Geoff Coupe's Blog

Reflections on life at “De Witte Wand”…

Year: 2005

  • The Isle of Man

    I arrived back on the Island yesterday evening after a few days in Scotland. Currently enjoying a capuccino in an Internet cafe in the harbour of Douglas. My home town is still recognisably the same, although there have been many changes since I moved away 35 years ago. Looking out into the old harbour – when I was growing up, the harbour would be full of fishing boats; now it is full of pleasure boats and yachts.
     
    I’m spending this morning walking round the town with my camera, recording changes and capturing images of things that will perhaps on my next visit be no more. However, it’s also good to see some things being restored and preserved. For example, on Douglas Head, overlooking the harbour, there is the Great Union Camera Obscura. For years, it was closed and had fallen into disrepair. But now it is restored to its former glory. It may well be unique in Camera Obscuras that are operational today by the virtue of having eleven lens systems displaying an almost circular panorama onto the eleven table screens inside. As a child I often went into it to gaze in wonder at the living scenes glowing on the tables. I’m glad it’s back in operation – even if the fact that now it is only open at weekends means that I won’t be able to visit it this time.

  • Service Interruption

    I’m going to be travelling for the next ten days, so blogging is likely to be infrequent. I’m off to see my brother and his family in Scotland, and then going to the Isle of Man to celebrate the fact that my uncle will be 100 years old on the 14th July. See you.

  • Bombs in London

    Not a good day today. http://europhobia.blogspot.com/2005/07/london-tube-explosions.html – this has the best blog of developing events.
     
    Update: BBC News 
     
    Update: Wikipedia has a developing entry. The entry kicked off by saying a series of at least seven explosions, but within seconds of Charles Clarke saying in the House of Commons "there have been four confirmed explosions" the entry was updated to "a series of at least four explosions". It’s back to seven now – so I suspect there’s an edit war going on on the page. I have to say it is amazing to watch how this story is unfolding in the blogosphere.
     
    Update: Now there’s a group pool of photos started at Flickr here.
     
     
    Update: Tony Blair gave some good soundbites in his reaction to the events, but I think Ken Livingstone, London’s Mayor, came closest to hitting the right note:

    "This was not a terrorist attack against the mighty and the powerful; it is not aimed at presidents or prime ministers; it was aimed at ordinary working class Londoners, black and white, Muslim and Christians, Hindu and Jew, young and old, indiscriminate attempt at slaughter irrespective of any considerations, of age, of class, of religion, whatever, that isn’t an ideology, it isn’t even a perverted faith, it’s just indiscriminate attempt at mass murder, and we know what the objective is, they seek to divide London. They seek to turn Londoners against each other and Londoners will not be divided by this cowardly attack…

    I wish to speak through you directly, to those who came to London to claim lives, nothing you do, how many of us you kill will stop that flight to our cities where freedom is strong and where people can live in harmony with one another, whatever you do, how many you kill, you will fail."

    Amen to that.

     

    Update: And another rather good and robust response to the events of the day.

     
     

  • EU Throws Out Software Patents

  • I’m Glad I Don’t Live in London Anymore

    Because London has just won the golden albatross. The residents of London’s boroughs are going to be paying for years to come while the rest of the country are going to lose out. As usual, Justin hits the nail on the head.

  • The G8 Justice League

    And talking of the G8 Leaders – Justin, over at Chicken Yoghurt has this magnificent piece of invective. I never noticed the resemblance between Dobby and Putin before, but, now you mention it…

  • The Price Of Protest

    Jarndyce, over at The Sharpener blog, makes an eloquent point about the G8 and the Price of Protest. Go and read it. Now.  I’ll wait until you get back.
     
    So, I hope it’s made you think. Particularly the closing argument:
    Eight Men in One Room can change the world: the economic structure of it, anyway. But they won’t. These eight men didn’t get where they are by helping the world’s poor, but by pandering to lobbyists and agribusiness, and sending pork home from every international shindig. Ordinary people like us aren’t constrained. Given the choice between some very expensive awareness-raising plus a police baton charge or two, and 6,500 childhoods, I know which one I take. Every time.
    It got me thinking. I donate on a fairly regular basis to AIDS charities, and, like millions of others, was shocked into donating to the Tsunami relief fund. But it’s not enough. Perhaps the answer is, as Jarndyce suggests, to sponsor a child – and contribute to his or her education and healthcare. He suggests World Vision‘s scheme. But the way that it works – in exchange for your money, you get letters and photos from some poor unfortunate child in some far-off land thanking you – always struck me as slightly icky. I much prefer the anonymous benefactor route. I’d personally also prefer to be giving my money through a non-religious agency. So, time for some research into how to do more, and do it more effectively, preferably without religious trappings. Fortunately, I see that the practical Dutch have set up an organisation (the Donateursvereniging) that has already measured the charities and aid organisations missions and effectiveness against a plethora of attributes, to help undecided donors, such as me, make up their minds.
     
    The G8 leaders, as Jarndyce predicts, almost certainly won’t do a damn thing of any practical value. I really don’t know how they square it with their consciences. It’s that thought that spurs me on to take direct action via the aid agencies.

  • Cultural Combinations

    Via Dare Obasanjo’s blog comes this link to an intriguing commercial for Coca-Cola made for the Chinese market. I could understand if this had been made for the Japanese market, because the the mixing of cultural mores and leitmotifs between East and West has been going on for years, but I confess it surprised me to realise the extent to which this must now be happening in China.

  • Greedy and Gormless

    I suppose I shouldn’t be gobsmacked at the story that Marina Bai is suing NASA for $300 million. However, I’m intrigued about the claim reported by several news agencies that "her grandfather pointed out the Tempel-1 comet to her grandmother", and that this is what led to their marriage. Some stories use the phrase "showed the comet" while others use the phrase "pointed out the comet". To me, the latter phrase conjures up the image of the grandfather pointing into the sky and saying to the grandmother: "see, it’s there!" – or, I assume, probably something more romantic if this event did actually kickstart their relationship. 
     
    Now, the trouble with this version of the event is that you can’t actually see the Tempel-1 comet with the naked eye. You need a telescope. So if in fact Bai is claiming that her grandfather "pointed out" the comet, she’s either mistaken or lying. But let us suppose that she did claim that her grandfather "showed" the comet to her grandmother – then he must have used a telescope. Presumably then he must have been at least an amateur astronomer, and perhaps even an astronomer by profession. In which case, he must now be spinning in his grave, since his granddaughter clearly hasn’t inherited any scientific thinking – she’s an amateur astrologer – and a particularly greedy one at that. 

  • The Silly Season – Starting Early This Year

    The Silly Season is defined as the period starting mid to late summer when the media report on frivolous news items for want of anything better to do.
     
    It must be starting early this year, judging by this prime example of a silly season story in The Guardian today.

  • Tynwald Day

    Today, the 5th July, is Tynwald Day on the Isle of Man, the country of my birth. The Wikipedia article in the link gives a good overview of the meaning and history of the day.
     
    The ceremonies take place in St. Johns, in the middle of the Island, at Tynwald Hill itself (see the photo).
     

    June 2000 14

    Tynwald Hill is always quoted as being at this location in St. Johns (the Wikipedia article does the same). Yet, I recall my father saying that the original location was in fact near St. Lukes chapel at the Baldwins, and there certainly is a mound there. Perhaps it is an old burial mound though, and not the original Tynwald Hill. 

    Update: just done a bit of Googling, and interestingly enough, perhaps my father was right. There are references to "a Tynwald Hill near Keill Abban which may have been a yet earlier place of assembly". It’s by a place (Algare) that translates as "Ridge of Justice". There’s also this reference to an excursion in 1900 to this feature, and the reference states that it was the old Tynwald Hill. And it is interesting that if you look at the map of the Island, this spot is pretty damn close to being in the centre of the Island – much closer than St. Johns turns out to be. It’s also on the "Royal Road" of the Island – the path that from the earliest times ran from the South of the Island to the North.

  • The President’s Brain Is Missing…

    Many years ago, when a Hollywood B-list actor somehow became president of the USA, there was a satirical programme on British TV called Spitting Image. One of the running jokes of the show revolved around the catchphrase: "The president’s brain is missing".
     
    Fast-forward to the noughties. Now we have Bush who seems determined to prove that he never had a brain in the first place.
     
    I despair.

  • An Introduction to Peak Oil

    Jim B. over at The Sharpener blog posts a sobering assessment of the Peak Oil phenomenon. Outcome: it’s going to happen, and this will change our world. I don’t think we fully understand yet how much this will impact us. But it ain’t going to be a picnic.

  • Talking about A hit, a very palpable hit

     

    Kaan, over at The Consigliere blog, has been watching NASA live TV, and witnessed the moment when the Deep Impact mission achieved one of its major aims: to hit the Tempel 1 comet.

    Quote

    A hit, a very palpable hit

    Deep Impact has just hit Tempel 1 about 30 seconds ago. Been following it on NASA live TV. The TV camera was on the controllers and not on the actual image of the impact as it occurred. So I was looking at everyone getting really exited about the something off screen, making me yell out at the camera guy to turn his camera to the right.

    A lot of jumping up and down and clapping and screaming going on in the control room.

    Impactor team are wearing red t-shirts and Flyby team in blue

    Someone just commented that ‘wow, and we were expecting something subtle!”

    Finally, they are replaying the actual image of the impact

    Wow. That was pretty huge.

    Someone, possibly the mission manager, said  “Ok folks we have another vehicle to worry about, so let’s settle down.”

    No one is settling down.

    End Quote

    The BBC also reports on the success of the mission here. When it occurred (05:50 GMT) I was safely tucked up in bed. I’m getting old – when men first landed on the moon, I had dragged the TV into my bedroom and eagerly watched the landing from the comfort of my bed – I was too excited to sleep.  

    Still, now I can follow the analysis of Deep Impact on the NASA site. And I see that someone has got a sense of humour – headed toward the light, indeed!

  • Make Prejudice History

    Prejudice is an interesting phenomenon. You assume that you know what the other thinks before he/she opens her mouth. So I thought well,  Elton John – celebrity, showman, clearly not a deep thinker. But then I read this piece in today’s Observer. And I thought – I was wrong. Good on yer, Elton.

  • 8 Women – One Voice

  • Live8

    I’m watching Live8 at the moment and alternately cringing and weeping at the people taking part. High on the cringe list come people such as Robbie Williams. I mean, what a fucking twat he is. But, thank the gods there are people such as Annie Lennox to restore my faith in humanity. She shone, she brought the message across, I wept.

  • Redback Spider Sex

    The Scientific Indian has a wonderful entry on the sex-life of the Redback spider. Nature is endlessly surprising.
    Speaking as a male of the species, I’m glad that the sex life of homo sapiens is somewhat less stressful.

  • Puns R Us

    I was idly scanning through the table of contents of this month’s journal of Technological Forecasting and Social Change (as one does), and came across this article:
     
    Give Peas a Chance: Transformations in food consumption and production systems
     
    groan…

  • Secrets and Lies

    In today’s Guardian, Roy Greenslade – professor of journalism at London’s City University – reviews Dilip Hiro’s book: Secrets and Lies: The True Story of the Iraq War.
    "Hiro is painstaking as he holds up every piece of fake intelligence to scrutiny, revealing both its falsity and the propaganda use to which it was put. Every excuse advanced by Bush and Blair for the invasion is shown to be hollow, as they seek to conceal the main reason for their pre-emptive strike: the desire for regime change. In some of the most telling passages, Hiro reveals the key roles played by the sinister group who surrounded Bush, such as his deputy, Dick Cheney; Rumsfeld’s deputy, Paul Wolfowitz; the under secretary of defence, Douglas Feith; the defence adviser Richard Perle; the president’s chief political adviser, Karl Rove; and, of course, the national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice. Meanwhile, the senior man, Colin Powell, the secretary of state, was largely isolated from Bush’s gung-ho squad. Despite his policy disagreements however, he performed important tasks on behalf of the warriors, none more so than his lengthy speech to the UN Security Council in the build-up to the invasion. Hiro’s point-by-point rebuttal of Powell’s allegations is masterly."
    In summary, Greenslade salutes the book as a depressing but magisterial assessment of the reasoning that led to the invasion of Iraq.
     
    Another book for the library, I think.