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Richard Walker

The Lesson of History

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What is the lesson of history? Only that we do not learn from it.


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Richard Walker

Stone Tool

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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.



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Richard Walker

Anti Joke

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Q. What creature featured in the 1975 film Jaws?

A. Elephant.

Permalink 1 comment (latest comment by Richard Walker, Sunday, 10 May 2020, 23:32)
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Richard Walker

Off We Go!

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I was prosecuted for impersonating a firework, but the court let me off.

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Richard Walker

Educating Attila*

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Edited by Richard Walker, Thursday, 7 May 2020, 22:28

What do you call a reading group for chickens?

a Buk Cluck.

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Richard Walker

Lack Of Evidence

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I was arrested for coffee theft. But the police didn't have sufficient grounds for a prosecution.

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Richard Walker

New blog post

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They say the meek shall inherit the Earth. But my money’s on the young.

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Richard Walker

Canine Challenge

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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


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Richard Walker

Why did the elephant cross the road?

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Q. Why did the elephant cross the road?

A. It was just following the chicken.


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Richard Walker

Chicken's mercy dash

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Edited by Richard Walker, Monday, 4 May 2020, 01:19
Q. How many chickens does it take to change a lightbulb?

A. Only one, but it has to cross the road first.
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Richard Walker

Crossed Wires

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Edited by Richard Walker, Monday, 4 May 2020, 00:59

Knock-knock!

Who’s there?

Lightbulb.

Lightbulb who?

Sorry, wrong joke.

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Richard Walker

Tom Swifty

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“Perhaps I might have honour of presenting your Excellence with this small pot of adhesive”, Tom said glutinously.

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Richard Walker

Antiviral drugs

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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.



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Richard Walker

Reading Top English Is Easy

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Edited by Richard Walker, Thursday, 30 Apr 2020, 21:49

(See https://learn1.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/viewpost.php?post=227629)

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Richard Walker

One liner

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When I was young we had proper nostalgia. Not like now.

Permalink 1 comment (latest comment by Jan Pinfield, Thursday, 30 Apr 2020, 08:44)
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Richard Walker

9 Urban Daffynitions

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Edited by Richard Walker, Wednesday, 29 Apr 2020, 01:48
audacity - total conurbation
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!

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Richard Walker

Crustacean Confusion

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Richard Walker

Playground Humour

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Edited by Richard Walker, Sunday, 26 Apr 2020, 23:37


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Richard Walker

Paths of Desire

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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

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/oct/05/desire-paths-the-illicit-trails-that-defy-the-urban-planners

I'm also indebted to Brian Horton, New Scientist Letters, 4 April, who made me aware of all this.


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Richard Walker

Mystery

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In the museum

Someone slipped a sweet into my pocket.


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Richard Walker

Tom Swifty

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“But why do chickens do it?”, asked Tom crossly.

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Richard Walker

Bluebell Haiku

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Each year Bluebells come
At the same time. But somehow
I never expect them.
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Richard Walker

Day 31

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Edited by Richard Walker, Sunday, 19 Apr 2020, 23:29

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

2,3,5,7,11,13,17,19,23,29,31

the median is 13, which is 31 with its digits reversed.

2. If you add all the prime numbers up to and including 31 you get 137, another prime number.

3. If you turn 31 upside down, it is still a number, and it is the same number. How many numbers up to a hundred have this property?

4. If 3. was too easy; what if we went up to a million?
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Richard Walker

Our Times

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I wasn’t expecting 

To be involved in History. 

Were you.

 

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Richard Walker

From Memoirs of an Alphabet Counsellor

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I've had plenty of tough cases. One was the letter 'e'. In denial but wouldn't admit it.


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