…grayblog…

Author: graybo

  • So many things to write about…

    …but not enough time at the moment. Maybe later, or over the weekend, I’ll tell you about my thoughts on Ken Clarke’s speech today and on the state of American society when armed looters fire on Navy rescue helicopters in New Orleans. But I will give you this snippet from today’s Horticulture Week (yes, it’s as exciting as it sounds):

    Springfields Horticultural Society has named a tulip in honour of John Peel, the BBC Radio 1 presenter who died in October 2004.
    <snip>
    "Having a specially named tulip in John Peel’s honour seemed a nice way to keep his name and musical innovation linked together," said Spalding Flower Parade chairman David Norton.

    Yes, clearly, because tulips are often linked to musical innovation. Except in Max Bygraves’s case, that is.

  • Unidentified gobs of goo

    Making Fiends, episode 19. Hopefully, in episode 20 we will get an explanation of how Charlotte breathes underwater.
    And I still feel sorry for Grudge.

  • Heavy session

    Bad statistics and binge drinking – as much a commentary on sloppy journalism as anything.
    Follows on nicely from a discussion we had at the weekend over dinner when a friend revealed that his doctor now considers him a problem drinker just because he said that he’d had quite a bit to drink at a dinner party recently. We concluded that, as with estimates on spending by one’s spouse, doctors take your admitted level of alcohol consumption, add five and double it.
    Example: a wife comes home with a new handbag and says "it only cost £20" – the true cost was £50 (20+5=25; 25×2=50)
    Example: you tell the nurse that you usually drink 10 units per week. They write down "drinks 30 units per week" in your notes, thereby making you a problem drinker. (10+5=15; 15×2=30)

  • Ken Clarke

    Apparently, Ken Clarke is unspinnable, according to his aides. I reckon that is because of too little exercise, too many cigars and too much whisky.
    He certainly can put the fear into New Labour. But he is also likely to be a competent and safe leader for the Tories and that counts for a lot in politics (even if it is something that wouldn’t have been thought of ten years ago). A strong and competent leader is what the Tories need, because opposition parties don’t win elections – incumbents lose them.

  • More4

    Channel 4 is to launch a new digital channel, called More4, which is clearly set to rival BBC4. (via linkbunnies).
    What next? EvenMore4? More4Still? 4Ever?

  • Avian flu

    H5N1 – a blog about Asian bird flu. via Darren.

  • News highlights

    To make up for the lack of airport blogging (due mainly to my tardiness in getting to the airport on both the outward and return legs of the journey, thereby depriving you of an interesting commentary on the new Pier 6 of Gatwick’s North Terminal – which is gorgeous, by the way – or a long ramble about the flight out which was one of the most turbulent I’ve ever experienced and has left me with a rather stiff neck), I’ve culled a few interesting snippets from the news:

    • Doctors should be bold and honest with patients and tell them about the "lack of benefit" from homeopathy, says an article in The Lancet. Astonishly, the best response the homeopaths can come up with is
      It has been established beyond doubt and accepted by many researchers, that the placebo-controlled randomised controlled trial is not a fitting research tool with which to test homeopathy.

      Say again? What they mean to say is "we refuse to accept scientific means of testing the efficacy of the treatments we promote as being valid". If their methods do not stand up to rigorous testing, then they have no validity or purpose. Period.

    • Meanwhile, the latest installment of this website’s occasional Mad Despot Watch reveals that our old friend President Niyazov of Turkmenistan has banned lip-synching in his country. Dear old Turkmenbashi wants to protect Turkmen culture from "negative influences". Personally, I think we’ve just found the best person for the job of producer for Top Of The Pops.

  • MultiTranse

    I’m currently using the trial version of MultiTranse, which looks to be extremely useful, and good value at only $20. The problem is that I don’t speak any of the languages concerned, so have no means of judging the quality of the translations. I don’t expect them to be wonderful, but they might be useful in order to get by. Has anyone else used this program?

  • Taking a Leek

    I guess if your name is W.C. Leek, then the toilet hire business is for you. (Spotted in Amsterdam, April 2005).
    W.C. Leek

  • The IIII

    When we visited Amsterdam in April, we passed the front door of this organisation:
    The IIII
    Any idea what they do? It has to be a made-up name.