I know, it's a nice picture ;-)
Saturday, 15 November 2008
Pentalina B
This ship, which I stubbornly continue to call by its original name Iona, is currently covering the freight run between the Isle of Lewis and the Scottish mainland. Normally, MV Muirneag is doing this, but this ship is in dry-dock on the Tyne at present. My picture of the Iona (puh) on Flickr is attracting an unusual amount of attention. 91 views since last Sunday.
I know, it's a nice picture ;-)
I know, it's a nice picture ;-)
Saturday 15 November
Today is the 4th anniversary of my arrival in Lewis. Back in 2004, I had arrived in Harris (which is on the same landmass as Lewis) from North Uist, and took the bus north to Stornoway. The next time I would leave Lewis would be in May 2007.
Today is a better day in terms of weather, with a fair amount of brightness. Rain appears to be threatening, and it is also a lot colder. Yesterday saw the mercury at 13C, this afternoon has it down to 7C, quite a jump by local standards. Colder weather in the winter period usually also brings brighter weather.
Still quiet on the tropical cyclones front, except for one minor tropical storm crossing into the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The worst people there can expect is 10 inches of rain; winds will not exceed force 9 on the Beaufort scale. Fishermen have been warned to stay on shore.
Today is a better day in terms of weather, with a fair amount of brightness. Rain appears to be threatening, and it is also a lot colder. Yesterday saw the mercury at 13C, this afternoon has it down to 7C, quite a jump by local standards. Colder weather in the winter period usually also brings brighter weather.
Still quiet on the tropical cyclones front, except for one minor tropical storm crossing into the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The worst people there can expect is 10 inches of rain; winds will not exceed force 9 on the Beaufort scale. Fishermen have been warned to stay on shore.
Friday, 14 November 2008
Request
If anyone reads a private blog on here called My Wee Bit of Life, can they pass on a message to thank them for linking to my Tropical Cyclones blog. I am not a reader, and cannot reach them.
Friday 14 November
Once more pouring with rain and breezy today. The best way to summarise is to call it dreich.
I have pulled my videos off AOL Video Uncut, as the UK version has now become defunct. I'll be uploading them onto YouTube in the next few days. You can watch all my (50 at present) videos on this channel.
It is reckoned that the hurricane season in the Atlantic is over for the year, as atmospheric conditions are no longer conducive to formation of tropical cyclones. The tropical waves, off which many hurricanes are born, have ceased running off the African continent. The southern hemisphere season commenced 2 weeks ago, but is yet to get into swing.
I have pulled my videos off AOL Video Uncut, as the UK version has now become defunct. I'll be uploading them onto YouTube in the next few days. You can watch all my (50 at present) videos on this channel.
It is reckoned that the hurricane season in the Atlantic is over for the year, as atmospheric conditions are no longer conducive to formation of tropical cyclones. The tropical waves, off which many hurricanes are born, have ceased running off the African continent. The southern hemisphere season commenced 2 weeks ago, but is yet to get into swing.
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Evening notes
My remarks regarding Facebook relate to the consequences on my private life of being on there, rather than the experience itself. That was not unique to Facebook, it is something that has plagued me throughout my stint on AOL (since April 2004).
On the subject of child abuse, the Austrian man (Josef Pritzl) who made his own daughter pregnant 7 times over will stand trial. Part of the indictment is the allegation that he killed one of the babies fathered by him. Pritzl kept his daughter incarcerated in a cellar at home for 24 years.
Yesterday, news emerged that the Jersey prosecuting authorities have decided that there is no case to answer regarding the children's home Haute de la Garenne. Earlier this year, this former home made world headlines after bones were found in sealed off sections of its cellars. It has been decided that those finds do not constitute murder. Investigations into alleged abuse are on-going.
On the subject of child abuse, the Austrian man (Josef Pritzl) who made his own daughter pregnant 7 times over will stand trial. Part of the indictment is the allegation that he killed one of the babies fathered by him. Pritzl kept his daughter incarcerated in a cellar at home for 24 years.
Yesterday, news emerged that the Jersey prosecuting authorities have decided that there is no case to answer regarding the children's home Haute de la Garenne. Earlier this year, this former home made world headlines after bones were found in sealed off sections of its cellars. It has been decided that those finds do not constitute murder. Investigations into alleged abuse are on-going.
Thursday 13 November
Pouring with rain out here, not very nice at all.
I was horrified to hear of the death of a baby of 17 months in north London. Once again, social services appear to have failed dismally in their duty of care, not picking up on danger signs. Whether it is a system failure of social services generally, or the fact that the odd failure is of such a horrific nature is not a conclusion for me to draw. Over the past few years, I have encountered several people who were reluctant to tell me that their job was with social services.
I am contemplating my continued membership of Facebook. Although I joined in December 2007, I only became more active on it following the demise of AOL Journals. I cannot say it was a wholly positive experience, so do not be surprised if any of you who are on my friends list on there are notified of my departure.
I was horrified to hear of the death of a baby of 17 months in north London. Once again, social services appear to have failed dismally in their duty of care, not picking up on danger signs. Whether it is a system failure of social services generally, or the fact that the odd failure is of such a horrific nature is not a conclusion for me to draw. Over the past few years, I have encountered several people who were reluctant to tell me that their job was with social services.
I am contemplating my continued membership of Facebook. Although I joined in December 2007, I only became more active on it following the demise of AOL Journals. I cannot say it was a wholly positive experience, so do not be surprised if any of you who are on my friends list on there are notified of my departure.
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Kristallnacht
I make a point of observing the anniversary of the Night of Broken Glass, or Kristallnacht in German. During the night of November 9th/10th in 1938, groups of Nazi thugs went on the rampage in German towns and cities, smashing Jewish-owned businesses and shops, looting and setting fire to them. Only because they were owned by people who had marked their religion down as Jewish. In the aftermath, many streets were littered with broken glass, which led to the German euphemism of Kristallnacht (Crystal Night).With the anniversary of the 1914/1919 Armistice just a day ago, it is good to also remember the atrocities of the Second World War. Lest we forget.
Postscript: I specifically refer to the First World War as running until 1919, as the Peace was not declared until that year. Here in Lewis in particular, with the Iolaire Disaster of 1 January 1919, the Great War certainly didn't end until 1919.
Wednesday 12 November
Overcast today, but the sun is trying to poke through the high cloud layer. Large parhelion at one stage. It's quiet today, which makes a change from the recent wild and windy weather. However, it's November, this is the Western Isles, so what do you expect. I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong. Fantastic cloudscapes, beautiful sunsets - and they are now happening in front of my window, which has a view southeast to southwest.
This picture dates back to last Wednesday, as I was returning to Stornoway. More of that sort on this link. I should also tell you that there is a large number of pictures there of the Coastguard helicopter exercising off the ferry as it sails across the Minch. This video, full of helicopter noise, shows the winchman going up and down, carrying a stretcher. The time was 7.30pm, so it was dark. Give it a minute to process on YouTube.
This picture dates back to last Wednesday, as I was returning to Stornoway. More of that sort on this link. I should also tell you that there is a large number of pictures there of the Coastguard helicopter exercising off the ferry as it sails across the Minch. This video, full of helicopter noise, shows the winchman going up and down, carrying a stretcher. The time was 7.30pm, so it was dark. Give it a minute to process on YouTube.
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
231,000,000%
When I head my posts with crazy percentages, you know I'm going to write about Zimbabwe again. The above number represents that country's inflation percentage. Its president, freedom fighter, liberation hero, responsible for economic disaster and famine - in other words, Robert Mugabe, is now having 2.1 to 5 million of his population fed by the UN. That organisation is short on resources, so is currently cutting down on rations. Politically, Zimbabwe is mired down in shinanigans on the part of Mugabe, with the opposition MDC party and Mugabe's ZANU-PF unable to form a sensible government.
Talk about self-destruct sequence initiated. Oh, just wanted to feature this video as well. Better have a sickbag ready (PS: give it a while to get processed, only just uploaded it to YouTube).
Talk about self-destruct sequence initiated. Oh, just wanted to feature this video as well. Better have a sickbag ready (PS: give it a while to get processed, only just uploaded it to YouTube).
Message
Cathy [chatzeekay] is sending a message that she is sorry to have lost touch with most of us in J-land. She has returned from her vacation, and is gearing up to confront some serious issues. Cathy is currently not blogging (she finds it extremely difficult to learn a new blogging system), but would like to keep in touch - at present through myself. If you have her email address (not giving it out on here), please write an encouraging note. Although this could be classified as Call for Support stuff, I am writing it here, as she may pick it up on my journal.
Tuesday 11 November
Armistice Day, and the 90th anniversary of the end of hostilities in the First World War. The war to end all wars, what a fallacy that turned out to be. Watched the ceremony in Whitehall this morning, when the three remaining surviving veterans of the Great War laid their wreaths at the Cenotaph. The eldest, Henry Allingham, aged 112, laid the wreath with his own hands. Very moving.
My thoughts today are with all who fell in that conflict. And with those who tragically drowned outside Stornoway Harbour on 1 January 1919, on their way home. Their transport, a troopship called the Iolaire [Eagle], ran aground on a reef and sank after an hour and a half. 75 survived, but 205 went to the bottom with her. They had survived up to 4 years of war - only to drown within sight of their home town. Inquiries in 1919 and 1972 did not properly account for the events of that dreadful night.
The village of Shawbost, 18 miles from Stornoway, buried 9 of its sons a few days later. North Tolsta, 13 miles north of the town, had lost the largest number of their young men. Of those drowned, 64 were never found. The remaining 140 were found scattered on the shores around Stornoway; one turned up in Loch Grimshader 5 months later.
I'll close this post with a tribute to one of the victims:
Leading Deckhand John MacAskill
Last address in Lewis: 12 Lower Sandwick
Son of Kenneth and Mary MacAskill, was married
Service: Royal Naval Reserve, HMT Thomas Booth
Service number: 9635/DA
Date of death: 1 January 1919 at the age of 24
John drowned, and lies buried at Sandwick
My thoughts today are with all who fell in that conflict. And with those who tragically drowned outside Stornoway Harbour on 1 January 1919, on their way home. Their transport, a troopship called the Iolaire [Eagle], ran aground on a reef and sank after an hour and a half. 75 survived, but 205 went to the bottom with her. They had survived up to 4 years of war - only to drown within sight of their home town. Inquiries in 1919 and 1972 did not properly account for the events of that dreadful night.
The village of Shawbost, 18 miles from Stornoway, buried 9 of its sons a few days later. North Tolsta, 13 miles north of the town, had lost the largest number of their young men. Of those drowned, 64 were never found. The remaining 140 were found scattered on the shores around Stornoway; one turned up in Loch Grimshader 5 months later.
I'll close this post with a tribute to one of the victims:
Leading Deckhand John MacAskill
Last address in Lewis: 12 Lower Sandwick
Son of Kenneth and Mary MacAskill, was married
Service: Royal Naval Reserve, HMT Thomas Booth
Service number: 9635/DA
Date of death: 1 January 1919 at the age of 24
John drowned, and lies buried at Sandwick
Monday, 10 November 2008
Good news for Donna
Following the bad news about Donna's health, I came across her transferred blog on the Internet. I immediately mailed her the URL. She was convinced it had been deleted, and lost for good.
Monday 10 November
Overcast with heavy showers, quite windy and feeling cold. We have been warned against another force 9 gale - something that was supposed to have happened on Saturday and Sunday as well, never to occur. Weatherforecasting for the Western Isles is not easy.
Our ferry service is rather disrupted at the moment. The linkspan (which allows vehicles to enter or leave ferries) at Ullapool is being refurbished, meaning that all vehicular traffic has to divert to Harris (40 miles to the south), to take the ferry to Skye. Passengers still have one sailing a day to Ullapool. Meanwhile, the freight ferry Muirneag is on Tyneside for its refit, and its place is taken by the small Pentalina B (shown below, docked alongside pier no 1 last night), which requires two runs to Uig (Skye) to transfer cargo.
Our ferry service is rather disrupted at the moment. The linkspan (which allows vehicles to enter or leave ferries) at Ullapool is being refurbished, meaning that all vehicular traffic has to divert to Harris (40 miles to the south), to take the ferry to Skye. Passengers still have one sailing a day to Ullapool. Meanwhile, the freight ferry Muirneag is on Tyneside for its refit, and its place is taken by the small Pentalina B (shown below, docked alongside pier no 1 last night), which requires two runs to Uig (Skye) to transfer cargo.
Sunday, 9 November 2008
Sunday 9 November
I've reorganised my Google Reader, and marked everything as read, even though I haven't read blogs for weeks. I'm starting from the top with a reduced number of journals, keeping others in a special section for reference in case.
As Indigo correctly observed a few days back, I remain not an entirely happy bunny. The reasons vary from the death of my mother 6 months ago, to a few relationship breakdowns or troubles. When I say relationships, that doesn't automatically mean anything more than friendship. However, it is a point of discussion where friendship ends and it becomes something more. Or perceived to be something more.
Hurricane Paloma is being torn apart over Cuba, but not after bringing down a telecoms tower. The island of Cayman Brac has seen 90 to 95% of its homes damaged or destroyed. For Cuba it was its 5th hurricane this season. Paloma was the second strongest November hurricane on record, second only to Lenny in 1999. The North Atlantic hurricane season ends on November 30th.
As Indigo correctly observed a few days back, I remain not an entirely happy bunny. The reasons vary from the death of my mother 6 months ago, to a few relationship breakdowns or troubles. When I say relationships, that doesn't automatically mean anything more than friendship. However, it is a point of discussion where friendship ends and it becomes something more. Or perceived to be something more.
Hurricane Paloma is being torn apart over Cuba, but not after bringing down a telecoms tower. The island of Cayman Brac has seen 90 to 95% of its homes damaged or destroyed. For Cuba it was its 5th hurricane this season. Paloma was the second strongest November hurricane on record, second only to Lenny in 1999. The North Atlantic hurricane season ends on November 30th.
Remembrance Sunday
As I have done over the past 19 years, I watched the Remembrance Sunday ceremony in Whitehall, London, at 11 a.m. this morning. Although I'm not British, I do feel it imperative to mark this occasion, as British and Commonwealth forces played no mean part in the liberation of Western Europe, and my native Holland in particular, in the Second World War.
As an extension of this, I built an on-line memorial to First World War casualties from the Isle of Lewis. Although the title banner proclaims it to be Armistice Tribute 2007, it is of course timeless. Have a browse.
As an extension of this, I built an on-line memorial to First World War casualties from the Isle of Lewis. Although the title banner proclaims it to be Armistice Tribute 2007, it is of course timeless. Have a browse.
Donna
Donna [nightmaremom on AOL] has sent several of us a message saying she has not posted for a while, as she's undergone heart bypass surgery. She is doing well, and is currently recovering with her parents. As soon as she is up to it, we can expect an update from Donna.
Saturday, 8 November 2008
History
Many thanks to Stuart for his offer of lessons in history. I'm going to decline, though.
My initial posting was of a party-political nature, something I rarely engage in as I am not eligible to vote in parliamentary elections. However, staying in Scotland means I am affected by decisions by those in high office (like Alex Salmond and his predecessor Jack McConnell). I shall revert to not making party-political statements.
I'd like to think I'm pretty well versed in the history of the Highlands and Islands, certainly where the Clearances are concerned. Reading the book On the Crofters' Trail by David Craig gives you a pretty good idea what went on at the time, and I've developed some very strong views on the matter. Here in Lewis, 36 villages lie derelict and have done so for 190 years because it was more profitable to keep sheep or deer in the Eishken district.
Irrespective of his political colour, Mr Salmond's expression that the Clearances were 'deplorable', something repeated by the Scottish Parliament, was not worded strongly enough bearing in mind the inhumane way people were treated in the Clearances.
However, we have seen a similar event in Australia this year, with PM Kevin Rudd offering an apology to the Aboriginal population for the way they were treated until very recently. An apology is all well and dandy, but does not undo the damage done. I realise that in the case of the Clearances, nothing will undo the damage caused.
Peace out.
My initial posting was of a party-political nature, something I rarely engage in as I am not eligible to vote in parliamentary elections. However, staying in Scotland means I am affected by decisions by those in high office (like Alex Salmond and his predecessor Jack McConnell). I shall revert to not making party-political statements.
I'd like to think I'm pretty well versed in the history of the Highlands and Islands, certainly where the Clearances are concerned. Reading the book On the Crofters' Trail by David Craig gives you a pretty good idea what went on at the time, and I've developed some very strong views on the matter. Here in Lewis, 36 villages lie derelict and have done so for 190 years because it was more profitable to keep sheep or deer in the Eishken district.
Irrespective of his political colour, Mr Salmond's expression that the Clearances were 'deplorable', something repeated by the Scottish Parliament, was not worded strongly enough bearing in mind the inhumane way people were treated in the Clearances.
However, we have seen a similar event in Australia this year, with PM Kevin Rudd offering an apology to the Aboriginal population for the way they were treated until very recently. An apology is all well and dandy, but does not undo the damage done. I realise that in the case of the Clearances, nothing will undo the damage caused.
Peace out.
Paloma
Going back to 1977 and bearing in mind the name given to the hurricane currently lashing the Caribbean, I thought I'd better put up this wholly inappropriate song by the George Baker Selection.
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