Personal Blogs
And found that they were Pearly
The Angels wrote me in the Lates
Although I came there early.
What is the lesson of history? Only that we do not learn from it.
Today I put on a very old jacket. I haven't worn it for ages but I found it in my wardrobe and decided to wear it, as kind of comfort shield I suppose.
Anyway, when I reached into a pocket I found a flint tool, one I must have picked up on a walk, years ago now, and forgotten.
It was quite hard to photograph with my phone and I don't have the equipment to show the detail properly, but along the top edge it looks as though tiny pieces, a couple of dozen or more, have been flaked off to bring it to a point. So I think it is a human artifact and is a kind of awl, a piercing tool. I've been looking at it day and keep picking it up and feeling its weight and shape.
Interestingly it seems to be bistable; that it is there are just two orientations you can lie it down and it will rest as you placed it, which makes it even more intriguing.
Q. What creature featured in the 1975 film Jaws?
A. Elephant.
I was prosecuted for impersonating a firework, but the court let me off.
What do you call a reading group for chickens?
a Buk Cluck.
I was arrested for coffee theft. But the police didn't have sufficient grounds for a prosecution.
They say the meek shall inherit the Earth. But my moneyâs on the young.
Identify what book, film or cartoon these famous dogs appear in
1. Nana
2. Montmorency
3. Dogmatix
4. Toto
5. Snowy
6. Bulls-Eye
7. Fang
8. Snoopy
9. Gaspode
10. Wellington
Q. Why did the elephant cross the road?
A. It was just following the chicken.
A. Only one, but it has to cross the road first.
Knock-knock!
Whoâs there?
Lightbulb.
Lightbulb who?
Sorry, wrong joke.
âPerhaps I might have honour of presenting your Excellence with this small pot of adhesiveâ, Tom said glutinously.
Picture from Wikipedia: Sponges
Antiviral drugs are a hot topic.
I remember, growing up, there were no such things, just antibiotics, which are effective only against bacterial infections. But about four years ago I had (not contacted) shingles. I'd had it for half a century plus, only it was Chicken Pox (called variola) when I caught it originally; shingles when it flared up again in a different form (called herpes zoster, same virus).
The virus had been dormant in my spinal chord for half a century, but old age or stress or something else brought the monster to life once more. After about a day of wondering why my back hurt somewhat, I suddenly realised what it must be and trotted
off to my excellent doc. Self diagnosis confirmed and doc prescribed acylovir. This had been around from 1980, but I didn't realise. It's on the WHO list of essential drugs which (my words) address a widespread and significant health concen; and are
effective, safe and affordable.
An amazing drug. Main use against herpes viruses, read more here. But the surprising thing is that it was developed from a Carribean sea sponge.
It turns out that sea sponges, from their way of living, have evolved a huge range of chemical biodefence against bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa and so on. By exploring these agents some useful drugs have been found. Read more here.
When I was young we had proper nostalgia. Not like now.
capacity - restrict urban growth
felicity - take in the ambience
ferocity - agarophobia
mendacity - urban renewal
overcapacity - restrict urban growth to an unjustified degree
paucity - deprived urban environment
rusticity - declining industrial locality
vivacity - may our city live!
The picture below is the network of paths at the campus of Michigan State University. It's famous because, as new buildings were added the planners let the people find their own pathways, and were guided by those, rather than imposing a preconceived layout.
Such user-chosen routes are often called 'paths of desire' and reflect what people have discovered works for them. There is a good Guardian article about paths of desire at
I'm also indebted to Brian Horton, New Scientist Letters, 4 April, who made me aware of all this.
In the museum
Someone slipped a sweet into my pocket.
âBut why do chickens do it?â, asked Tom crossly.
Each year Bluebells come
At the same time. But somehow
I never expect them.
Here I am at day 31. Can we get anything interesting out of the number 31 though, like we did for 23? Here's a start.
1. It's prime, and if we write the primes up to and including 31 in order
I wasnât expectingÂ
To be involved in History.Â
Were you.
Â
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