Linkety-link in some haste

[oursin]

The ghosts of futures past: a journo delves into patents at the British Library.

At Kew Gardens, the visitor figures are blossoming as fast as the cherry trees: and the ginko biloba is changing sex. Yes, Kew is a magical place, and I still think the current entry charge is iniqituous.

Lawyers like talking in Latin and most legal documents are

Comments

[redbird]

I wish they'd said more about that both-sexed ginkgo.

[noveldevice]

"...thought no one would notice..." "...pointed this out..." "...even offered clues..."

[carandol]

We were talking about religion in a seminar last week. According to the UK census of 2001, only 15% of the population claim not to have a religion; about 40 million claim to be Christian, though only about a tenth of those actually go to church. Seems were a nation of closet Christians...

[redbird]

Or of people who define themselves as Christian because they were baptized and never converted to any other religion, perhaps.

[oursin]

Or people who define themselves as Christian because they got married/intend to get married in church.

[oursin]

I think about EM Forster and his little riff about asking some literary character - Moll Flanders? - do you belief in the infinite? and getting the immediate response 'of course I do', end of conversation. I.e. they've never thought about the infinite/being a Christian and see no reason to do so.

But I'm an old-time 'lies more faith in honest doubt' kind of gal, I guess.

[rachelmanija]

Oooh, I want to go to Kew Gardens (despite the fee.)I will gaze at the transsexual ginkgo and the cherry trees and have Japan flashbacks.

[oursin]

Kew is lovely. I just wish the price of entry had remained nearer the sum of thruppence (no way has inflation since 1971 made this anything like £11.75) than it has.