Hurricane update - 17 May

Except there are no tropical systems around at all. I am detecting a lot of hype around an area of low pressure between Cuba and Hispaniola, which is not a tropical system, and unlikely to develop into one - the experts put the likelihood at 10% at best as it moves towards the eastern Gulf of Mexico. It is referred to as an extra-tropical depression - of the variety we get here in Scotland thirteen to a dozen. It will bring a soaking to Cuba, the Bahamas and Florida, but nothing much else.

Sunday 17 May

Bright and sunny today, with a thin easterly breeze. Not warm enough to sit outside, though.
More revelations about MP's inappropriate expense claims, calls for the Speaker of the House of Commons to be removed from office. Something will have to change and soon. Whether that should be because of prosecutions, the replacement of Mr Speaker or a General Election, I don't know. It is a shame that the genuinely held convictions of party members of whichever political party are mocked by the greed of Honourable Members. Including, allegedly, the MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles).

Blogging

Blogging seems to be falling by the wayside. At least that is the impression after going through journals this afternoon, and encountering one who is quitting and several who resumed posting after an absence of up to 3 months. It would appear that Facebook is a major distraction, but also the distractions of real life. Naturally, with the global economic situation being dire, that would be a contributing factor. Nonetheless, I do not suggest to quit Facebook or to live inside your computer (something I've been accused of doing), but to use the blog for things you cannot do on Facebook, as a complimentary element. Personally, I use Twitter, Facebook and this (and other) blog(s).

We used to have a nice community, and AOHell have a lot to answer for. But we know they didn't care. Keep in touch, won't ya?

Saturday 16 May

The East Pacific hurricane season commenced yesterday. This usually affects the coasts of Central America and western Mexico, with a remote chance of hurricanes or their remnants affecting the southwest of the USA. Hurricanes in the Pacific very rarely directly impact on California, as sea temperatures are too low to sustain such systems - the sea surface temperature should be at least 26C / 80F. At the moment, nothing threatens (to develop). The North Atlantic hurricane season will start on 1 June; NHC have an educational week on hurricanes starting next Saturday. Are you in hurricane alley? Are you prepared?

Today is dreich (grey and wet) in Stornoway. Glancing across the bay, I see a small cargo ship tied up at Arnish Pier, presumably to take away some of the products of the Fabrication Yard. AIS tell me the vessel is called Sesame. Also on AIS was a fleet oil supply vessel, the Kanawha. Its stated destionation is Over there. Right. She has now moved off the map, out of range of the AIS receiving stations ashore.

The Hubble Space Telescope is currently undergoing some refurbishment, and it is not going all that smoothly. One spacewalk took 8 hours, but the job got done. Read more here.

Closing notes

Within half an hour of midnight, and a cold, dreich day comes to a close. Disappointed to read that Barack Obama will resume the trials at Guantanamo Bay - although he never did rule out that such might be the case. A review of the legal framework is to be carried out, but to me, it's a climb-down from pre-election promises. Not good at all. My faith in politicians has taken a nosedive following the expenses scandal here in the UK, but Mr Obama is starting to do the Tomcat-in-March routine. What do I mean? Ach, yanno. In March, tomcats go around, caterwhauling their undying love and everlasting fielty to the females of the race, only to disappear without trace once the evil deed has been done.

Galson pictures

Friday 15 May

Dreich, grey and cold today. Yesterday, I went to the shop without a coat, with a temperature of 17C / 63F. Today, it's 9C / 48F. Nonetheless, I did jump on the bus for a quick foray out to Galson, 20 miles north of Stornoway. That village has a small cemetery with one wargrave, which I wanted to photograph. I'll post some pictures later. Chatted to a villager on the way through about local history. Otherwise, nothing moved, which is normal for that corner of the island. Stornoway would be described as a bustling metropolis in comparison.

Although I join in the chorus of condemnation over MPs' expenses, I want to air my grave concern over the current atmosphere that surrounds our elected representatives. Watching a trailer for BBC1's Question Time last night, a chorus of boos arose as a government minister spoke. A constituency office was apparently attacked last night, and I hope that someone takes the situation in hand as a matter of extreme urgency. This is an open road to anarchy, and an open invitation for extremist parties to make massive gains at elections, firstly those for the European Parliament early in June. Not all MPs or Peers of the Realm are out to fatten their bank balances at taxpayers' expense, and the fact that there are some rotten apples in amongst them all doesn't justify tarring all of them with the same brush.

Picture post - 14 May

11.50 pm last night, looking north. Yes, that's daylight on the horizon.


4.33 am this morning


Familiar boat: the Cuma back on the slipway, 3 years after spending 11 weeks on there

Sundown notes

The sun is setting here in the Western Isles - yep, it's nearly 10 pm and it's still broad daylight. Come midnight, the sun will still be leaving a streak of light on the northern horizon. It's that time of the year again when I'll be watching the 10 o'clock news on the BBC with news from London, where it is pitch black. And I'm still seeing the pink of the sunset reflected in the lighthouse tower across the water.

I am quietly amazed tonight at the negative reactions to the announcement that we are going to have a Sunday ferry at long last. For the period that I've been here, I've been arguing in favour. And now that it will definitely happen, people start to cast around for who to blame. What are people like.

For the first time in a fortnight, I've gone round some of the blogs. Didn't get round to it when I was in Holland. Many thanks to Sugar for keeping the light on over at Call for Support.

Thursday 14 May

We have some big news in the island this afternoon: Lewis and Harris are going to get a ferry on Sunday! Question is now when this will be introduced.

Calmac have declared that under human rights legislation, it would be unlawful not to give the islands a Sunday ferry. Local consultation will start very soon, following which timetables for the Sunday ferry will be published. Not earlier.

The Lord's Day Observance Society, which is fiercely opposed to the Sunday ferry service, have promised to fight Calmac for placing the law of money over the law of God.

Neurological disorder

I would like to use my blog postings to raise awareness of two progressive neurological disorders called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, and CBD, or Cortico Basal Degeneration. I was pointed to a support group, the PSP Association, which does valuable work here in the UK to support both patients, carers and health professionals to deal with those conditions. There is no treatment or cure for either.

With thanks to John of Silversprite.com for raising awareness.

Sunk

The fishing boat Kalahari sank this afternoon, just as the Coastguard helicopter was in the process of putting a pump on board to stop the ingress of water. Stornoway Coastguard was contacted at 4.39pm this afternoon with the message that the other boat was sinking near the Sound of Harris, and deployed the helicopter. Just as the winchman had been lowered down onto the deck of the Kalahari, the boat went down and both winchman and fisherman ended up in the water. They were both safely taken out by the helicopter and returned to Stornoway for medical checks.

Source: MCGA

Vaccines, cancer and teenagers

Promised you a post on those subjects, so here goes.
Last week, an on-line acquaintance published a blogpost (to which I am not going to link) with links to some very extreme if not positively extremist views on the issue of vaccination and consent. I'm not going to specifically reply to the content behind the links, but instead will make some broader points.

An American boy of 16 was diagnosed with leukaemia (blood cancer), and was prescribed chemotherapy. That is never pleasant, and the young man was predictably quite sick as a result. When the time came for a second course, his parents refused to give consent for the treatment, saying they would take their child to a herbal therapist instead. The doctors involved in his care took his parents to court and obtained an injunction, forcing them to submit their child for treatment. They have been accused of medical terrorism by some.

A child of 16 is close to adulthood, in my view, and under British law, a child aged 12 or over will normally be consulted on treatment. I agree with the doctors that withholding treatment from a cancer sufferer will severely jeopardise that patient's life. Whether a court order is the way forward I very much doubt. As far as I am aware, forced treatment is possible in cases of mental illness, in cases where danger exists for patient and / or the public at large.

The second point concerns the vaccination against Human Papilloma Virus HPV, which is currently being introduced for young teenage girls. HPV is implicated in the development of cervical cancer, and is sexually transmitted. Quite a few parents baulk at the prospect of their 13-year old being vaccinated against a sexually transmitted disease, fearing it would suggest to their daughter that she is at liberty to have sex without having to fear for the consequences. Although I don't have kids of my own, I feel that it is up to the parents (and schools) to give proper sex education to their children, including the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases and what to do to prevent contracting these. They should also advise their daughters how to view the HPV vaccinations.

Tuesday 13 May

Bright and sunny, as I watch the ferry coming in on its customary lunchtime call. Visibility is excellent, with the hills of the Applecross Forest (not a tree there, incidentally) loom up from 60 miles away across the water.

There is a possibility that the ferry might start sailing on a Sunday, which (at the moment) it does not do. Lewis has a strong tradition of Sabbath observance, and there is a groundswell of opinion against sailings on a Sunday. However, in recent years, voices have become louder to sail 7 days a week, if only to alleviate capacity problems on the ferry and for social reasons. On Thursday, executives from the ferry company are here to discuss this matter with involved bodies like the local council and the Lord's Day Observance Society.

Take off

I shot these 3 minutes off video footage as my plane took off from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, yesterday. Hope you enjoy.

Tuesday 12 May

Finally arrived into Stornoway at 7pm last night, and shared a taxi with two pleasant ladies who wouldn't hear of me paying my share of the fare. Thank you both, hope the local hotel was to your satisfaction. I'd been on the road for 14 hours, so pretty shattered - an early night was called for.

Awoke this morning to bright blue skies and brilliant sunshine. Visibility very good, I can just about make out the Applecross Forest, which lies 60 miles away to the southeast. When flying north last night, I could make out some snow on the higher mountain tops near the Rannoch Moor; the tops near the coast (like Slioch, east of Gairloch) were snow free.

I'm going to spend today recovering from yesterday's journey. I enjoyed it very much, but a 5.30 start needs catching up on. When I have sorted out the pictures and videos I took yesterday, I'll put them on a next entry.

En route

Left home at 6.15 am this morning, and joined the train to the airport at 6.45. This took me there on time (for a change), and that has (so far) been the theme. On leaving Amsterdam at 10, we flew right down the westcoast as far south as Walcheren, then veered west towards Gatwick. Once there, it was a speedy transit to the Glasgow plane, and that showed me it's a beautiful sunny day right across the UK. As I said on Twitter, it was fun flying up the M1 motorway at 550 mph with impunity. The Lake District was laid out in all its glory, and updrafts from the mountains juggled the plane a wee bit. In Glasgow as I type this, and awaiting my onward connection to Stornoway, which is due at 6pm, in four and a half hours' time.

Remind me

To write about vaccinations, cancer treatment and teenagers when I'm back in Stornoway next week.

Hurricane update 4 May

Typhoon Kujira has left the Philippines, leaving behind the usual trail of floods and destruction. It is currently roaring its way through the Pacific, far south of Japan. The storm is carrying winds of a trifling 115 knots (that's in excess of 130 mph), with gusts of 140 knots (160 mph) near the centre. The Japanese outposts of Iwo To (formerly Iwo Jima) and Chichi Jima will see a slightly weaker incarnation of the storm on Wednesday.

The Philippines weather agency should look over its shoulder. Rather than wave good-bye to Dante (the Philippines' name of Kujira), they want to monitor tropical storm Chan-hom. This system is gathering strength in the South China Sea, east of Vietnam, and could batter the Philippino island of Luzon later in the week, possibly as a typhoon. A typhoon is the same as a hurricane by the way. As I indicated above, it is lethal floods that present the greatest problem with tropical systems in the Philippines, and I am looking forward to see a bulletin from PAGASA by morning.

Normal blogging is currently on the Shell Gallery, as I'm in Holland.

Serious incident in Holland

Please switch to the Shell Gallery.