Originally posted on Minutiae:
(for about a week). NRK (Norwegian broadcasting) is televising and live streaming the reindeer migration (reinflytting – excellent word!) in the far north of Norway, all day, every day, until the reindeer arrive wherever it is they are going. Probably take about a week … along the way there are musical…
Posted in April 2017 …
Imprisoning the Mentally ill
This is from Patrick Cockburn, award winning war correspondent with the i paper. It seems a far cry from his usual topic, but not really. The criminalisation of the mentally iill is one of the cruellest and most easily avoidable tragedies of our era. He discusses a number of cases of impending executions for the … Continue reading
Edward Colston and Bristol
The story of Bristol’s Edward Colston (1636-21) has been dividing the city for decades and has now reached new levels with the decision to remove his name which has existed for well over a century from the city’s main music venue. The Guardian paper notes the similarities between this dispute and that of Cecil Rhodes … Continue reading
Rescue 116
Happy Caturday — cat bowling edition
Originally posted on bluebird of bitterness:
bluebird of bitterness View original post
The So-Called Disease of Aging
Last night I watched a BBC documentary largely focused on the work of eminent biologist Paul Nurse, on current work on gene technology in relation to the process of ageing. He spoke of how cells develop cancer and dementia due to the simple process of age, the cells just accumulate damage which impairs the usual … Continue reading
The Limits of Lip Reading
Most of us think of deafness as just not being able to hear things, but there is a huge spectrum of hearing deficits from high pitched to the very low, often the result of prolonged exposure to industrial noise or rock music- I know of a dentist who struggles to hear women’s voices. Must be … Continue reading
The Cost of Charles I’s Art Collecting
I’ve been doing a lot of research on curiosity cabinets and art collecting, which is generally associated with mad kings in Germany or the Medici family. England did little of this as they were to busy arguing how to Reform which involved a lot of disputes as to the use of imagery. Plus there was … Continue reading
Chilworth Gunpowder Mills: three centuries of industry in the Surrey Hills
Originally posted on Flickering Lamps:
The Surrey Hills – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – isn’t the first place that you’d associate with heavy industry. Today, thousands of people are drawn to the picturesque hills and the lush green countryside. However, hidden away in the valley close to the village of Chilworth, near Guildford,…