most experienced magician friend declared that he would never perform again. Teach and coach others, yes; but not perform himself. The reason was that when he performed he never reached the level of perfection that he sought.

I find this sad as there is joy and fun to be had on the part of the spectators if the performance is good. Yes. yet more fun if the performance is outstanding.

This magician is denying himself and his spectators that chance. That chance will not pass his way again.

Dog-shot

2006-08-06T22:15:00.000+01:00

A cycle of rant

2006-08-04T23:00:00.000+01:00

Last week I wittnessed three near accidents involving cyclists, who were breaking the law and the highway code ~ all within 15 minutes, and a mile of each other.

Image

Today, I saw an elderly pedestrian complain to a cyclist who was weaving around on the pavement. The cyclist responded by telling the man that it was legal for him to cycle on the pavement so, as he pedalled past me, I added that he was breaking the law.

This cyclist, by now feeling that there was conspiracy against him, screamed, "F*ck Off".

So much for reasoned discussion.

The pedestrian shared with me the regret that we had no means of identifying these anti-social hooligans.

I get tired of hearing that it is only a tiny minority of cyclists who give the rest a bad name.

Give them ID plates and then we might get somewhere.

Weather

2006-08-02T23:00:00.000+01:00

It is true to say that if you predict that the weather in the UK will be much like the weather yesterday, then you will be correct more times than you are wrong.

A Dog's Life

2006-07-29T14:16:00.000+01:00

We have a dog owned by our local vicar who leaves the poor creature outside his vicarage every time he leaves. This anti-dog behaviour ensures that the whole neighbourhood knows that he is not at home; the dog yaps in groups of five barks, takes a breath and repeats the barking; continuously, until the vicar returns. It's not the dog I blame but the deriliction of the owner.

A dog, like a child, is for life.

A very close friend once owned a bull terrier that was highly intelligent. The dog, in the days of buses that had platforms and no doors, would jump onto a bus whilst at a bus stop; travel the desired distance and then jump off at 'his' stop. All this was done single handedly, or should I say, pawedly.

2006-07-22T00:46:00.000+01:00

Brian Sibley's : blog

"THE SEWER RAT WHO KNEW THE VALUE OF DIRT"

This reminds me . . .

Twinkle, twinkle . . .

2006-07-21T00:10:00.000+01:00

Scintillate, scintillate, gobule vivific
Fain would I fathom thy nature specific.
Loftily poiséd in ether capracious
Strongly resembling some gem carbonacious.

Dogs Do

2006-07-19T10:15:00.000+01:00

Whilst I can appreciate that dogs on a tennis court maybe a distraction for all kinds of reasons I do find it difficult to picture a blind person accompanied by their guide dog standing there listening to this tennis game.

In an adjacent area to this there is a small fenced off dog-free zone where folk can sit and eat and drink. More often than not I see dogs enter here from the vast expanse of grass and numerous trees beyond. It is here that the dogs piss and crap before leaving. Either the dogs can't read or they are being wilfully malicious.

The Arts

2006-07-16T19:11:00.000+01:00

The best Drama/Theatre is that which engages the participant to a level so that it feels real; emotions are engaged fully. Catharthsis, in the
Sophoclean sense, is achieved as the house lights come up at the end or the session ends or the film credits roll.

The essay 'This is not a game' is a perfect description of how modern technology can involve game players in a false reality that is greater than any addiction to a television soap. It is a kind of drama that engages the participants totally.

Are there any dangers in the merging of reality with fictional drama?
Docu-dramas can lead to a completely false account of factual historical events; rewriting history to the extent that popular belief relies upon the fictionlised version to inform, to the exclusion of all others, including those which may indeed be nearer to the truth.

High level computer gaming seems to lay the players more open to believing in conspiracy theories than would otherwise be the case in more traditional games. Those activities described by McConical in her very carefully developed essay would lend credence to this view.

If a person lying asleep in a bed has a dream, what is more real, the dream or the reality, that they are in a bed, asleep? The dream, of course.
But dreams are, by definition, not real.
So, something that is unreal (a dream) can appear to have a greater reality than reality (lying in a bed asleep) itself.

Hence ‘The Arts’ are a way using imagination and dreaming whilst awake, of experimenting with alternative futures by invoking the, ‘what if?’ factor.

This is what I found most appealing about the teaching of drama ~ the world with all its complexities and contradictions, was the raw material from which a drama could be forged.

Conjuring, at its best, does the same thing. ‘What if I could destroy something and make it whole again?’ ‘What if I could fly without any visible means?’ Magic of this kind taps into a dream-like world where anything is possible.

Theatre touches upon human experience, places characters together in a context and watches the sparks fly. In the best writing and performing the audience are led to discover something about the human condition that they may not have previously considered or are led into a view that may not have previously been entertained. In great comedy writing they can be led to see the absurdity of life and to laugh at it.

Both conjuring and theatre also benefit from taking place with live interaction between the participants. The members of the audience, to a greater or lesser extent, are aware of one another. Even in a cinema this is the case.

I remember being slightly alarmed as I watched someone’s head being stove in with a viscious spiked glove in a scene from Norman Jewison’s ‘Rollerball’. It was view of the future in which a spectator sport was taken to a height of violence, as yet not attained in our current sporting activities. The spectators in the film were herded like animals behind high wire fences from where they bayed, screamed and yelled like demented, out-of-control, fans at the violent game in front of them. In the darkened cinema the live audience reacted in much the same way as the acting spectators, to this murderous violence. As in the conclusion of ‘Animal Farm’ I looked from screen to live audience and back again, finding it hard to distinguish the difference.

The Arts, it seems to me, can be a tool of tremendous power, moving the witnesses to strong reaction. Only the most accomplished creator of the art form can control what that reaction may be.

At the first performances of ‘Waiting for Godot’ audiences booed and left. Was this play an artistic disaster? At the time yes, but now it is acknowledged as a 20th century landmark piece of writing. Perhaps this above all is an argument for an ‘Arts’ education. Something, that sadly, our government policy makers have put quite low down on their list of priorities.

The Greeks had it as a duty that its citizens attend the great dramatic festivals. Now in Britain, we see nothing but cut-backs in public funding and ever decreasing areas of support for new writers and artists.

The radio version of 'The Lord of the Rings' would not have been commissioned and made had it been submitted today as it would be seen as being too expensive.

The BBC once had a sound library that was the envy of the world. Now producers must pay for each loan, whether the track is finally used or not; previously this was simply an available resource. The result is that contributors to programmes end up raiding their own collections to lend, in order to keep the production within budget.

When art is budget-led, wastage is reduced but the quality is also in great danger of suffering.

Fate v Conspiracy

2006-07-16T01:41:00.000+01:00

That most people do not relish the idea that life is haphazard, random and unpredictable leads them, I think, to favour a conspiracy theory to explain tragedies that could otherwise possibly happen to anyone. More reassuring it is then to find a motive and a reason for the awful event rather than say it was an accident of fate. In this way comfort can be drawn, and a false sense of security created, that the same devastating event would not happen to the ‘man in the street’ which could be you or me!

Was it a lone mad killer who happened to shoot President Kennedy or a conspiracy?

Was Princess Diana the victim of a fatal car accident or was there a conspiracy to be rid of her?

The list goes on. . .

Words

2006-07-06T15:46:00.000+01:00

If it is true that a picture paints a thousand words then it must be that, for expediency, we use words instead of pictures, in order to communicate.

This picture is entitled: “and the words got in the way”!

Remove the words and what is communicated?

A work of Tenniel that is definitely diminshed by the addition of ‘explanatory’ words. (Click on image to enlarge)

When confronted with such gobbledegook I am reminded of Hamlet's speech:

Lord Polonius: What do you read, my lord?
Hamlet: Words, words, words.
Lord Polonius: What is the matter, my lord?
Hamlet: Between who?
Lord Polonius: I mean, the matter that you read, my lord.
(Hamlet II, ii.)

But even the simple clarity of Shakespeare’s verse can be mangled by commentators;

“By doing this Hamlet "[...] breaks the social contract necessary to ordinary human discourse, the contract which mandates that there be, in Roman Jakobson's words, `a certain equivalence between the symbols used by the addressor and those known and interpreted by the addressee' " (Ferguson 249).

It's a pun that Hamlet uses, to wrong foot Polonius.

How often are words used to impress the reader to give the impression, albeit spurious, that the writer has some intellectual superiority?

A fireman I knew who worked at the New London Theatre used to quote: "Taurus excreta cerebrum vincit" (Bullshit baffles brains) and that applies all too often!

Here is a fun web-site that has a generator of such phrases, from management.

The link between knowing something and language, it has been suggested, comes down having the words to express the idea. No language, no concept ~ that’s the theory!

This leaves out intuitive understanding which, by definition, requires no vocabulary.

However, I wouldn’t go as far as this writer

“. . . there may be some things we will never know the course of. [That’s no reason to think they didn’t happen, though, even if we don’t know them. Reality is not constrained by what we can know.]”

Really? I guess that communicating knowledge to others though, still relies upon the use of words, or pictures, or indeed, word pictures.

This post was inspired by reading a randomly found blog by Jane McGongal who in the writing of her thesis between March and July this year posted her The Best Sentence of the Day. Yes, 97 inpenetrable sentences which have elicited enthusiastic comments from others who are impressed with convoluted analysis of ‘Game theory’. It's an intellectual game in itself trying to identify the meaning! I think though, the writer was aware of the ridiculous nature of many of her own quoted sentences ~ hence the blog.

Where has educaton gone wrong when it can start with the teaching of reading and writing and end up with a ‘learned’ thesis that, whilst it impresses those with an inside track to the jargon used, does nothing in furthering communication nor adding to the sum of knowledge that can be accessed by all the others who have also been taught to read and write?

Regulations

2006-06-29T16:43:00.000+01:00

Every time I travel on the Underground I find myself breaking the regualtions.
I can never find a dog to carry, as I descend the escalator.

Nannies & Toys

2006-06-26T17:00:00.000+01:00

It seems to me that busy mothers and fathers who entrust their children to the care of nannies and child-minders store up trouble for their off–spring. The apparent benefits of this alternative care conceal the creation of a serious level of short-term pyschological inadequacy. What the long-term effects maybe I do not know.

In the majority of cases when I have entertained children who are not in regular, daily contact, with their parents these youngsters often exhibit a greater degree of attention seeking behaviour than their poorer, and usually lower class, counterparts. They fidget, cannot settle, do not cooperate easily with other youngsters at the party and raise their voice in conversation in an attempt to dominate. The worst manifestation is the need to become violent with those around, in an attempt to achieve close physical contact ~ it is euphemistically called "play fighting".
It isn’t that the nannies do not do a good job but they can be no more than a surrogate parent especially when the natural parent is still in evidence, albeit infrequently.

So often these children have around them, piles of expensive toys, many sadly discarded, which have been provided for them by the 'caring' parents. None of these costly items, however, can replace the close parental contact that is really needed to promote healthy social development in the child.

The latest technological games quite often require one participant so that any chance of inter-acting with other humans, rather than a machine, is almost non-existent. The days when a rag doll, a stuffed toy or an unusually shaped piece of wood could fire the imagination and entertain are gone.

Advert picture

Look Alikes

2006-06-24T09:00:00.000+01:00

The Seven Ages of Man by William Shakespeare (1564~1616)

The similarities between the young and the old not only relate to helplessness, lack of teeth, hair, and control of bodily functions, but equally, I have observed, to physical characteristics; the ‘facial look’ being the most significant. It appears to me that the very young and the very old version of the same person look more alike than their teenager, youth or middle-aged, counterpart.
Study a very young face and you will see how the person will look in old age.

Young & Old Hands by Luisella

Cyclists

2006-06-22T12:00:00.000+01:00

So clean, so environmentally safe and good.
The bike maybe, but what about the rider?

The Red Traffic Light is meaningless to the majority of cyclists who ignore them creating a danger to other motorists and pedestrians alike.

There are those who are trying to create a better,safer, environment despite the behaviour of cyclists who create mayhem.

BBC Article about parent protests at cyclists who fail to stop at red lights

Night time, and most cyclists ride without any lights.
Complete irresponsible maddness.
Cyclists who ride without lights in the dark could be fined during a police crackdown.
Not a wide enough campaign I fear, although elsewhere some are fighting a losing battle.
‘I use lights when it’s dark because otherwise I get smeared across the tarmac’ and ‘I don’t ride along pavements like a five year old’.

Pavements. Obviously the province of the cyclist not the pedestrian.
No cyclist on a pavement could care less about others or the law.

I once witnessed a cyclist without lights, at night, ignoring a stop light and sped past, going the wrong way up a one way street, and then swerved to ride on the pavement.

This link will give you all the facts and distressing figures.

60,000 approx pedestrians involved in an accident with a cyclist in one year. “This explains why cyclists have so bad opinion among pedestrians.”

Illegal Cycling on Footways. Hansard: Section 72 of the Highways Act 1835.
“Cycling on the footway poses danger, concern and fear to pedestrians, particularly to elderly or disabled ones.”
How many near misses I have had as I step out onto the pavement from my house? I don’t care to remember.
Pedestrians need now, to exercise the Highway Code to cross pavement as well as the road!

To cap it all Lambeth Council have used ratepayers money to advertise the benefits of cycling in the borough. The advert depicts a bicycle and a female rider astride it. Where is this bike? On the pavement outside the Ritzy cinema in Brixton.
Lunacy!

Cyclists have no insurance, no identification, no compulsory training, no consideration for others, and are accountable to no one. They are truly a law unto themselves and a danger to us all.

In the USA the situation is just as mad!

Traffic ~ Calmed?

2006-06-19T16:00:00.000+01:00

Those raised humps do everything, apart from make for a calm journey. It is an excuse not to mend the roads by removing the potholes and the lumps. Contractors are paid to make the road condition worse. Now, we all pay for the addition of lumps and bumps. The cost is not only to the wear and tear on the vehicle; the increased pollution by driving in a low gear but also the toll on the comfort of the driver who now pays attention the where the lump is sited in order to approach it centrally, minimising the jolt. The driver should rather be watching other traffic and looking out for pedestrians about to leap out in front their vehicle.
All in all, these lumps encourage erratic driving and possibly cause more accidents than they are meant to prevent.

Image: Traffic Calming 101

Taste

2006-06-18T10:27:00.000+01:00

A change in taste
is often brought about
between the sheets.

Image: Commercial Closet

Dressing Up

2006-06-16T09:51:00.000+01:00

Time was when rushing and kicking and screaming around the football field was the activity for the national winter sport. When the cricket season began it was a signal that summer had arrived and the howling mobs of winter soccer fans were relegated to quieteness for a few months whilst the flannelled fools established that unmistakable click of leather on willow followed by polite applause.

Sadly, with the advent of the Packer Test Cricket Matches the screaming fans have found their way onto the summer terraces echoing their winter counterparts.

What still distinguishes the two sets of fans, however, is the dress.

Winter scarves in the livery of the football team together with a bobble hat in suitable colours created a sea of colour from which the songs, many based upon hymn tunes, and chants would rise before giving way to throat-ripping screams as a possible goal approached.

Sun hats over a ruddy complexion from the beer consumed, together with the essential accessory of an umbrella, is what the avid cricket fan sports.

In a year of a football World Cup our relatively peaceful summer is hijacked by the screaming hoards. Everywhere is evidence of their presence; the flags draped around shoulders; the fluttering flags on cars and the unmistakable renaming of this fair land, now called, ‘Ing-ger-laaaand’ until the 10th July when cricket is permitted to return, and the football population pontificate about how, ‘We was robbed’, of victory.

What I find utterly bewildering is the number of players who comprise a team. In my childhood each team had 11 players and some reserves. Now the streets and pubs are full of players in England team shirts. Observing the physique of most of the these ‘team players’ explains why England seldom win the world cup. They are some of the most unhealthy couch sloths imaginable. It has been pointed out to me that they are not team players but 'supporters'. I am led by this information to ponder the motivation for the ‘dressing up’ and the thought that these sad fans could ever be mistaken for a Beckham or a Gazza.

When I entertain at children’s fancy dress birthday parties I have been known to dress up as a character, in the line of duty of course, and certainly the little ones play at being Superman, Batman, Spiderman and Buzz Lightyear.

Recently, whilst purchasing a military costume for a performing job, the Army Surplus shop assistant informed me that his biggest sales were at Christmas and New Year adult fancy dress parties.

What is the emotional age of these adults who parade themselves in England football kit I wonder? Moreover, what is going on when these most unfit people sport the name of a particular player upon their shirt. Just who do think they are kidding? I can understand hero worship amongst the young, emulating a pop or sporting idol. The young still have the potential to become like their hero, but the lumbering beer-gutted middle-aged man??
Please . . .

A little Wisdom

2006-06-15T00:11:00.000+01:00

An elderly 80 something year old lady once observed that if you are in a position to speculate whether two people have "done it" then it is usually safer to assume, given they have had the opportunity, they most probably have.

And now Marriage

2006-06-13T01:54:00.000+01:00

Today the Archbishop of Canterbury decries partnerships as weakening family values. A radio listener wanted to invite the said prelate to her celebration of 25 years partnership which will take place amongst her, once wedded but now divorced, friends. So much for family values! Her union has lasted much longer than those failed, though blessed, marriages.

I do become amused when others pontificate about the royals becoming separated or divorced or re-married; complaining about the fact that a potential monarch has power to appoint bishops in the Church of England. Do these self-righteous commentators have no sense of history?
The Church of England, whose values they so want to defend, was created by the ‘Defender of the Faith’ a certain Mr.Henry number 8. How many wives did he have? How many divorces? How many of them did he have put to death in order that he could re-marry? Who, not acceptinging the stance of the then church on the subject of divorce, abolished it and set up his own, with himself as its supreme head?
Don’t make me laugh.

Answers

Religion

2006-06-08T11:37:00.000+01:00

When I think about the numbers of people who have been killed in the name of a religion, any religion, coupled with exhortations by those same religious leaders and followers to love or at least, have consideration for other, fellow humans; then I am led to conclude, in the words of ‘1066 and All That’ that “Religion” is, “a Bad Thing”, unless you count expanding one's borders, through invasion and increasing your sphere of influence through conquest, in which case "Religion" is, "a Good Thing"!

To point out all the great achievements that have been made or motivativated, in the name of religion, like architecture of churches and mosques; fabulous music and works of art; charitable foundations and works; persons exhibiting bravery and fortitude in the face of adversity and appalling odds, doesn’t seem to help.
Those great works of religious art which gave employment to artists and artisans were, I suggest, carried out to the glorification of the patron or the body commissioning the work, rather than to the deity celebrated.

A young man was once advised that if he wanted to become rich he should ‘invent a new religion’. There would seem to be plenty of examples where this has worked rather well for the creator.

Perhaps the religion itself is not to blame but the ways in which the adherents interpret it and then behave as a result. This doesn’t help me either because if a doctrine of love can result in mass murder, suppression of freedom and mayhem, performed in its name, then there must be something fundamentally wrong with the original set of beliefs that results in such contrasting and contradictatory action.
Religion, it seems can be the refuge of the scoundrel; the rationalisation for the extremist lunatic.

I cannot accept that any religion that requires its believers to murder others, or die themselves, can be right.

Many religions seem to exclude those who are not signed up members to it; superiority of members over non-members being a major characteristic.

Perhaps the origin of many religions, or at least the successful development of them is that they create or maintain a sense of tribal identity and in the most influencial world religions, help create and effect a sense of national identity. The conflicts between these religions have, in the past, and still today, given rise to wars between countries and their predominant religion ~ the ‘fight’ for that religion enshrined in the national identity has been cited as a justification for the war. If a ‘war on terror’ coincides with a ‘war’ against a religious divide what would happen if the ‘religious’ element were removed from the equation. How many genocides have been carried out on the basis of religious differences? Are we to believe that the religious differences between the murderers and the victims were purely coincidental in these acts of inhuman atrocity?

Is there really any place or justification for this kind of religious superiority remaining in a world that is becoming increasingly multicultural; which by dint of closer cohabitation of those of different cultural backgrounds are beginning to merge into one pan-european, and eventually, pan-global, society. The biggest cities of the world now contain, living cheek by jowl, people from a variety of backgrounds who will enevitably, over time and inter-marriage, merge their cultures.

Can isolationism, based on religious divisions, be justified when there are so many problems, on a world scale, that need a unified response?

Dress Codes

2006-05-31T08:51:00.000+01:00

There are schools and clubs that insist and enforce the following of a dress code. Why?

Ever since the expulsion from the Garden of Eden it seems that body covering or clothing, has become a way of controlling people; of making them feel that they belong; and a way of showing status. Well yes, and keeping warm in cooler climates.

If a school pupil fails to wear what is required then the child may well be sent home! I have always supported the idea of school uniform simply because the breaking of the rule allows individuality to be expressed, together with a totally harmless sense of rebellion. No-one is hurt or damaged by the breaking of these rules.

Individuality expressed by 'tagging' and graffitti seems to me to be akin to a dog repeatedly pissing in order to mark out its territory and can be seen to be, in both cases, anti-social behaviour. Though I have to concede that some graffitti moves into the realms of 'art' and sometimes wit. The crude spray-can tags, however, do neither.

Graffit as Art

Military uniforms have a purpose of making soldiers in battle identifiable in order to reduce casualties through 'friendly fire' and what a wonderful contradiction that phrase is! I suspect that nowadays military uniforms appear much the same as each other and modern warfare is conducted, by and large, at more than arm's length. The cult of the individual in an armed force is not encouraged as, obviously, a united body of men is needed, working together in a close knit way. If you look the same as others you begin to feel that you belong. I guess that there was a time when the height of success for a school child was to get a commission in the army ~ how many public schools had within it a branch of the army as an optional, desirable, extra, and what better way to start that process than by wearing a uniform in school.

The Emperor’s New Clothes, with that wonderfully whacky poking fun at the gullibility of those who wish to be seen as being in the height of fashion, is a fine example of the maddness of vanity and fashion and consumerism.

Tastes in what is acceptable clothing at any particular event must be subject to a curious set of criteria most of which are rooted in the past.

The magician, Robert Houdin (1805-1871), was revolutionary in his time by rejecting the clothing of the traditional magician, pointed hat and long flowing cloak and choosing to wear modern court dress. This is where the idea of a magician in tailcoat originates.

There is a London based magic club that still hankers after this kind, of what is now dated, mode of dress. They cannot accept that the young members, let's say under thirty, want to wear what youthful people wear today. They ban hats, jeans and trainers declaring, “jacket and tie preferred”.

Personally, given my background, I have no problem with jacket, or even suit, and tie. As a teacher I made it a proud boast that I could sport a different and rather stylish tie every day for several months without repeating any of them. So well known was this eccentricity that my last tutor group presented me with a fabulous, ‘Bart Simpson in hell’, tie when they departed the school. It is a tie of such striking design that total strangers in the street have stopped short and commented, favourably, upon it. It seems that education in schools can be more than simply coaching for the passing of exams. I always smile when I put on this tie at the memory of that group and realise that I gave them an appreciation that taste, in ties at any rate can be, not taught, but caught, through example.

If the London magic club, mentioned above, abandoned its conservative dress code, or at any rate embraced ‘smart casual’ for their members, I think that these youngsters would possibly be influenced by the garb worn by those whom they admire, rather like those who wish to emulate the footballer they think is so cool, copying the kit (uniform) and sporting the same haircut as their heros.

The Young Magicians Club

The fashion industry recognises the power of celebrity in promoting fashion and appearance. No harm in this, so as long as we recognise that it all a matter of dressing-up and acting a part. The true worth of an individual is not, ultimately, to be judged by what is worn; which brings us back to the Garden of Eden; and what did those early gardeners wear?

Or . . . .

Business

2006-05-29T16:00:00.000+01:00

"The best business is often done when business is said to be no longer being done."

Whilst I hold no remit to defend 'Two Jags Prescott', it is possible that his recent croquet game, during working hours, was a ploy to achieve some business success.
On the other hand it may have been just a croquet game.

PS. I think the media have decided that Prescott has to go and will relentlessly pillory him at every possible turn.

PPS. There are lies, damned lies and statistics ~ and then there is, even worse, the press.

Welcome to the random, eclectic world of rambles

2006-05-28T00:05:00.000+01:00

From the shadowy recesses of consciousness and subconsciousness comes spilling out onto this page some thoughts and impressions of ~ who knows what.

Today at the Tate Modern I was struck by how much ART is now either an "ism" or an "ist".