Monday, November 11, 2013, marks the 95th anniversary of the end of 'The Great War' (1914-1918), also referred to as the 'First World War'...of course it wasn't then, because the 'Second World War' (1939-1945) hadn't happened yet, so it was just 'The Great War', a demonstration of the butchery that modern technology could unleash upon a world still ( Read more... )

It seems that yesterday was International Whisky Day (read about it here, and/or here, and about the controversy that seems to have erupted over trademark infractions here).  Needless to say, after Rowan was in bed, and Meg was out at her running clinic, I settled in for a nice quiet evening with a glass of whisky, a book, and two cats (one of ( Read more... )

Picked up my - now graded - major research paper yesterday.  Apparently our professor didn't have much else to do over Easter so she marked everything.  And yes, I passed.  The mark was actually far better than I thought it would be, so I somehow end up with far better marks in my graduate degree than I ever got in my undergrad years.  Who'd have ( Read more... )

Last week, as part of my Research Methods course, our professor brought in a woman (I can't remember her name, but you'll understand why in a few moments) who had just successfully defended her MA thesis (in Psychology), and was starting on her PhD research.  Professor S. thought that this woman's research project would be a good example for us on ( Read more... )

Remember, remember the Fifth of November
Gunpowder Treason and Plot.
We know no reason why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

Hearkening back to 'V for Vendetta' (haven't watched the movie again, even though we now own a copy), I've been reading Antonia Fraser's "The Gunpowder Plot: Terror and Faith in 1605" - remarkable how even though the ( Read more... )