(no subject)
For the evening astronomer Reader - the conjunction of Mars and Saturn in the constellation of Libra has been joined by the moon. Go have a look in the southwestern sky after sunset. Thinx - is it high enough to be seen in a built up area? Forecast for today here is drizzle, hence low cloud. Hmmm. Another evening maybe.
* * *
There now, it's been twenty years since the IRA declared a cease fire in Northern Ireland. Which has got to be a Good Thing. Life in Northern Ireland is much easier, with people able to travel across different areas without being stopped by police or army checkpoints. It's not all roses though. There are still bombings, still shootings, but most of the 'debating' these days is done by politicians rather than the gun men, so that's got to be an improvement.
Meanwhile these days in the rest of the United Kingdom the figure of a suspected terrorist is much more likely to wear a head cloth than speak with an Irish accent (any part of Ireland, including the North). The government is divided on how to rustle up legislation which will allow it to detain those suspected of going abroad to join the Jihad, and those suspected of having been Jihadists now returning to the UK.
Come to think of it, we had something like that in place in Northern Ireland twenty years ago. It was called Internment and meant that the security forces could slam you up in jail if they thought there was sufficient evidence that you were an activist on whatever side.
Effectively it was imprisonment without trial - which is basically directly counter to the rest of our judicial system which declares that a person has to be shown to be guilty, by fair trial by jury, before they can be imprisoned. OK, so something has to be done about radicalised British Islamists, and others, but imprisonment without trial is not a good way to go. For one - it creates martyrs, and two - it could so easily become the thin end of the wedge. Militant Islamist suspects now, who next? I'm reminded of Bonhoeffer's saying, which goes something like -
They came for the Communists, I said nothing because I wasn't a communist.
They came for the Trade Unionists, I said nothing because I wasn't a Trade Unionist.
They came for the Jews, I said nothing because I wasn't a Jew.
They came for the Gypsies, I said nothing because I wasn't a Gypsy.
When they came for me, there was no one left to say anything.
You see, Dear Reader, we may be all right, but we can't pull up the ladder and ignore what is being done to others - for reasons of eventual self-interest if nothing else!
* * *
You may remember a while back that a skeleton was discovered under a Leicester car park that turned out to be the mortal remains of Richard III. A while back I watched a programme that looked at what, what with his twisted spine etc, Richard might have been able to do. It turns out that there is a man who has scoliosis of his spine almost the same as Richard's. So various people got together and tried him out with swords and armour and on horseback, and lo, it was found that he could swing a sword with the best of them, he could do it in full armour and on a horse he was practically unstoppable. Mounted and armoured his scoliosis didn't notice and he looked like any other knight. In fact the only disadvantage they found he had was that he lacked stamina. Fighting on the ground he tired easily.
Those who tried the lad out, and the programme makers were quite surprised at what the modern man could do, and by implication what Richard would have been capable of. Hah! Had they but thought about it they would have known he would have been a warrior up there with the best.
Back in the Middle Ages kings had to be fighters. They were war lords and led their armies into battle. They had to be able to fight. What is more, those of 'noble' birth would have been trained in the arts of riding since before they could walk and in various methods of fighting since they were around four or six. Evidently the boy Richard had undergone the same training and had been proven capable. The nobles of the royal court wouldn't have looked even once at him, let alone supported his claim to be king, unless he was a proven warrior and a war leader. Of course he could ride and fight. Heck, he could probably fight on foot for quite a while - having been in training since age six (he was in his early thirties when he died) his stamina would have been pretty good, if not as good as an unhandicapped fighting man.
As Shakespeare had it, the lack of a horse was his undoing. Richard knew he was a sitting duck (scuse the mixed metaphors) on the ground.That and too many of his 'allies' sat around on the side lines until they saw which way the battle was going then joined in on the winning side!
* * *
in Hong Kong there have been protests. Elections are due sometime soon. Residents of Hong Kong want to put up candidates of their choice. The Chinese government says that candidates have to be approved by the Communist party or 'the place would descend into anarchy'. Hah! For all Prime Minister's Questions may sound like a bear garden, what we have here is in no way 'anarchy'. IMHO the Chinese Communist party needs to lighten up a bit, well actually quite a lot, control freaks that they be. However that isn't going to be achieved quickly or easily. So I suppose Hong Kong is on it's way to becoming just another part of China, for all the safeguards put in place at the time of handback.
Is there a way of governing such a vast and populous country without involving control-freakery, *** and cronyism? I do know that democracy hasn't been tried and found wanting, it just hasn't been tried.
* * *
And in India toilets are being given to villages. Don't laugh, Dear Reader, this is a major problem. After all, if you have people 'going' all over the place there's increased risk of infection and spread of diseases, not to mention the risk of contaminating water sources. For women the problem is greater. You see, if you're a village woman in India and want to do a 'number two' you have to hold it in all day, then, when night falls, you have to pick your way out to a field, alone and in the dark, to squat and relieve yourself. Not only is this insanitary, it leaves women open to predation - by animals or by men who think that a woman alone is just asking to be raped.
This problem isn't confined to India, but in India they are starting to do something about it. Supplies of clean, safe water and sanitation are major steps in increasing the health of the population. They also make life easier for women - who no longer have to travel up to four hours to obtain water, and who don't have to squat alone, in the dark, in fields.
Further information can be found here, including how to twin our toilets with a toilet in the Third World, not just India, and make life safer for people there. It's not rocket science, it's not expensive, it requires political will, so it's left to volunteers like us, Dear Reader. Heigh ho!
* * *
And Finally - you know how people dress up? Hey, Comic com happened not so long ago. Apparently Daniel Radcliffe attended that 'incognito' dressed up as Spider Man. Well, he could hardly have gone along as himself, or the Boy Wizard, and been able to just wander around soaking up the atmosphere could he? Mostly though people get dressed up to suit themselves (oops, pun, sorry), or to demonstrate their interests and allegiances. Well, in Chiba, Japan, there is a man who dresses up as Batman and rides around the city on his Batpod motorcycle to make people smile. Good for him, I say. I just hope he doesn't run into trouble over copyright etc, cos the American film industry doesn't smile about things like that.
Go on, crack a smile, Dear Reader. Y'all have a good day now!
* * *
There now, it's been twenty years since the IRA declared a cease fire in Northern Ireland. Which has got to be a Good Thing. Life in Northern Ireland is much easier, with people able to travel across different areas without being stopped by police or army checkpoints. It's not all roses though. There are still bombings, still shootings, but most of the 'debating' these days is done by politicians rather than the gun men, so that's got to be an improvement.
Meanwhile these days in the rest of the United Kingdom the figure of a suspected terrorist is much more likely to wear a head cloth than speak with an Irish accent (any part of Ireland, including the North). The government is divided on how to rustle up legislation which will allow it to detain those suspected of going abroad to join the Jihad, and those suspected of having been Jihadists now returning to the UK.
Come to think of it, we had something like that in place in Northern Ireland twenty years ago. It was called Internment and meant that the security forces could slam you up in jail if they thought there was sufficient evidence that you were an activist on whatever side.
Effectively it was imprisonment without trial - which is basically directly counter to the rest of our judicial system which declares that a person has to be shown to be guilty, by fair trial by jury, before they can be imprisoned. OK, so something has to be done about radicalised British Islamists, and others, but imprisonment without trial is not a good way to go. For one - it creates martyrs, and two - it could so easily become the thin end of the wedge. Militant Islamist suspects now, who next? I'm reminded of Bonhoeffer's saying, which goes something like -
They came for the Communists, I said nothing because I wasn't a communist.
They came for the Trade Unionists, I said nothing because I wasn't a Trade Unionist.
They came for the Jews, I said nothing because I wasn't a Jew.
They came for the Gypsies, I said nothing because I wasn't a Gypsy.
When they came for me, there was no one left to say anything.
You see, Dear Reader, we may be all right, but we can't pull up the ladder and ignore what is being done to others - for reasons of eventual self-interest if nothing else!
* * *
You may remember a while back that a skeleton was discovered under a Leicester car park that turned out to be the mortal remains of Richard III. A while back I watched a programme that looked at what, what with his twisted spine etc, Richard might have been able to do. It turns out that there is a man who has scoliosis of his spine almost the same as Richard's. So various people got together and tried him out with swords and armour and on horseback, and lo, it was found that he could swing a sword with the best of them, he could do it in full armour and on a horse he was practically unstoppable. Mounted and armoured his scoliosis didn't notice and he looked like any other knight. In fact the only disadvantage they found he had was that he lacked stamina. Fighting on the ground he tired easily.
Those who tried the lad out, and the programme makers were quite surprised at what the modern man could do, and by implication what Richard would have been capable of. Hah! Had they but thought about it they would have known he would have been a warrior up there with the best.
Back in the Middle Ages kings had to be fighters. They were war lords and led their armies into battle. They had to be able to fight. What is more, those of 'noble' birth would have been trained in the arts of riding since before they could walk and in various methods of fighting since they were around four or six. Evidently the boy Richard had undergone the same training and had been proven capable. The nobles of the royal court wouldn't have looked even once at him, let alone supported his claim to be king, unless he was a proven warrior and a war leader. Of course he could ride and fight. Heck, he could probably fight on foot for quite a while - having been in training since age six (he was in his early thirties when he died) his stamina would have been pretty good, if not as good as an unhandicapped fighting man.
As Shakespeare had it, the lack of a horse was his undoing. Richard knew he was a sitting duck (scuse the mixed metaphors) on the ground.That and too many of his 'allies' sat around on the side lines until they saw which way the battle was going then joined in on the winning side!
* * *
in Hong Kong there have been protests. Elections are due sometime soon. Residents of Hong Kong want to put up candidates of their choice. The Chinese government says that candidates have to be approved by the Communist party or 'the place would descend into anarchy'. Hah! For all Prime Minister's Questions may sound like a bear garden, what we have here is in no way 'anarchy'. IMHO the Chinese Communist party needs to lighten up a bit, well actually quite a lot, control freaks that they be. However that isn't going to be achieved quickly or easily. So I suppose Hong Kong is on it's way to becoming just another part of China, for all the safeguards put in place at the time of handback.
Is there a way of governing such a vast and populous country without involving control-freakery, *** and cronyism? I do know that democracy hasn't been tried and found wanting, it just hasn't been tried.
* * *
And in India toilets are being given to villages. Don't laugh, Dear Reader, this is a major problem. After all, if you have people 'going' all over the place there's increased risk of infection and spread of diseases, not to mention the risk of contaminating water sources. For women the problem is greater. You see, if you're a village woman in India and want to do a 'number two' you have to hold it in all day, then, when night falls, you have to pick your way out to a field, alone and in the dark, to squat and relieve yourself. Not only is this insanitary, it leaves women open to predation - by animals or by men who think that a woman alone is just asking to be raped.
This problem isn't confined to India, but in India they are starting to do something about it. Supplies of clean, safe water and sanitation are major steps in increasing the health of the population. They also make life easier for women - who no longer have to travel up to four hours to obtain water, and who don't have to squat alone, in the dark, in fields.
Further information can be found here, including how to twin our toilets with a toilet in the Third World, not just India, and make life safer for people there. It's not rocket science, it's not expensive, it requires political will, so it's left to volunteers like us, Dear Reader. Heigh ho!
* * *
And Finally - you know how people dress up? Hey, Comic com happened not so long ago. Apparently Daniel Radcliffe attended that 'incognito' dressed up as Spider Man. Well, he could hardly have gone along as himself, or the Boy Wizard, and been able to just wander around soaking up the atmosphere could he? Mostly though people get dressed up to suit themselves (oops, pun, sorry), or to demonstrate their interests and allegiances. Well, in Chiba, Japan, there is a man who dresses up as Batman and rides around the city on his Batpod motorcycle to make people smile. Good for him, I say. I just hope he doesn't run into trouble over copyright etc, cos the American film industry doesn't smile about things like that.
Go on, crack a smile, Dear Reader. Y'all have a good day now!