We’re starting to think seriously about moving East. Not all that far – still within the Netherlands – but near to the Dutch/German border in Gelderland. As part of the deal, Martin has let it be known that if we do end up in the countryside, then he wants to get a dog. Knowing my luck, he’ll get one that looks like this.
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IDiot
PZ Myers delivers a surgical flensing of some twaddle spouted by Deepak Chopra. When one is faced with such monumental stupidity such as this asinine crap from Chopra (e.g. the oxygen atom is intelligent) it is difficult to restrain oneself from calling for an intervention by the gene police ("Oi, you, out of the pool, now!).Leave a comment
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Not All Doom and Gloom
I commented earlier this week on the story in The Guardian about the witch hunts for gays and lesbians in the British Armed Forces. I see that my friend Ed has got a letter about it in The Guardian today. Since his letter was edited for inclusion, I’m pleased to be able to present the original as a blog exclusive:Lest younger readers of your paper should think that all was doom and gloom in the RAF camps of the mid-l950’s (Your article ‘How the air force kept secret watch to track down lesbians’, 22nd August), I can tell them that this was not so for at least one camp which I experienced as an adolescent airman – namely, RAF Ruislip on the outskirts of London. To say that it was the prototype set for a film yet to be made "Carry on Camping II" would do it less than justice since, as part of the policy adopted by the higher authorities in the RAF to ‘clear out the homosexuals’ many of this robust community were stationed there. It was argued, I believe, that rather than allowing youths suspected of being homosexual from their behaviour (i.e. being ‘camp’ for men and ‘butch’ for women) to corrupt other airmen/airwomen (there was no need), it would be wiser to have them all together where they could conduct themselves as outrageously as they pleased and with the added bonuses of being both near to central London and adjacent to an American air base.As now a 70-year old that was privileged to complete 2 years of National service in the mid-1950’s, I am able to say that if not the happiest days of my life those years were amongst the most interesting and informative I have experienced; they also gave me friends which I am still fortunate enough to have. Further, my experiences then allowed me to see how bright was the future if one took the initiative and, ‘Carry on’ style, grasped all the opportunities presented to one.I sign myself a satisfyingly happy homosexual who can look back with affection to those outwardly sexually repressive, but inwardly wildly gay, l950’s.Leave a comment
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A New Type of Library
The library in Almelo will be lending more than books as from next month. You’ll be able to borrow a person – such as a gay man or a Muslim woman – for an hour – to ask him or her the sort of questions that you’ve always wanted to ask. Sounds like a good idea, but do the people get stamped – and what are the fines for overdue loans?Leave a comment
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Reading Faces
Fasty Twister over at the I Blame The Patriarchy blog reminds me about the psychology tests on the BBC’s Science and the Body web site, and in particular the Spot the Fake Smile. The last time I tried the test, the web site crashed, so I gave up in disgust.This time, though, I completed the test and I was pleased to see that I got 15 out of 20 correct answers. I did better than I thought I would, so I’m pleased. Fasty, being a misanthrope, undoubtedly did better.Leave a comment
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BT’s Innovation Timeline
BT (British Telecom) has published its 2005 predictions about innovations and when they are likely to happen. Check out the interactive version, or read the full list. It would have been good to have BT also publish some of the reasons as to why they assign events along the timeline where they do. For all I know they could just be waving a wet finger in the air…Leave a comment
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A New Tourist Destination
Apparently, Saudia Arabia has hit upon a whizzo scheme to boost tourism to the Kingdom. I doubt very much whether I will take them up on their kind offer. The reasons why not are pretty well laid out in this imagined interview with the Minister of Tourism over at the Religious Policeman blog.(hat tip to Salam Pax for the link)Leave a comment
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The Weapon of Language
The metadata of language fascinates me. The way in which the choice of particular words and phrases reinforces particular ideas or modes of thought. I suspect that my fascination for it was shaped by the experience of growing up gay at a time when the language used to describe people like myself was unrelentingly negative. I began to realise that there was a dissonance between the language used to describe people like myself and my own experience from the inside.I was reminded about this by an interesting article in The Guardian today about how the British Armed Forces dealt with "the problem" (see, there’s the metadata in action) of gays and lesbians in their ranks during the 1950s through to the 1990s.The language used at the time is so very revealing (I’ve highlighted the key metadata words): "a nest of homosexuals", "the homosexual cannot exist in isolation; he must have an accomplice, and usually several – in this lies his greatest threat to the service; given suitable conditions the evil multiplies alarmingly" – written in the 1950s. "[lesbianism] was not properly acknowledged as a problem until 1956", the "abnormal woman who enters the service already perverted" – written in 1971.And just in case you think that this sort of language has died out, I refer you to judge John Freeman’s ruling in the case of a gay asylum seeker. Freeman (what an ironic name) has refused the man’s appeal to stay in Britain and has ruled that he must be returned to Iran – where, of course, homosexuals are still executed for being homosexuals. In his ruling, Freeman wrote: "He [the asylum seeker] says he fled when he realised a member of his coterie had been arrested by them, apparently leaving an incriminating video in their hands, showing unseemly activity on the part of this appellant and others." (my emphasis on the metadata). Freeman also writes of "engaging in buggery" and describes the apellant’s sexuality as "a predilection". With attitudes like these, it is small wonder that Stonewall has concerns about the case.Leave a comment
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Robert Moog
Bob Moog, the inventor of the Moog synthesiser, died yesterday. He was 71.The synthesiser was an instrument that fascinated me – to the point where I built one for myself. Bob’s invention has had a massive impact on popular music. While analogue synthesisers have largely given way to their digital descendants, the initial impetus came about because of Bob’s designs.Leave a comment
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Help Save the Post Office
A heartfelt cry that pulls at my heartstrings, even if Mr. Crozier’s heart is made of stone.Leave a comment
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Misdirection
A nice little example of the prestidigitator’s art of misdirection: the Mystical Ball site. Try it – and try and work out how it works.Leave a comment
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What’s Your Earliest Memory?
Mine is lying in my pram on a hot summer’s day in the garden of a house in the country. I was given a piece of bread and butter to eat – but the butter had turned rancid in the heat. I clearly remember thinking I don’t like the taste of this.All perfectly ordinary stuff. But then you come across people like Freeman Dyson who says:My strong suit was always mathematics. I was not driven to become a scientist by a craving to understand the mysteries of nature. I just enjoyed calculating and fell in love with numbers. I remember vividly one episode from early childhood. I do not know how old I was. I know only that I was young enough to be put down for an afternoon nap in my crib. The crib had mahogany sidepieces so that I couldn’t climb out. I didn’t feel like sleeping, so I spent the time calculating.I added one plus a half plus a quarter plus an eighth plus a sixteenth and so on, and I discovered that if you go on adding like this forever you end up with two. Then I tried adding one plus a third plus a ninth and so on, and discovered that if you go on adding like this forever you end up with one and a half. Then I tried one plus a quarter and so on, and ended up with one and a third. I had discovered infinite series. I don’t think I talked about this. It was just a game.That’s scary…Leave a comment
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Getting Closer…
…Bird flu, that is. Apparently it’s reached the Russian Urals, and is likely headed this way. And while it’s by no means certain that the avian flu virus H5N1 will mutate into something that causes a flu pandemic in humans, those working in the field are increasingly furrowing their collective brows.Now, two risk communicators working for the WHO have published a long article on how to sound the alarm over bird flu without necessarily scaring the shit out of us. Well, perhaps. To paraphrase TS Eliot, this may be how the world ends, not with a bang, but ah-tishoo!Leave a comment
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Mo Mowlam
Sad to hear that Dr. Mowlam has died. When she was a politician, she was one of the few of that breed whom I respected.Leave a comment
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Beautiful Boxer
Fascinating article in the Guardian today about Parinya Charoenphol. Her life story has been made into a film: Beautiful Boxer. While I personally find boxing and kickboxing loathsome sports, I do want to see the film. It documents Charoenphol’s journey from being a poor village boy overcoming his timidity to become a famous kickboxer – but only so that he could earn enough money for a sex change. Life is often stranger than fiction.Leave a comment
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The Big Gay Read – Part 2
OK, as promised, I went and checked the library. Further suggestions include:Pagan’s Father – Michael ArdittiEaster – Michael ArdittiReady to Catch Him Should He Fall – Neil BartlettSix of One – Rita Mae BrownRubyfruit Jungle – Rita Mae BrownFather of Frankenstein – Christopher BramFlesh and Blood – Michael CunninghamThe Abomination – Paul GoldingWhile England Sleeps – David LeavittBrothers – Ted van LieshoutTaking Care of Mrs. Carroll – Paul MonetteHow Long Has This Been Going On? – Ethan MorddenLike People in History – Felice PicanoFranny the Queen of Princetown – John PrestonOn Glory’s Course – James PurdyA Better Class of Blond – David ReesIn the Eyes of Mr. Fury – Philip RidleyAelred’s Sin – Lawrence ScottTime and Place – Alan SheridanDrifters – Tom WakefieldAny others you’d like to suggest?Update: There’s going to be the inevitable web site for The Big Gay Read5 responses to “The Big Gay Read – Part 2”
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I’d suggest adding Arditti’s Easter, some Firbank – or is that too early and not explicitly gay enough? I suppose the same issue crops up with Wilde. Maybe some Scoppotone.
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Thanks, Robert. I already had Easter in the list, but Firbank is a good suggestion. Though I have to confess that I’ve never actually read any Firbank. You mention Scoppotone – do you mean Sandra Scoppettone? If so, she’s another writer that I’ve yet to read. I see that she writes in the Crime genre. Not something I’m passionate about – unless it’s the pastiche of Malcolm Pryce’s take on Raymond Chandler.
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Rubs eyes and puts glasses on – sorry about that! I got the complete Firbank when a local library was selling off old stock, wonderful camp, he also attended my Cambridge college – I love the remark on various webpages that he was accidentally buried in Rome’s Protestant Cemetery – my book describes it – the location – as doctrinally inappropriate but romantically incomparable. There’s also Forster’s Maurice but I wasn’t overimpressed when I read it. I included Sandra Scoppettone (thank you!) as an example of the lesbian detective genre, her weblog is at http://sandrascoppettone.blogspot.com/
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Hey, yeah,I think that Nick Alexander’s 50 Reasons to Say Goodbye should be up there. It’s one of the best gay books of 2004, and one of my favourite reads ever.Also, what about Robert Dessaix and Patrick Gale??
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James, thanks for the suggestions. I haven’t read Nick Alexander’s book, but I’ve now added it to the "to do" list, thanks to you. I haven’t read any Robert Dessaix either, but I’ll look out for him from now on. Patrick Gale – yes – he belongs in the list. I read "the aerodynamics of pork" long ago – but can’t remember anything of it now. Ditto for his contribution to "Secret Lives". However, I’ve got copies of "Rough Music" and "A Sweet Obscurity" sitting waiting to be read. So many books, so little time!
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Artifacts That Last
My irony meter went into the red zone when I read this. However, I don’t think it applies to all examples of the genre. My collector editions of Physique Pictorial* are unlikely to last to the next (non-humanoid?) civilisation.* As Kenneth Horne used to claim: I bought it for the gardening section.Leave a comment
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Skin Graft Farms?
An interesting story in the Guardian today about a new experimental technique for treating burns. It uses skin that has been grown from an aborted foetus. If that strikes you as a gruesome idea, then go and read the full story. It makes a lot of sense, and if the technique pans out, may bring a new way of treating burn victims.It reminds me of the story behind HeLa cells, used in cancer research. They are cancer cells originally taken from a cancerous cervix in 1951 and cultured in vitro ever since. The resulting biomass of cells far exceeds the body mass of the woman from whom the biopsy was taken. HeLa stands for Henrietta Lacks, the woman in question. There’s a bittersweet article about Henrietta, her family, and the chain of events that led to HeLa cells. Well worth reading.Leave a comment
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EU Newspeak
Pick up a carton of eggs at your local shop or supermarket, and if you see the words "free-range", you might think that the hens who laid them were merrily scratching around in pasture.Wrong.A spokesperson for the European Commission said yesterday that hens in closed coops could also have their eggs labelled as "organic" and "free-range".The reason is that because of the fears of bird flu, the Netherlands has decreed that hens can no longer be let outside, but must be kept inside sheds at all times. And there just happens to be a get-out clause in the rules governing the labelling of eggs that allows for the egg producers to carry on labelling their eggs as free range as though nothing had changed if the veterinary authorities decree that hens must be kept indoors.Black = whiteBattery = Free-rangeAin’t newspeak wonderful?Leave a comment
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