Kindle

Kindle

Winston and the Kindle

I enjoy using my Kindle but there are a few things that irritate me. Since most of my reading is conducted at the end of the day prior to falling asleep I sometimes forget small details and want to check them. With a traditional book it’s easy to flip back a few pages. Usually I’ve got a visual memory of where to find the elusive material – where it’s placed on an even or odd page. With the Kindle I can click back the pages but it’s so slow! If, for some reason, I want to refer to the first pages of the book it can take an inordinately long time to reach that point.

However, the things that really aggravate me are the typographical errors and the editing inaccuracies. I don’t know if this is because of the way the manuscript is transferred to Kindle. Has anyone else noticed this and been annoyed by it?

Speech impediment?

Speech impediment?

Does Mitt Romney have a speech impediment? The words 'foot' and 'mouth' come to mind all too readily once more.

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/politics/2012/08/romney-confuses-sikh-shiekh

It’s a shame the New Statesman link spells ‘sheikh’ incorrectly! 

The Shame of Olympic Boxing 2012

I have been watching the excellent coverage of women’s volleyball. This is a fast, exciting sport and is being beautifully and clearly refereed. There are no arguments or appeals – it is entirely fair. What a contrast to boxing!

Barry comes from a boxing family - his father, grandfather and uncle were all good amateur boxers – and his father gave him a pair of boxing gloves when he was nine. His first ‘bout’ was in a ring he fashioned in his back garden. More serious fights followed when he became a full time amateur (shamateur) boxer in the Army and since he retired from the ring he has maintained a key interest in the sport. By default I have also developed an interest in boxing and am always keen to hear the commentary of ex-boxers and the analysis of boxing experts at the ring-side.

The London 2012 Boxing Olympics has gained Barry’s admiration for the high standard of boxers and his utter contempt for the officials (referees, judges, International Olympics Committee (IOC) and the Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA).  The boxing press and boxing notables like Lennox Lewis are universally outraged at the ineptitude (or deliberate bias) of the officials.  There have been numerous instances of referees who are either not aware of the rules of the sport or are ignoring them. The links below provide examples from the large press cover on the issue.

 http://www.worldboxing101.com/2012/08/06/the-disorderly-conduct-of-2012-olympic-boxing-no-justice-in-sight/

http://boxingaction.com/index.php?/201208042382/Amateur_Boxing/the-olympic-amateur-boxing-shambles-continues-boxing-needs-a-sebastian-coe-style-leader.html#disqus_thread

Compared to many other disciplines boxing is not difficult to judge yet many of the fights have been blatantly misjudged. I’m no expert but even I can see when a fighter is holding or delivering an illegal punch. The IOC is meant to oversee the quality of judging and refereeing but is mysteriously silent following dreadful decisions. A number of these travesties have resulted in appeals leading to officials being expelled from the Games. Most worrying of all has been the failure of the IOC and the AIBA to respond to a BBC whistle blower’s broadcast last September about AIBA corruption concerning payments to favour certain boxers.

Boxing is a great sport that has done much, particularly for under-privileged youth. It focuses energy and demands self-discipline.  Boxing and boxers deserve much better than the treatment they have received in the London 2012 Olympics.  The IOC has failed to ensure that the sport is properly regulated and must ensure dramatic changes before the next games. If it cannot do so I regret that it should be excluded from the Olympic stage. A good start would be to demand and secure the resignation of the entire senior level of the AIBA.

Man's best friend . . .

  I thought you might all enjoy this clip . . . a real 'aww' moment - or should that be 'awe'?

Early August in the forest

Early August in the forest

Bill junior is lighter in colour than his father

Bill and Beatrice Crow daily demand their biscuits. Bill is still the more confident bird and comes down from the tree immediately he spots that a biscuit has been thrown for him. The two young have been reduced to one, a very noisy and insistent bird that follows Bill to the ground, not to pick up the food but to squawk to be fed. Bill flies off and the youngster follows.

Frodo, Buster, Tia, Foxy, Janice, Gus, Bertie, Jenna

We decided to visit some of the ponds we’ve seen from a distance. Since the fire of May 2011 that destroyed so many trees the Forestry Commission has worked hard to clear and replant, helped by local volunteers. 

Buster, Bertie, Gus

New ponds have been dug and are full at the moment, a magnet for water-loving dogs.

In the distance you can see the Tuley tubes, protective tree sleeves to defend young saplings from foraging herbivores. They also accelerate growth because they act as a miniature greenhouse and channel growth into the main stem and roots. 60000 trees have been planted and are growing strongly.

Gatekeeper or Hedge Brown (Pyronia tithonus)

On our way back from our walk yesterday Barry spotted this butterfly. It is a Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) or Hedge Brown and flies from mid-July to the end of August. It is common and widespread in the southern half of Britain and is gradually increasing its range northwards. This is a female – the male has a dark patch on his forewing that marks an area of scales (androconia) that produce scent to attract females.

It is known as the Gatekeeper because it is often found among flowers and grasses near field gates. Its alternative name indicates that it frequents hedges and the edges of fields.

The Keirin

The Keirin

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Great Britain is doing extremely well in the Velodrome. 

The Keirin is a fascinating discipline. It is led out by a man on a derny – a motorised bike. He gradually increases speed until he reaches 45 kmh/28mph then peels off and the race proper starts.

The man on the derny is sombrely dressed in black and rides the bike in what I can only describe as a ‘country manner’ – legs widespread. He is very serious about his task, a true professional, but I think a string of onions round his neck would complete his Gallic image. The photos below, taken from the television screen, are not good quality.

Green Day 7

Fiona at Raindrops and Daisies hosts Green Day. Just post a photo of something green and link back to her blog. Quick and easy . . . 

Winston guards the dog biscuits

Olympic rowing

Olympic rowing

Great Britain is doing well in the rowing. While I appreciate the enthusiasm of the commentators – and indeed, the onlookers – I am more than a little weary of hearing about the second/third/fifth/extra person in the boat that is the crowd!

The first time I heard the crowd described in this way I thought it rather endearing – now it’s just annoying. In every discipline the GB athletes have commented on the support given them by the onlookers and how the cheering lifts and encourages them. All the commentators remark on it but they don’t keep repeating asinine comments about the invisible or additional member of the crew, team or partnership that is formed from the spectators.

Identification problems . . .

I saw a moth on Barry’s hat this morning and of course I had to try and identify it – without success so far, I have to say.

side view

detail - so delicate

Anyway, in the course of my research I came across this note –‘passes winter as an egg’ and that made me laugh. I started thinking how difficult it would be trying to metamorphose backwards, as it were, and fit into a receptacle now patently far too small. In human terms that is a ghastly thought, not to mention eye-watering.

I also discovered that the Ghost moth, among others, has no tongue and cannot feed. What a sad life that must be. I suppose it’s akin to human parents raising their young and then popping their clogs. I know it feels like that sometimes and often we feel redundant. Let’s be honest, we are redundant once the bank of Mum and Dad serves no further purpose and our young people have flown the nest and are busily growing their own credit ratings and treating overdrafts as a challenge rather than a limit (or was that just me?)

It is sobering to realise that so many beautiful creatures live very short lives. Dragonflies spend more time as somewhat unattractive nymphs. They live in the murky depths of ponds for three or four years, terrorising the more peaceable inhabitants. Then they emerge from their hard cases as diaphanous beauties, bringing colour and pleasure to onlookers, though not to the unfortunate insects they hunt without mercy. 

Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa)

Not as great a beauty as the Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea)

What a stunner - but completely helpless on the ground for dragonflies cannot walk . . .

Laying eggs

So much beauty, such a little life

They mate, they lay eggs, they die. However, they have no thought for the future, no understanding of their ephemeral existence. What do I know, though? Maybe they have a very complex belief system and look forward to dragonfly heaven where food is plentiful and life never ends. Would I have found them so attractive had I lived/existed in prehistoric times when they had wingspans up to 75 cms? Nonetheless, they are fascinating beasts.

However, and I hate to repeat this cliché, it’s all relative . . . We live but a blink of an eye when compared to galaxies. Who knows what the Mars probe will reveal? (provided it lands safely, of course!)

The Fourteenth Blog of Augustus Lazarus Cooke (Gus)

Hello everyone!

Something exciting happened to us the other day. Tia, Foxy and Buster came to stay and all our humans went out but we weren’t left on our own. Two humans we didn’t know came to look after us so when our people came back we were pleased to see them but we didn’t go mad like we usually do – well, I do.

Anyway, the two new humans, Carole and Roy, came to look after us again when Bethan got mad. They spent the night with us and gave us our breakfast the next day before our people got back. We didn’t have our usual food – we had kibble. Mrs H says a bit of junk food now and then doesn’t do any harm, but I liked itJ I would have liked to go and see Bethan get mad but there was no room for dogs. Anyway, Winston wouldn’t have liked being left all on his own.

Gus and Bertie

Bertie’s taller than me now but he’s not as broad. He’s ever so good at running and swimming and Jenna doesn’t bother to chase after the Kong ‘cos she knows Bertie’ll get to it first and if he doesn’t I will. When we can’t find the Kong Jenna lends a nose to help us. The ponds in the forest are really, really full and the water’s deep. It’s great. It’s lovely to plunge in when we’re hot and thirsty. I can drink as I swim – I think that’s quite clever, really.

Gus, Frodo, Jenna, Tia, Mrs H, Foxy, Buster (behind Foxy), Bertie

Tia and Foxy and Buster’s people have gone on holiday. Buster really misses them but they’ll be back in a little while. Buster’s a bit afraid of me ‘cos I tell him off when he gets too rough. I’d never hurt him, though, ‘cos he is only young and still learning. Foxy lets him get away with anything and that’s not good for a pup.

The smaller children– that’s Elliot, Eve and Louis - came to stay a little while ago. I like it when they come ‘cos they make lots of fuss of us all.  We all like children. Yesterday in the forest we met some children and they played with us – it was fun. Children are more fun than people. What? Mrs H just told me that children are people, too – they’re younger and faster, that’s all – oh, and noisierJ

I’ve heard that there’s going to be a baby soon – I’m not sure I know what that is. Is it like a puppy? I expect I’ll find out all about it when Susannah gets it. I don’t know where she’ll get it from, though.

Well, that’s all for now. Be good!

Hwyl fawr am nawr! (That’s Welsh for ‘Goodbye for now!’)

Green Day 6

Fiona at Raindrops and Daisies hosts Green Day. Just post a photo of something green and link back to her blog. Quick and easy . . . 

I love the marbling on this nasturtium leaf. It makes a very pretty foil for the yellow and orange flowers. All parts of the nasturtium are edible - the seeds can be pickled to make Poor Man's Capers. The only trouble is that you have to get to the plant before the black fly do . . .

July 21st - Wedding Day

July 21^st – Wedding Day

Detail from Bethan's dress 

After what seemed like months of endless rain Bethan and Robert’s wedding day dawned bright, warm and sunny. It was a long, busy day but such a joyous occasion. The ceremony was simple and moving and the affection for Bethan and Robert was expressed warmly and vociferously.

They had engaged a photographer to take formal and informal shots of the day. Consequently, none of us took any photos of the bride and groom – something of an oversight, I think! I hope that others took some. 

The bride and her maids . . .
The one I’ve posted here shows Bethan with her bridesmaids. I think one of the bridesmaids’ boyfriends took it.

 I don't know who took this photo! 

Our grandchildren, Marnie's boyfriend, Dean, and David Walliams

After the official photographer had left Barry took some photos.

Some danced . . .

. . . others watched

A small marquee in the grounds made a pleasant lounging area  away from the disco beat 

Unfortunately, Bethan wasn’t feeling at all well on the day, though no-one would have realised it as she smiled and mingled and looked radiant. She didn’t eat anything and managed the first dance but then went to bed. 

Happiness!

She came down for breakfast the next morning but again couldn’t eat anything. Fortunately, she was feeling better and able to eat again by the time they caught their flight to Santorini in the early hours of Monday.

Barry and I are rarely ill but neither of us was very well, either, and the day passed in something of a blur. We’re all on the mend nowJ

Notwithstanding, it was a lovely day and it was a joy to celebrate it with Bethan and Robert and their friends. It was a delight to have all our family together, too, and our grandchildren had a wonderful day, first as junior ushers and bridesmaids, and then as cousins having a good time with their Norfolk cousins.

To get your toes tapping . . .

Andre Rieu will not be playing at Bethan and Robert’s wedding but we shall be singing this. Think I might end up dancing down the aisleJ

Didn't Andre Rieu and the orchestra have such great fun playing this?