Meme

Picked up this one from Linda's blog (Linda in WA).

Just boldface the items that you HAVE done, and leave the rest normal…

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33 Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (what's with all of the Paris questions?!)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (ew!)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Time

The Stornoway arts centre An Lanntair [The Lantern] was built in 2004/5. At the time, a time-lapse camera on the ferry terminal (just a little distance away) was recording progress. The above video shows the result. The poem Time, read in English and Gaelic, is by local poet Murdo MacFarlane who died 25 years ago. More info on this blog.

A year to go

On January 16th, solo sailor Reid Stowe will only have 365 days (i.e. 1 year) to go of his 1000 days at sea challenge. He left the United States 629 days ago on board the schooner Anne to remain at sea for 1000 days, without touching land or without resupplies. Although his fellow sailor, Soanya, had to leave the ship in 2008 (due to pregnancy), Reid has carried on. At the moment, he is headed southeast down the southern Pacific, making towards Cape Horn. Read more here.

11 January

Today is very unpleasant with strong winds and heavy rain at times. Winds are at galeforce with occasional showers. Not much improvement in sight over the next few days. The frost of recent weeks will be swept out of southern areas of the UK today. Spare a thought for the people of Queensland, who will find their night disturbed by tropical cyclone Charlotte. This is coming ashore in the far south of the Gulf of Carpentaria with winds of 40 mph. About as bad as we're having here, except the rainfall totals will be a lot higher.

Four years ago today, hurricane force winds swept the Western Isles, claiming 5 lives in the process. Damage was severe, with flooding and wind damage. My diary entry for the day can be found here.

Journals reading

I’ve been terribly remiss this week in not reading journals. At all. Apologies. Will make an effort tomorrow, as it is just a little bit selfish to write but not read.

Remembering Today - 10 January

On this day in the First World War, these two men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Gunner MALCOLM MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 5 Knock, Point,
Regiment / service: SS Mereddio, Mercantile Marine
Service number: 4440A
Date of death: 10 January 1918 at the age of 20
Missing following sinking of ship
Memorial / cemetery: Chatham Naval Memorial, panel 30
Local memorial: Point (Garrabost)

Chief Officer NORMAN MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 10 Bells Road, Stornoway
Regiment / service: SS Yankalilla, Mercantile Marine
Date of death: 10 January 1919
Died of influenza on board ship

Evening notes

I am posting this via Windows Live Writer, which I just downloaded. You can write posts off-line, add anything you want to add, and post it once you are on-line. I don’t know how I’m going to like this, but it might be an idea for those of you with unreliable internet connections. Google “Windows Live Writer” to download the latest version.

The gale has ceased, but it remains windy. The ferry went out on time at 2.30pm, and is expected back at 9pm. This is the current Saturday schedule, but I can’t imagine it would be a very enjoyable crossing today.

Am going to make supper in a minute, an Indonesian dish called Nasi Goreng, using dried herbs which I brought in from Holland on Monday. Should be interesting.

10 January

Filthy weather today, with a force 9 gale blowing in from the Atlantic. The satellite picture shows the back of the rain approaching rapidly from the west. No ferries this morning, but the services will be reviewed by lunchtime. Quite a few people visit the Western Isles in winter, to see weather like this. I am always interested in extreme weather, although I won't readily venture outside. Was asked what it was like to drive in conditions like this - I cannot advise (don't drive), but would think you'd have to be extra careful.

Remembering Today - 9 January

On this day in the First World War, this man from the Isle of Lewis lost his life in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Corporal LOUIS MACLEAY
Last address in Lewis: 14 Ballantrushal,
Son of Roderick and Margaret Macleay, of 14, Ballantrushal, Barvas, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: "B" Coy. 7th Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 204506
Date of death: 9 January 1918 at the age of 19
Died of wounds
Interred: Tincourt New British Cemetery
Memorial reference: IV. E. 10.
Local memorial: North Lewis, Borve

His brother, Roderick MacLeay, perished on 18 May 1915 on the Western Front.

9 January

An overcast day in the Western Isles, with the wind set to increase from its current strength of 30 mph (force 6 to 7) to severe gale force later tonight. The first gale of the year. At the moment, we're the warmest place in the UK, with a tropical +8C on the thermometer. Over the weekend, that will rise further to possibly 12C / 54F. The Atlantic is flexing its muscles, pushing the cold out of England in the next few days.

I'm going to have fun and games today, as my trial version of Norton Security expires. This means I won't be getting updates anymore. Problem with Norton is that you have to get updates manually, which is a pain. So, I'm going to chuck Norton and replace it with AVG for virus protection and ZoneAlarm for firewall and spyware.

Four years ago

Was browsing through my archives (remember Northern Trip?), and came across a diary entry for 8 January 2005. At the time, I was in the village of Kershader, 22 miles south of Stornoway, and the bus journey there was a seriously wintry affair, with a thick layer of ice on the road just south of Leurbost. Three days later, hurricane force winds slammed the islands, with gusts up to 134 mph. Five people lost their lives in the South Ford between Benbecula and South Uist, when the two cars they were travelling in were swept into the sea by a huge wave. Since Boxing Day, people have been scouring the island of South Uist for a 21-year old seaman who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. On land, at sea and under water - not a trace.

The first 100 days

I noticed that my Blogoversary button announced that the (first) anniversary of Atlantic Lines will be in 266 days' time. Meaning, that we've been on the go for 100 days tomorrow. It was on September 30th that AOL kindly informed us that we'd lose AOL J-land on October 31st. Consequently, a lot of us shut up shop with AOL and moved to Blogger. Much has happened since the shut-down. My own participation has dwindled substantially for various reasons, to a few posts each day, down from about a dozen every day until May 2008.

I hope that things will continue to come together, and that we can pull a long nose at AOHell come October 2009.

Remembering Today - 8 January

On this day in the First World War, these three men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Private DONALD MACKAY

Last address in Lewis: 3 Back,
Regiment or division: 2nd Gordon Highlanders
Service number: 3/5956
Date of death: 8 January 1915
Killed in action
Interred: Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix
Memorial reference: I. C. 41.
Lewis Memorial: Back

Leading Seaman ALLAN MACKINNON
Last address in Lewis: 18 Brue,
Son of Malcolm and Christina MacKinnon (nee Matheson), of Brue, Barvas, Lewis; husband of Effie MacKinnon, of 61, South Bragar, Barvas, Stornoway, Lewis.
Regiment or division: Royal Naval Reserve, SS Torcello
Service number: 3322C
Date of death: 8 January 1917 at the age of 37
Died of dysentry in Alexandria
Interred: Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery
Memorial reference: A 25

Private MURDO MACKAY

Last address in Lewis: 48 Carloway,
Son of Malcolm and Marion Macleod MacKay, of 48, Carloway, Isle of Lewis.
Regiment or division: 1st Cameron Highlanders
Service number: 6896
Date of death: 8 January 1915 at the age of 34
Killed in action at La Bassee
Had served with the Camerons in the South African war and rejoined from Canada in 1914
Served in Egypt with 3rd Bn. Seaforth Highlanders.
Memorial: Le Touret, Panel 41 and 42
Lewis Memorial: Carloway

8 January

This year is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, writer of the book on evolutionary theory - survival of the fittest. His theories still provide much food for debate today. He published his magnum opus, backed up by observations, in 1859.

I have so far not commented much on events in Gaza, and will not say much about them now. Except to say that the Israeli and Palestinian people are condemned to each other, gnawing on the old bones of strife, resentment and pain from the past. Others in the region use their unfortunate circumstance as an excuse to fan the flames of hatred. The Israelis are to blame for the current conflagration as much as the Palestinians. I don't see a way forward in that crisis at all.

Not much happening here today - the sun has disappeared behind clouds and the wind is picking up. Not showing my face out of doors, trying to get rid of the last of my Christmas cold.

Remembering Today

7 January
On this day in the First World War, these 14 men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King & Country. RIP. The vast majority died in present-day Iraq.

Seaman DONALD MACLEAN
Last address in Lewis: 21 Callanish,
Son of Finlay and Annie Maclean.
Regiment or division: 1st Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/7031
Date of death: 7 January 1916 at the age of 22
Killed in action at Persian Gulf
Memorial: Basra
Memorial reference: Panel 37 and 64
Lewis Memorial: East Loch Roag, Callanish

Private NORMAN MACIVER
Last address in Lewis: 43 Coll,
Son of John and Isabella MacIver, of 43, Coll, Back, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 1st Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/7178
Date of death: 7 January 1916 at the age of 20
Killed in action in Mesopotamia
Memorial: Basra, Iraq
Memorial reference: Panel 37 and 64
Lewis Memorial: Back

Private ANGUS MACKAY
Last address in Lewis: 20 Cross,
Son of Donald and Rachel MacKay, of 20, Cross, Ness, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 1st Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/7470
Date of death: 7 January 1916 at the age of 19
Killed in action in Persian Gulf
Memorial: Basra
Memorial reference: Panel 37 and 64
Local memorial: North Lewis, Cross

Private DONALD MACDONALD
Last address in Lewis: 18 Habost, Ness
Regiment or division: Seaforth Highlanders
Date of death: 7 January 1916 at the age of 21
Killed in action at the Persian Gulf
Local memorial: North Lewis, Cross

Private JOHN MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 16 Lionel,
Regiment or division: 1st Seaforth Highlanders
Date of death: 7 January 1916 at the age of 20
Killed in action at the Persian Gulf
Local memorial: North Lewis, Cross

Private ALEX MACDONALD
Last address in Lewis: 21 Lionel,
Regiment or division: 1st Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 7047
Date of death: 7 January 1916 at the age of 21
Killed in action in Persian Gulf
Memorial: Basra
Memorial reference: Panel 37 and 64
Local memorial: North Lewis, Cross

Private ALLAN GRAHAM
Last address in Lewis: 6 Lower Garrabost,
Son of Allan and Mary MacKay Graham, of 6, Garrabost, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 1st Seaforth Highlanders
Servcie number: 3/7431
Date of death: 7 January 1916 at the age of 18
Killed in action in Mesopotamia
Memorial: Basra
Memorial reference: Panel 37 and 64
Note: CWGC quotes date of death 18 January 1916
Lewis Memorial: Point (Garrabost)

Private PETER GRAHAM
Last address in Lewis: 9 Maciver's Buildings, Stornoway
Regiment or division: 1st Seaforth Highlanders
Date of death: 7 January 1915 at the age of 23
Killed on Persian Gulf
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial

Private DONALD MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 2 Portvoller,
Regiment or division: Canadians
Date of death: 7 January 1917 at the age of 18
Killed in action in France
Lewis Memorial: Point (Garrabost)

Private DONALD NICOLSON
Last address in Lewis: 21 Ranish,
Son of Roderick and Annie Mackinnon Nicolson, of 21, Ranish Lochs, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: "C" Coy. 1st Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/7157
Date of death: 7 January 1916 at the age of 20
Killed in action in Mesopotamia
Memorial: Basra, Iraq
Memorial reference: Panel 37 and 64
Local memorial: North Lochs, Crossbost

Seaman RODERICK GILLIES
Last address in Lewis: 20B South Dell,
Son of Murdo and Annie Gillies, of 20, South Dell, Ness, Stornoway, Ross-shire.
Regiment or division: Royal Naval Reserve, HMT St Leonard
Service number: 20647DA
Date of death: 7 January 1920 at the age of 20
Ship sank in a gale
Memorial: Chatham Naval
Memorial reference: 32
Local memorial: North Lewis, Cross

Seaman JOHN MURRAY
Last address in Lewis: 21 Swainbost,
Son of Donald and Flora Murray, of 21, Swanibost, Ness, Stornoway, Ross-shire.
Regiment or division: Royal Naval Reserve, HMD St Leonard
Service number: 22055/DA
Date of death: 7 January 1920 at the age of 19
Ship sunk in a gale
Memorial: Chatham Naval
Memorial reference: 32
Local memorial: North Lewis, Cross

Lieutenant JOHN MACLEOD

Last address in Lewis: 19 Swordale,
Regiment or division: 1st Seaforth Highlanders
Date of death: 7 January 1916 at the age of 42
Killed in action in Mesopotamia
Memorial: Basra
Memorial reference: Panel 37 and 64
Lewis Memorial: Point (Garrabost)

Private DONALD MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 51 Upper Bayble,
Regiment or division: 1st Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/7372
Date of death: 7 January 1916 at the age of 20
Killed in action
Memorial: Basra Memorial
Memorial reference: Panel 37 and 64
Lewis Memorial: Point (Garrabost)

7 January

Quite a reasonable day out here, leaving to one side some drizzle in the afternoon. Temperatures of 7C are not exactly fantastic, but better than the overnight lows of -20C in Holland. Went out to North Tolsta on the bus just before 2pm, to visit that village's graveyard. Photographed 15 gravestones, which is rather more than the 4 I expected to find. Returned up the steep access road in time for the bus back to Stornoway, which was the schoolbus. It went right round North Tolsta, dropping off all the wee ones outside their doors. It was a run round all the other villages, taking 50 minutes to cover the 13 miles to town.

Watched a documentary, originally broadcast on New Year's Day, about the Iolaire Disaster, now 90 years ago. Very moving - you cannot begin to put yourself in the shoes of the people that survived the tragedy.

Blogging

I promised a decision on my on-line activities for today. You'll be pleased to hear I'll be staying as a blogger, but far less prominent than before. Those who followed me on the Shell Gallery will have got a taster, in other words, a sort of diary, interspersed with the Remembering Today entries. There is not one today, as there are no casualties that fell on January 6th during any of the years of World War I who came from the Isle of Lewis. I'll also try to keep up with you all, but am not promising to make a daily attendance.

My digital camera, in case you did not gather from the Shell Gallery, has failed and is due to go away for repairs by the end of this week. So, no pictures for the time being. I do have a film back-up, but this costs me £10 per roll of film, so am reserving those for my images of wargraves across the Isle of Lewis. Weather permitting, I'll be visiting a couple of cemeteries this week.

6 January

Have returned to Stornoway, arrived back last night at 8.15pm. Long journey, took me about 15 hours door to door. Everything went well and according to schedule. Am still a bit tired, so will write a detailed account tomorrow.

The weather today has been quite mild, 8C, in comparison to the conditions in Holland, which were snowy and extremely cold yesterday. Tonight, they are expecting overnight lows there of -17C / 0F. Rather them than me, and I'm happy to be under the influence of the Atlantic rather than Siberia.

Remembering Today

5 January
On this day in the First World War, this man from the Isle of Lewis lost his life in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Chief Petty Officer KENNETH CAMPBELL
Last address in Lewis: 21 Lower Bayble,
Son of Donald and Isabella Campbell; husband of Mary Campbell, of 21, Lower Bayble, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: Royal Navy, HMS Pembroke
Service number: 155385
Date of death: 5 January 1917 at the age of 40
Died in hospital in Chatham
Served in the Royal Navy for 27 years
Interred: Eye / Aignish Cemetery
Memorial reference: C. 2. 55.
Lewis Memorial: Point (Garrabost)

Remembering Today

3 January
On this day in the First World War, this man from the Isle of Lewis lost his life in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Seaman DONALD Senior MACRAE

Last address in Lewis: 21 Sheshader,
Regiment or division: Royal Naval Reserve, HMS Victory
Service number: 2559A
Date of death: 3 January 1919 at the age of 26
Died of illness
Interred: Aignish / Eye Cemetery
Memorial reference: C. 8
Lewis Memorial: Point (Garrabost)

scheduled post
Currently blogging on the Shell Gallery

Remembering Today - The Iolaire Disaster

1 January
On this day in 1919, about two hundred men from the Isle of Lewis, elsewhere in the Hebrides and the United Kingdom lost their lives in the service of King & Country in the sinking of HMY Iolaire outside Stornoway Harbour. The ship ran aground at time of posting (1.55 am), and foundered 90 minutes later. Of the ship's company of about 280, only 75 survived.

Further details on this webpage.

The 90th anniversary of this tragedy will be commemorated at Holm Point, Stornoway, today at midday. The below picture shows the location of the sinking.

Remembering Today

31 December
On this day in the First World War (or its immediate aftermath), these two men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Deckhand MALCOLM MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 3 Tolsta Chaolais
Regiment or division: Royal Navy, HMS Eaglet
Service number: 14469/DA
Date of death: December, 31st, 1919 at the age of 20
Died of illness
Interred: Dalmore Cemetery, Lewis
Local memorial: Tolsta Chaolais

Leading Seaman DONALD MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 42 Upper Bayble,
Son of Donald and Isabella McLeod, of 42, Upper Bayble, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: Royal Naval Reserve, HMS President III
Service number: 6994/A
Date of death: 31 December 1918 at the age of 21
Died of pneumonia in hospital in Ireland
Interred: Eye / Aignish Cemetery
Memorial reference: B. 2. 94

scheduled post
Currently blogging on the Shell Gallery

End of year

It's 12.30 am in Holland, and it's the start of the end of the year. In 12 hours time, 2009 will start its inexorable march into our lives on the far side of the globe. In the past few years, I would join my pal Petar Vodogaz from Sydney as he heralded the New Year, whilst the clock in Stornoway was only on 1pm. Eleven hours later, he would come on to wish me happy New Year.

This year, things are different. Tomorrow afternoon, I'm on a family visit, after which it'll be a quiet evening in. I'll be toasting 2009 with my father, remembering those who are no longer with us, who left us during the year. I'll be thinking of others who suffered losses, like the friend who lost both parents at the end of the summer - losing me as a friend in the process. Those in the J-land community who lost loved ones this year and before.

I have changed the picture on the heading of Atlantic Lines. It is a bright image of a beach at Port of Ness in Lewis, taken in March of this year. I hope it will be indicative of the new year to come, for all who read this.

Happy New Year.

See you on the Shell Gallery tomorrow.

Journals Chat

I've decided to revive the Journals Chat, that used to go with our AOL Journals. You can find the room here. It is there for everyone, at any time.

Remembering Today

30 December
On this day in the First World War, these two men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Seaman RODERICK GRAHAM
Last address in Lewis: 3 Lower Barvas,
Son of Angus and Peggie Mackay Graham, of Barvas, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: Royal Naval Reserve, HMS Pembroke
Service number: 1815/C
Date of death: 30 December 1918 at the age of 50
Died of influenza in Chatham
Interred: Barvas (St Mary) Old Churchyard

Seaman RODERICK GRAHAM
Last address in Lewis: 3 Lower Shader
Son of Angus and Peggie Mackay Graham, of Barvas, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: Royal Navy, HMS Pembroke
Service number: 1815/C
Date of death: December, 30th, 1918 at the age of 50
Died of illness
Interred: Barvas Old Churchyard

30 December

Yes, it's 1 am and I'm still awake. I've just gone through a lot of journals, leaving New Year's wishes. I'm not actively monitoring blogs at present, but didn't want to leave 2008 without going to the bother of calling round. I'm double-posting this on both Atlantic Lines and the Shell Gallery; Atlantic Lines is my main blog after all. The Shell Gallery takes over when I'm in Holland, like at present.

I'm very sad to note that Jeannette has suspended her journal Outside Looking In after what she has described as a particularly miserable Christmas. Other factors contributed to her decision as well. It is a decision I'm facing for the New Year myself. The year 2008 is one I'd prefer to forget, but can't. You all know why.

This journal will now only carry two more posts this year, the "Remembering Today" entries, which are scheduled for later today and tomorrow (31 December). If there is news of the missing sailor in Uist, I'll put it up as well.

Please be careful if you let off fireworks for New Year, wrap up well if it's cold out and have a good 2009 if we don't cross paths again before hand.

Guido

Update

No further sign or sound has been heard of 21-year old Simon Macmillan from Ardmore in South Uist, who went missing in the early hours of Christmas morning. He alighted from a minibus in a village 3 miles from home at 3.30 am, and has not been seen since. People in South Uist are organising a prayer ring for his safe return. Coastguards from the Western Isles and Skye spent all day yesterday scouring the island's shores, lochs and adjacent sea areas for him without result. At first light, at 8 am this morning, the search was due to resume.

Memories have resurfaced of the five family members who perished in the South Ford, between Benbecula and South Uist, on 11 January 2005, when their car was swept off the causeway in hurricane force winds. Will post further updates on here, if and when I get them.

Keeping an eye

Although currently blogging from Holland, I could not help glance through the Western Isles news website just now. A young man of 21 from South Uist went missing in the early hours of Christmas morning, after alighting from a minibus at Iochdar. This village was the scene of a tragedy 4 years ago, when 5 members of the same family were washed away during the hurricane of January 2005. Conditions in South Uist were described as cold but calm at the time. Hundreds of islanders have scoured the shores of the island, as well as its northern neighbour Benbecula, offshore sandbanks and nearby lochs for the Merchant Navy seaman. His disappearance is a total mistery.

Woolworths in Stornoway closed its doors this afternoon, one of the first of the chain's shops in the UK to close down. Its employees have been made redundant. Although Woolies was described as the shop where you could get everything somewhere else, this did not apply to Stornoway. It's only a small town, population about 7,500, and not all that many shops. What other shops there be are usually a good deal dearer, and I'll be very sad to see it shut upon my return in the New Year.

The Arnish Fabrication Yard is once more changing hands. Its operator, Altissimo, has done the exact reverse that its name implies, and gone down rather than up. Now yet another crowd, Bi Fab, will take over operations there. I'm getting very, very tired of this sorry saga of empty promises and money being poured down bottomless pits.

Remembering Today

27 December
On this day in the First World War, these three men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Private JOHN STEWART
Last address in Lewis: 46 Benside,
Son of John and Barbara Stewart, of 46, New Market, Laxdale, Stornoway, Lewis.
Regiment or division: 1st Gordon Highlanders
Service number: 3/5990
Date of death: 27 December 1915 at the age of 19
Killed in action in France
Interred: La Clytte Military Cemetery
Memorial reference: I. C. 20
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial

Sergeant JOHN MACLEOD

Last address in Lewis: 41 Callanish,
Regiment or division: Army
Date of death: 27 December 1916 at the age of 29
Lewis Memorial: East Loch Roag, Callanish

Next posting in this series will be on December 30th
This is a scheduled post
Am currently blogging on the Shell Gallery

Remembering Today

26 December
On this day in the First World War, this man from the Isle of Lewis lost his life in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Seaman JOHN SMITH
Last address in Lewis: 32 Lower Shader,
Son of Donald and Mary Smith, of 32, Lower Shader, Barvas, Isle of Lewis.
Regiment or division: Royal Naval Reserve, HMS Kent
Service number: 2380D
Date of death: December, 26th, 1915 at the age of 46
Died in Bellavista, Peru
Interred: Bellavista Old British cemetery
Memorial reference: II. L. 20

scheduled post
Currently blogging on the Shell Gallery

Remembering Today

25 December
On this day in the First World War, these three men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Private NORMAN MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 13 Benside,
Regiment or division: Seaforth Highlanders
Date of death: 25 December 1914 at the age of 19
Killed in action in France
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial

Seaman JOHN MACIVER
Last address in Lewis: 34 Breasclete,
Regiment or division: Royal Naval Reserve, HMT Resono
Date of death: 25 December 1915 at the age of 47
Drowned in sinking of minesweeper in the North Sea
Left 5 orphans
Lewis Memorial: East Loch Roag, Callanish

Seaman JOHN MACAULAY

Last address in Lewis: 3 Sheshader,
Son of Murdo and Chirsty MacAulay, of 3, Sheshader, Stornoway; husband of Catherine MacAulay.
Regiment or division: Royal Naval Reserve, HMS Edinburgh Castle
Service number: 1652/C
Date of death: 25 December 1914 at the age of 61
Washed overboard from HMS Edinburgh Castle in a storm and drowned
Memorial: Chatham Naval
Memorial reference: 8
Lewis Memorial: Point (Garrabost)

scheduled post
Currently blogging on the Shell Gallery

Remembering Today

24 December
On this day in the First World War, these two men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Piper JOHN MORRISON

Last address in Lewis: 4 Arivruaich,
Son of John and Rebecca Morrison
Regiment or division: Highland Light Infantry
Date of death: 24 December 1914
Lewis War Memorial: Lochs, panel 1
Served in India for 10 years, after joining the army in 1902
Local memorial: Kinloch, Laxay

Second Lieutenant PETER MACKAY MACRAE
Last address in Lewis: 13 South Beach Street, Stornoway
Also quoted at Seaforth Head, Balallan.
Son of Farquhar and Annabel MacRae, of 13, South Beach, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 7th Northampton Regiment, attached 129th Field Coy, Royal Engineers
Date of death: 24 December 1917 at the age of 30
Killed in action in France
Was wounded while a Sergeant in the Borders Regiment
Interred: Roisel Communal Cemetery extension
Memorial reference: III. C. 2
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial

scheduled post
Currently blogging on the Shell Gallery

Remembering Today

23 December
On this day in the First World War, this man from the Isle of Lewis lost his life in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Seaman NEIL MACQUEEN

Last address in Lewis: Stag Road, Stornoway
Regiment or division: Royal Navy, HMS Surprise
Service number: 196893
Date of death: 23 December 1917
Drowned off Holland
Memorial: Chatham Naval
Memorial reference: 21
Local memorial: Lewis War Memorial

Remembering Today

22 December
On this day during the First World War, these eleven men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King and Country.

Private MURDO MACKAY

Last address in Lewis: 2 Achmore,
Son of Norman and Catherine Mackay
Regiment or division: 1st Cameron Highlanders
Service no: 3/5432
Date of death: 22 December 1914
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 41 and 42
Local memorial: Crossbost

Private DUNCAN MACKAY

Last address in Lewis: 5 Achmore,
Regiment or division: 1st Cameron Highlanders
Service number: 3/5330
Date of death: 22 December 1914
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Plaque 41 / 42
Local memorial: Crossbost

Private MURDO MACDONALD
Last address in Lewis: 7 Ballantrushal,
Son of John MacDonald, of 7, Ballantrushal, Barvas, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 1st Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/5366
Date of death: 22 December 1914 at the age of 18
Killed in action
Memorial: Le Touret Memorial
Memorial reference: Panel 41 and 42
Local memorial: North Lewis, Borve

Sergeant DONALD ALLAN FINLAYSON
Last address in Lewis: 6 Brue,
Son of Kenneth Finlayson, of 6, Brue Barvas, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 1st Gordon Highlanders
Service number: 3/5265
Date of death: 22 December 1914 at the age of 19
Killed in action in France
Joined army before age 16
Interred at Le Touret Memorial
Memorial reference: Panel 41 and 42

Private JOHN ANGUS CHISHOLM
Last address in Lewis: 8 Lemreway,
Son of Angus Chisholm, of 8, Lemveway, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 1st Cameron Highlanders
Service number: 3/5442
Date of death: 22 December 1914 at the age of 20
Killed in action in France
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 41 and 42
Local memorial: Pairc, Kershader

Private JOHN MACASKILL
Last address in Lewis: 23 Lower Shader,
Son of Malcolm and Ann Macaskill, of 23, Lower Shader, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 1st Cameron Highlanders
Service number: 3/5066
Date of death: 22 December 1914 at the age of 23
Killed in action in France
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 41 and 42
Local memorial: North Lewis, Borve

Private NORMAN SMITH
Last address in Lewis: 29 Lower Shader,
Regiment or division: 1st Gordon Highlanders
Service number: 3/5271
Date of death: 22 December 1914
Killed in action in France
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 41 and 42
Local memorial: North Lewis, Borve

Sergeant JOHN MACDONALD

Last address in Lewis: 13 New Shawbost,
Son of Murdo and Peggy Macdonald, of 12, New Shawbost, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 1st Cameron Highlanders
Service number: 4765
Date of death: 22 December 1914 at the age of 40
Killed in action in La Bassee
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 41 and 42
Local memorial: West Side, Bragar

Private MALCOLM MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 13 New Shawbost,
Son of Murdo and Mary Macleod, of 13, New Shawbost, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 2nd Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/7152
Date of death: 22 December 1914 at the age of 18
Killed in action in La Bassee
Memorial: Ploegsteert
Memorial reference: Panel 9
Local memorial: West Side, Bragar

Private FINLAY NICOLSON

Last address in Lewis: 13 Ranish,
Regiment or division: Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/7120
Medal: Mons Star
Date of death: 22 December 1914 at the age of 19
Killed in action in France
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 38 and 39
Mentioned on family gravestone at Crossbost
Local memorial: North Lochs, Crossbost

Private ANGUS MACLEAY
Last address in Lewis: 23 Upper Shader,
Son of Colin and Chirsty Macleay, of 23, Upper Shades, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 1st Cameron Highlanders
Service number: 3/5550
Date of death: 22 December 1914 at the age of 17
Killed in action in France
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 41 and 42
Local memorial: North Lewis, Borve

scheduled posting

Solstice Notes

I'm wondering how many people turned up at Stonehenge this morning, to witness the Winter Solstice. I believe it was cloudy down south. Up here, turning up at the Callanish Stones on this midwinter day is a waste of time. Callanish is a lunar monument, not a solar one.

The port is brimming with three ferries tied up at the moment. The MV Lord of the Isles arrived this afternoon to take over from our usual boat, the MV Isle of Lewis which is due to go for its annual refit. The MV Pentalina B (referred to by everybody as the Iona) continues to cover for the freight ferry Muirneag, still away on its refit to the Tyne. The Muirneag was involved in a grounding earlier this year, when she lost steering and ran onto rocks at the Castle Grounds here in Stornoway, nearly knocking out an early morning jogger in the process.

This will be my final post on here for this year, with the exception of the Remembering Today postings, which will be put up automatically, courtesy Blogger, until January 5th. As I indicated yesterday, I shall be thinking about my future on-line during the holiday period. Early tomorrow morning, I am leaving for Holland, from where I will blog on The Shell Gallery. I intend to continue working on Atlantic Light, my photoblog, over the next 2 weeks.

I shall leave you on here with a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year - back on January 6th.

Hurricane update - 21 December

Tropical cyclone Billy is currently over the far north of Western Australia, and will reemerge over the warm waters of the Indian Ocean during Monday. The system will strengthen to a fully fledge cyclone, with winds up to 65 knots (hurricane force) by the middle of the week. The coast of WA is under warning / watch for this storm, all the way from Kalumburu in the north to Wallal further south.

I shall continue to update my Tropical Cyclones blog over the Christmas and New Year period, with the exception of tomorrow.

Sunday 21 December

Last Sunday before Christmas, and after a benign start, the weather has once more turned nasty. It is blowing hard and it's raining. We can expect gales later today - hope they subside by tomorrow, as I'm due to cross to the mainland first thing Monday morning.

Today is the 20th anniversary of the bombing of PanAm flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in which more than 200 were killed. A bomb exploded on board the Boeing 747, bringing it down on the town of Lockerbie and killing several people on the ground. Two men were brought to trial in later years, one of whom is currently in jail, serving a sentence for the attack.

Today is also the shortest day of the year. The sun rose at 9.15 am, and will set at 3.35 pm. Stornoway lies just north of the 58th parallel; the sun will not rise today in any place located north of the 66th parallel.

Remembering Today

21 December
On this day in the First World War, these two men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Private KENNETH JOHN MURRAY
Last address in Lewis: 43 South Shawbost,
Son of John and Mary MacLennan Murray, of 43, South Shawbost, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 2nd Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/8201
Date of death: 21 December 1915 at the age of 40
Interred: Bragar Cemetery
Local memorial: West Side, Bragar

Private MALCOLM MURRAY
Last address in Lewis: 10 Tong,
Regiment or division: 1st Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 12
Date of death: 21 December 1914
Killed in action
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 38 and 39
Lewis Memorial: Back

Looking ahead

Early on Monday, I shall depart for Holland to spend Christmas and New Year with my father. As I've indicated before, it will be the first time he will spend either holiday alone following the death of my mother 8 months ago. I shall return to Stornoway on Monday 5 January 2009.

In the period I'm away from Lewis, this blog will feature a daily entry entitled "Remembering Today", which I shall set up tomorrow. You can schedule entries on Blogger to be published on a date in the future, so don't be surprised to see posts from me on Atlantic Lines from December 22nd until January 1st, a black date in Lewis history.

I am currently thinking about my activities, and that includes the Internet. At the moment, I spend too much time on the computer, much as though I enjoy that. Since we switched to Blogger, I have taken up with Facebook, which is an activity I may end up abandoning after the New Year. I am also not certain that I shall continue blogging on this blog. I set up Atlantic Lines following AOL's closure of our journals, which, like many of you, I found a traumatic experience. This blog covers a period marked by relationship problems, both on-line and in real life, underpinned by the continuing grieving for my mother - quite an unhappy episode to be truthful. The front picture, Dalbeg beach under looming clouds, is strangely evocative in that respect.

From next Tuesday, I shall make updates on my Dutch blog The Shell Gallery, until I return to Stornoway. I will not be calling round journals in that period, except for those mentioned in Call for Support. On 6 January 2009, I will make a final post on here, announcing my further intentions. You may want to prepare yourselves for my withdrawal from blogging for a protracted period of time.

Remembering Today

20 December
On this day in the First World War, these four men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives in the service of King & Country. RIP.

Private WILLIAM MACKAY
Last address in Lewis: 17 Fivepenny
Regiment / service: Seaforth Highlanders
Date of death: 20 December 1914 at the age of 19
Killed in action in France
Local memorial: North Lewis, Cross

Private ALEX MACDONALD
Last address in Lewis: 26 South Dell
Regiment / service: 1st, Seaforth Highlanders
Date of death: 20 December 1914 at the age of 24
Killed in action in France
Local memorial: North Lewis, Cross


Private JOHN MACLEOD
Last address in Lewis: 9 Fivepenny
Son of Angus and Catherine Macleod, of 9, Fivepenny, Port of Ness, Stornoway.
Regiment / service: 1st, Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/7206
Date of death: 20 December 1914 at the age of 19
Killed in action in France
Memorial / cemetery: Ploegsteert Memorial, Panel 9
Local memorial: North Lewis, Cross

Private JOHN CAMPBELL
Last address in Lewis: 18A Gravir,
Son of John and Mary Campbell, of 18, Gravir, Stornoway.
Regiment or division: 1st Seaforth Highlanders
Service number: 3/7159
Date of death: 20 December 1914 at the age of 20
Killed in action
Memorial: Le Touret
Memorial reference: Panel 38 and 39
Local memorial: Pairc, Kershader

Misleading

AOL Video Uncut was shut down on Thursday, and their site now redirects to Motionbox.com, another video upload site. The email that AOL sent me about that suggests that they would transfer the videos that used to be on Uncut to Motionbox. There is nothing on the Motionbox.com website that suggests that this is actually possible, being done.

I copy the relevant paragraph:

Our records show that you had uploaded videos to the site. While the AOL Video Uploads site is no longer available, we have made your videos available to be transferred to Motionbox.com for a limited time. Learn more at Motionbox.

No, that's not the case at all. Motionbox offer former Uncut users a premium membership at a reduced rate for 30 days. No videos have been transferred at all. I copied mine to YouTube the moment the closure of Uncut was announced.

AOL?

Christmas - 2007

Christmas last year was tainted with sadness in J-land, as was, with the loss of two of its writers on both days. On Christmas Day, Lahoma (who used the AOL screenname of mzgoochi) passed away after a struggle with cancer. On Boxing Day, Kim (demandnlilchit) followed in her footsteps, also succumbing to cancer. I hope Christmas this year will be a merrier affair, although the community doesn't seem to be the same after our expulsion from AOL.

Saturday 20 December

Phew, a bright, sunny day with very little wind. The storm died down late last night, moving east to batter Orkney and Shetland. It's not very warm, only 5C / 41F. Yesterday's heavy rain and wind has led to flooding problems across Scotland. I was sorry to hear that the winterstorm across the northeastern USA continues to wreak havoc, likewise in Washington State.

There are currently problems with internet traffic due to severed subsea cables south of Sicily. This is thought to have happened as a result of seismic activity - Sicily hosts an active volcano, Mt Etna.

Remembering Today

19 December

On this day during the First World War, the following two men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives:



Lieutenant Colonel DAVID MACLEOD
Son of the late W. MacLeod, of Arnol, Isle of Lewis; husband of Helen MacLeod, of 15, Marina Court, Bexhill-on-Sea.
Last address in Lewis: 12 Arnol
Service, unit: 8th Battallion Gordon Highlanders
Date of death: 19 December 1917 at the age of 47
Died of pneumonia in France
Interred: Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun, V. D. 49.
Local memorial: West Side, Bragar

Medal: DSO for gallantry at the taking of the Hohenzollern Redoubt in September 1915. He was the Commanding Officer of the 8th Battallion.
Other medals: DCM Egypt 1878 and 1915 Star

Private NORMAN MATHESON
Son of Donald and Christina Matheson, of 36, Lower Barvas, Stornoway, Lewis.
Last address in Lewis: 36 Lower Barvas
Service, unit: Seaforth Highlanders, 2nd
Service number: 3/6708
Date of death: 19 December 1914 at the age of 32
Killed in action
Interred: Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Guinchy, grave V. A. 4.

Windy nook

Wind continues to blow a full gale, 45 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph. Went out to the Coastguard Station (5 minutes' walk away), but timed it perfectly to coincide with a lull in proceedings, whilst the wind veered from south to west. If anyone is interested, you can take a look at live weather readings from Eoropie (pronounce: Yoropee), near the Butt of Lewis, 25 miles north of Stornoway. Extremely exposed, it has already gone through a 96mph gust. Outpost North Rona, 45 miles northeast of the Butt, reported force 10 winds (52 knots), with gusts at hurricane force (71 knots).

Still on matters meteorological, Australia is having its first tropical cyclone. Billy is currently in the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, southwest of Darwin, at tropical storm force - with winds similar to what we're experiencing in the Hebrides today.

Yesterday, I ordered the first copy of my own private listing of all those from the Isle of Lewis who were lost in the First World War: Faces from the Lewis War Memorial. I produced it through an on-demand publisher for a grand total of just over £8. I am not intending to place it on the open market, as I'm absolutely not certain that it is faultless. There may also be issues surrounding copyright here and there. Nonetheless, I'm quietly proud of this achievement.

Friday 19 December

Downright filthy day out here in the Hebrides, with winds already touching force 9 on the Beaufort scale, and forecast to go right up to force 11. Rain lashing down; it's binday, so the emptied bins were at one time blocking the road. No ferry today, it is tied up in Ullapool until 10.30 tomorrow morning when, weather permitting, it will return to Stornoway. Quite a few ferry services disrupted in western Scotland - have a look here.

Relocated entry

I originally posted this on Call for Support, but concluded it was not appropriate.
So, here it is again, on my own blog.

Some may remember Cathy (chatzeekay), who had to stop blogging on-line after AOL journals shut down last October. She has severe health problems, stemming from domestic abuse. Painkillers no longer help, and Cathy is supporting a bill in US Congress to legalise the use of cannabis for the relief of chronic pain.

Personally, I have grave misgivings against the use of cannabis, which is based on the serious side-effects of the drug. These include precipitation of psychosis in susceptible individuals and impairment of cognitive functioning. Cannabis, in its purified form of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, could be beneficial for the relief of pain. However, there is currently no firm scientific basis to underpin this.

I will be the last person to deny any pain sufferer relief, however tenuous the scientific base of the use of the compound in question - cannabis. I cannot support the bill, as I'm not a US resident. Even if I was, I would still not do so for the reasons quoted above.

Any US residents reading this: visit the link, visit your conscience, and support the bill. Or not.

Thursday 18 December

Late posting for today, and probably the only one. Not feeling too great today, with a stinging headache. Not a good idea to spend too much time at the PC, so I hope tomorrow will be better. It won't be in terms of weather, as stormforce winds (force 10 on the Beaufort scale) are forecast for my neck of the woods late on Friday. Pity it will peak after nightfall (3.30pm and later).

Afternoon notes

This morning's gale is abating and the sun is trying to come out. The ferry will return from Ullapool at its usual time, after being tied up there since arriving this morning. The cargoship Red Duchess, which has been discharging a cargo of road salt, departed first thing in the morning and was last spotted on AIS headed down the Little Minch, east of Skye.


Three years ago, a huge fire destroyed a fuel depot at Buncefield in Hertfordshire, north of London. As a result, a critical eye was cast over the fuel depot (pictured above) on Shell Street, in the heart of Stornoway. Several alternatives have been considered, but the current economic climate has delayed any action on relocation.


One could be Glumag Harbour, across the bay from my position, where the Arnish Fabrication Yard stands.


The other would be the unused fuel tanks at Stornoway Airport, left over from NATO times during the Cold War. A jetty (shown above) is already in place there for a tanker to dock.

Wednesday 17 December

The day started with a fierce lightning storm just after midnight. The path of the storm was easily mapped, when the lightning began to strike the electricity pylons which run into the Arnish Substation from the south. Some of the discharges were within half a mile of my position (as it took less than 3 seconds between lightning and thunder). The final bolt was accompanied by half-inch hailstones. Winter is the most likely time we're likely to see thunder; it occurs when the temperature in the cloudtops is 40 degrees C lower than down at groundlevel. At the moment, there is heavy rain and strong winds (force 7). The ferry is not sailing; at present it is tied up at Ullapool. The 5.15 sailing out of Ullapool is under review. Judging by the forecast (winds up to force 9), it will probably be cancelled as well.

Identified

On 30 November last, the body of an unidentified man was recovered from rocks near Eoropie Beach in northern Lewis. Police have conducted extensive inquiries across the island, speaking to operators of B&Bs, busdrivers and members of the public generally. After the man's identity was established, a family member had to travel north to formally identify the body. He was a man of 48 from Kelso in the Scottish Borders, who had been on a walking trip in Lewis. There are not thought to be suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, and, as per procedure in Scotland, a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

RIP Charles Coyle

From the bottom of a shoe

The Iraqi journalist, who allegedly threw a pair of shoes at US president Bush, has been beaten in custody, according to his brother. The man is now in a US military hospital for treatment. Throwing shoes is a sign of supreme contempt in the Arab world, and George W. Bush is most impopular in the Middle East. The invasion of Iraq in 2003 and American support for Israel (to mention but a few) lie at the bottom of that. The reporter is likely to be prosecuted under Iraqi law, possibly for insulting a foreign leader and/or the country's president. News bulletins yesterday showed a number of demonstrations across Iraq supporting the shoe-thrower.

The invasion of Iraq in 2003 was in my mind unnecessary, however unpalatable Saddam Hussein was. He was already hamstrung, unable to move militarily, and patently not in possession of weapons of mass-destruction. It would have been a matter of time before he was removed from power anyway. The American leadership acted in the usual manner, barging in without thought for the consequences or the broader picture. In my opinion, George W. Bush sought to complete the job that his daddy had left unfinished in 1991 after the first Gulf War. There was no plan for what happens next.

Invading an Arab nation was bound to inflame regional tensions and act as a focal point for terrorist groups like Al Qa'eda. It says much for the Iraqi people that they themselves have now started to rise up against foreign insurgents, leading to a gradual improvement in the security situation in the country.

Tuesday 16 December

Nice sunny day today, but with a fresh southwesterly breeze. A major improvement on yesterday's rain and wind. Although the mercury rose to 11C / 52F yesterday, I think I prefer it to be a little colder rather than wet.

If you are using the Internet Explorer browser (any version), you are advised to take precautions. A major security flaw has been uncovered, which renders the computer vulnerable to attack. Other browsers (Firefox, Opera, Safari) are not affected. It is thought possible that through the attack, passwords could be illegally retrieved from the machine. More info on the BBC website, I'll summarise the security advice from Microsoft.

• Change IE security settings to high (Look under Tools/Internet Options)
• Switch to a Windows user account with limited rights to change a PC's settings
• With IE7 or 8 on Vista turn on Protected Mode
• Ensure your PC is updated
• Keep anti-virus and anti-spyware software up to date

Darkness has fallen

The sun set at half past three this afternoon, but invisible to us here in Stornoway. It has been blowing a near-gale all day, and the ferry had a hell of a time crossing from Ullapool. MV Isle of Lewis has stayed in port here, and is not setting forth again until the morning - weather permitting.

Helen's news struck a chord with me, hence the terseness of my note on Call for Support. My mother, as you know, passed away on 1 May last; her mother died last Friday. This coming Christmas and New Year aren't going to be easy on anyone who has suffered a bereavement this year - or any year. Those newly widowed will feel the emptyness and loneliness keenly, as will their children.

Monday 15 December

Guess what? It's blowing another hoolie out here, and it's lashing down with rain.
Guess what? Local radio said the day would start bright and sunny. Think they had yesterday's forecast in front of them.
Guess what? Some people had too much to drink over the weekend, so the courthouse will be full today.
Guess what? I'll write some more later.

Rabies

A case of human rabies looks likely to be confirmed in Northern Ireland. A man was admitted to hospital in Belfast, and tests have proved positive for the disease. This is commonly transferred through a bite, and this victim is thought to have sustained an infected bite on an overseas visit.

Rabies is a notifiable disease in the United Kingdom, almost always fatal. The last case in Ulster was in 1938, and the last time the disease was transmitted by dog-bite in the UK was in 1902. As any overseas visitor knows, stringent measures are in place to prevent importation of the disease into the country. Even on the quaysides here in Stornoway, you will find notices prohibiting the import of mammals.

It reminds me of an episode 3 years ago, when a polar navigator docked at Stornoway after sustaining damage in Atlantic gales. His two dogs jumped ashore, in spite of having been warned to keep them tethered, and led police on a brief merry chase around town.

Sunday 14 December

Christmas just 11 days away, and I notice people going shopping on a Sunday and at all sorts of hours of the day and night. Not here - shops (with one exception) are closed until tomorrow morning.

The northeast of the US has been visited by a severe ice-storm, from New York state eastwards. This has downed large portions of the electricity grid - so don't be surprised if some journalers don't make an appearance. Several people have died through carbon monoxide poisoning, by using oil-powered generators in an unventilated space. The weather here is fairly bright and calm.

Down in New Zealand, a climber has died on Mt Cook, after he fell 500 metres / 1,600 feet. His companion was left in the open for 2 days, until a helicopter found a weather window to rescue him off the mountain. Summer is nigh down there, but you cannot underestimate the hazards of mountaineering.

Wood sculptures

Author Elizabeth M Parsons (one of my internet contacts) is writing about wood sculptures on her blog. In reply, I'm posting pictures of wood sculptures in the Castle Grounds, the local country park around Lews Castle on the outskirts of Stornoway.

Saturday 13 December

A better day, even if it's overcast and grey. No wind to speak of, which makes a difference to yesterday's force 8 gale. It kept the ferry in Ullapool through the day, and many other ferry services along the west and north of Scotland were disrupted or cancelled.

I just nearly fell off my chair at the latest verbal diarrhoea from Robert Mugabe. He referred to the current cholera outbreak in his country as "a calculated, racist, terrorist attack on Zimbabwe", using biological weapons. The perceived reason was the overthrow of aforementioned Mugabe. It just gets worse and worse by the day. If ever there was a case for forcible regime-change, it's that country.

A regime that was overthrown 63 years ago, that of Adolf Hitler, still leaves it legacy in Germany. Not in the way I usually speak about these matters. The town of Rügen, on the Baltic coast, sports a holiday resort 1930s/1940s style, constructed for the Nazi elite of the day. Since 1990, it has lain empty as a concrete shell near the sandy beaches. Now the German authorities are contemplating turning the buildings into a holiday resort noughties style. Don't see it taking off somehow.

Faster?

82 words

Typing Test

Diets, vitamins and homeopathy

I have a thing against dieting. Look, I could do with losing a few pounds myself. But there are ways of doing that without resorting to all sorts of unhealthy alterations to your diet. I also appreciate that there are people who genuinely do have a problem getting rid of excess weight. Some people suffer severe psychological distress because of their obesity. Or their perceived obesity. I remember meeting a woman who was in floods of tears as she mentioned her excess weight (for which she had been prescribed medication by a doctor). I would not have described her as fat. Young girls, in a quest for identity, sometimes think that less is best, and anorexia nervosa is a recognised eating disorder.

Nonetheless, I was horrified to read this morning that a woman had died after drinking a gallon of water in 2 hours. It is called water poisoning (anything taken in excess is bad and can kill you), and it had brought on swelling of the brain. This lady, from West Yorkshire, had been on a diet regimen that spans 12 weeks, and involves an intake of 500 kilocalories per day (normal for a woman is 2,000), backed up by regular fluid intake, soups and bars. The company that supplies the regimen states that it gives clear guidance on the amount of water to consume.

Whilst I'm on my high horse, I'll also take a swipe against multi-vitamin preparations. They're a rip-off, let me tell you. If you keep a normal, balanced diet, you don't need vitamin supplements. Should you run short, you can buy, or ask for a prescription for, the requisite single vitamin. Some years ago I had a look at the contents of multivits, and the amount of some vitamins can only be called homeopathic. Oh, that's another high horse.

I don't believe in homeopathy. Mind you, if you find it benefits you, don't stop just because I don't believe in it. The reason I don't believe in it is plain and simple laws of nature. Take kitchen salt. Good ole sodium chloride (NaCl). 48 grams of the stuff, that's an ounce and a half, contains 6 * 10²³ molecules of NaCl. Now go to homeopathy. They say that if you dilute something by 1 part of substance into 10 parts of 70% alcohol, and continue to do that, it will increase in potency. By the time you have diluted 23 times, you are left with 6 molecules of NaCl in your little bottle of alcohol. By the time you've done it 100 times, you'll be lucky to find 6 molecules in any of 10⁷⁷ bottles. Bearing in mind the pharmacological rule that a substance has more effect if there is more of it there, I think we're basically looking at a load of balderdash.

Friday 12 December

Horrible day, lashing rain, strong winds, mediocre temperatures. December at its worst. I'm not an early riser by habit, but today is one day that's best spent tucked away under the duvet.

Those that have followed me from AOL days may be familiar with my Australian buddy Petar Vodogaz, who sends his regards - if he didn't do so directly to you himself. We share an interest in tropical cyclones (hurricanes), and in the coming months, we'll be keeping an eye on developments south of the equator.

Will post more later today, if the muse finds me.

Thursday 11 December

Gradually increasing cloud cover, which leads to some phenomenal cloudscapes. It's been a good week in that respect. Today, a nationwide sale starts in Woolworths, a British department store. The sale is the pre-amble to a shutdown of the chain, which is currently in administration. Buyers are being sought, but things are looking bleaker by the day. In most British towns and cities, Woolies would not really be missed. It will be badly missed in Stornoway. We don't have that many shops selling a variety of household and other items, and what else we do have is mostly (a lot) dearer. No I'm not plugging Woolies. I'm just bemoaning the imminent loss of a useful shop.

Robert Mugabe, 9-digit inflation man, may well become an ostrich in his next life. He is already going round with his head firmly stuck in the sand over the cholera outbreak in his country. Mugabe has declared that there is no cholera in Zimbabwe, which is in stark contrast to the fact that 800 people have already died of the disease and it is spreading across his country's borders. Naturally, everybody else gets the blame. Read and weep.

Christmas Lights

Euthanasia

A widely publicised programme is currently being aired on a satellite TV channel, showing a man as he is assisted to die. Leaving to one side the question whether it is in good taste or decency to show someone's death on television, it does highlight the problems surrounding euthanasia in the UK.

In Holland, euthanasia has been regulated since the late 1970s, following a test-case. When someone expresses the desire to have their life terminated, a second medical opinion is sought. All options are discussed with the patient, and when both doctors are satisfied that there is no prospect of improvement of the condition, and that quality of life will only deteriorate, euthanasia can be arranged. Following the death of the patient, the doctor will fill out a death certificate and notify the judicial authorities of an unnatural death. If the public prosecutor is satisfied that the euthanasia has met all the required critera, no prosecutions will follow.

Euthanasia is naturally a subject of high emotion and potential for pitfalls and abuse. Whether the Dutch model would work in the UK is open for debate. There are those in favour and opposed to the practice. At present, anyone in Great Britain wishing to end their life will have to attend a clinic in Switzerland. Should euthanasia be carried out in the UK, prosecution will follow for those assisting the patient in ending their life.

Wednesday 10 December

Another great day for cloudscapes, even if the temperatures are not all that great: 5C / 41F. No prospects of that getting any higher soon, if anything, there is an advance warning of heavy snow fall in the north and east of the UK on Saturday.

Cathy (Dare to Think) had an interesting entry yesterday on the issue of the space-time continuum. Some 15,000,000,000 years ago, the Big Bang occurred, creating space and time. Echoes of that event still reverberate around the universe, which led Cathy to believe that you could get flashbacks from times past. She imagined that in December 2088, her home would be a park, and anyone passing through the park could come across a ghostly lady sipping cappucino tapping away at a computer keyboard, the way it was in December 2008.

I do not agree with that notion. In my opinion, there is only one constant in the Universe, and that is time. It marches forward at a set pace, which cannot be altered, stopped or reversed. It is the 4th dimension. Anything that has happened in the past cannot be changed, because it would have repercussions on the here and now. I'll give an example from my perspective here in Lewis.

In 1919, a troopship (HMY Iolaire) sank outside the harbour at Stornoway, drowning more than 200. As a result, a young man in one of the villages was forbidden from ever going to sea. He eventually emigrated to Canada, married and had children and grandchildren. Reading about the tragedy, one of the grandchildren contacted me, saying that without the tragedy she would never have been born. Point I'm making is that should someone (be able to) return to 1919 and alter the course of the Iolaire, this would have profound and immediate implications here and now. The lady I'm speaking about would cease to exist, e.g..

As for events leaving an imprint for posterity, well, I'm afraid I do not buy that either. Noise leaves an echo, correct. Events have consequences, and we see those consequences on a daily basis. But, in contradiction to Cathy's theory, atoms and molecules behave in a random fashion (called entropy), and only congregate as a result of random interactions, which, as a result of the laws of physics, lead to events. What went before is lost. A water molecule does not remember that it has fallen out of a cloud of other H2O molecules, into a huge basin of more H2O, imbibed by a bag of bones and flesh called a human being, and passed out again by said human being.

An attempt at philosophy. Feel free to take pot shots.

Facebook warning

A so-called internet worm, Koobface, is on the loose on Facebook. It has only affected a small percentage of users. More info on this page on the BBC News website.

Tuesday 9 December

The sun set two hours ago, but I'm only just getting round to doing an entry. Was fairly bright through the day, but I did catch a shower on the way into town. Going into town means a walk of less than 10 minutes, but don't underrate the Stornoway pavements. I didn't realise how bad they were until I tried pushing a shopping trolley along my street. It was brand new, but was forever trying to argue with parked cars. The roads themselves are OK, just the pavements (sidewalks for folks across the pond) are atrocious.

What did I go into town for? Christmas cards and stamps. They have all been written, addressed, adorned with postage and stuffed into the letterbox. Folks in the UK should have it tomorrow, folks in Europe by the end of the week and those in the US between 1 and 2 weeks from today. Total of cards sent: 19. Anyone else that would like a card can just email me with details, and I'll endeavour to oblige.

Morton (Caring n sharing), I am pleased to announce, left hospital this afternoon to tell those of us on Facebook that he had returned home. It was too close for comfort, he said.

Pentalina

A new ferry ship, the Pentalina, is currently heading north up the Minch, as shown in this AIS [Automatic Ship Identification] screenshot from 5.38pm this evening.

The catamaran is capable of carrying 350 passengers and 32 to 58 cars as well as 9 lorries. She is yet to be fitted out completely. The ship was built in the Philippines and has safely negotiated the pirate-infested waters of the Gulf of Aden on Friday. She is expected to arrive in Orkney waters tomorrow.

Pentalina will take up the run between Gills Bay on the northern coast of mainland Scotland and St Margaret's Hope in Orkney, a crossing that will take her 45 minutes.

Christmas Tags

With thanks to Sugar

Caught short

At least I can embed the Onion on here.

Monday 8 December

Quite a bright morning, with the odd shower. Sun is low in the southern sky, only 8 degrees (a hand's width) above the horizon. This evening, after sunset, have a look to the southwest. You'll see two bright stars fairly close together. The brightest is the planet Venus, the other is Jupiter. They are nearly 1 billion miles apart, and were in conjunction (in apparent closest proximity in the sky) last week. I missed that event due to cloudy skies. Later in the evening, look south for the constellation of Orion. The Dog Star (Sirius) is located to the left of Orion, lower in the sky. Readers in the southern hemisphere will see Sirius higher than Orion.



Discard any pork from (Northern) Ireland purchased after last September. Dioxins (extremely poisonous compounds) have been found in pig feed, used in at least 9 Ulster farms, leading to levels of dioxin 200 times above the limit of acceptability. There is low risk to health if you have eaten Irish pork in recent weeks.

Christmas Tags

I'm displaying each Xmas tag in an individual entry, as well as in a block at the top of my sidebar. Many thanks, so far, to Connie and Sugar. I've got more archived tags from the last couple of years, mainly courtesy Donna, which I'll put up in the next few days and two and a bit weeks.

18 days to go

With thanks to Sugar

Atlantic Lines in winter

With thanks to Connie

7 December 1941

Today is the 67th anniversary of the attack by Imperial Japanese forces on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The surprise attack propelled the USA into the Second World War, eventually helping to vanquish Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.

Lest we forget.


Image courtesy University of Maine, showing USS Arizona on fire and sinking after the attacks.

Sunday 7 December

Overcast day with some rain and strong winds. As I write this, the sun will be setting in the next quarter of an hour. Unseen by me at groundlevel. All points south and east beware: this is coming your way.

I am having to move a blog I keep on the BBC Scotland website. The BBC will no longer allow updates as of next month or so, but they will NOT delete the old blog. I have set up a new blog on a separate site. I operate that blog, which casts a critical if slightly off-the-ball eye on events in the Isle of Lewis, where I reside. As I do so under a pseudonym, I cannot link to it direct. Check out my page.

Oh apologies for the two entries that should have gone to my Tropical Cyclones blog. Nothing to report at any rate.

Christmas Cards

If anyone would like a Christmas card from me, please email me direct with address details. I shall reply with my own. All personal details will be held in confidence, and will only be used for sending a Christmas card this year. I assume the same will apply your end regarding my details.