Lest we forget.
Image courtesy University of Maine, showing USS Arizona on fire and sinking after the attacks.
Monday, 7 December 2009
7 December 1941
Today is the 68th 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.
Lest we forget.
Image courtesy University of Maine, showing USS Arizona on fire and sinking after the attacks.
Monday 7 December
A half-decent morning, with showers and strong winds. The wind will abate and the showers are expected to fade away. Tomorrow, gales and rain will return - more steady winter weather will arrive on Wednesday, and temperatures will fall. At the moment, it's about 8C.
All this weather did not deter the so-called flash mob which took turns protesting outside the Town Hall here in Stornoway this morning. There are plans afoot to make major alterations to the interior of the building, and this morning, internet and mobile phone messages went round for people to come and go in protest. The BBC termed it a flash mob. Footage is expected to be shown on local news this evening.
Stornoway Town Hall was built in 1905, burned down in 1918 and rebuilt in 1929. It is one of the most noticeable buildings in this town, and the interior is equally unique. As most of my readers are not familiar with the building, I won't go into the fine print of the proposals, but sufficient to say, there is a groundswell of opinion opposed to any changes. I can only say that not all change is bad.
The below picture shows the interior of the building in July 2006, when a group of Norwegian folk dancers were in full flow.
Stornoway Town Hall was built in 1905, burned down in 1918 and rebuilt in 1929. It is one of the most noticeable buildings in this town, and the interior is equally unique. As most of my readers are not familiar with the building, I won't go into the fine print of the proposals, but sufficient to say, there is a groundswell of opinion opposed to any changes. I can only say that not all change is bad.
The below picture shows the interior of the building in July 2006, when a group of Norwegian folk dancers were in full flow.
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Sunday 6 December
Bright and glary today, but cloud is increasing as a front approaches from the Atlantic. The wind is very prominent today, at force 7 at the moment, but forecast to get up to force 9, severe gale, later. The ferry, due out at 2.30pm today, is duly cancelled, as are all other cross-Minch sailings. It is a southerly wind today, which would create a heck of a swell along the islands.
Why is it that the X-factor, Strictly Come Dancing and I'm a Celebrity, Get me out of Here are so important that they warrant mentions on the BBC News? I'm disgusted. To paraphrase Marie-Antoinette and the last show I mentioned: Let them eat rats. Oh no, that won't do. Frying and eating a rat can get you prosecuted by the RSPCA. Tut.
Why is it that the X-factor, Strictly Come Dancing and I'm a Celebrity, Get me out of Here are so important that they warrant mentions on the BBC News? I'm disgusted. To paraphrase Marie-Antoinette and the last show I mentioned: Let them eat rats. Oh no, that won't do. Frying and eating a rat can get you prosecuted by the RSPCA. Tut.
Saturday, 5 December 2009
5 December - St Nicholas
Today is the festival of Saint Nicholas, referred to as Sinterklaas in the Dutch speaking parts of the world. Saint Nicholas was bishop of Myra, present-day Smyrna in Turkey. After his death, his remains were spirited across the Mediterranean to Spain. He is the patron-saint of children and travellers. Today, Sinterklaas arrives in a port in Holland aboard a steamship, surrounded by an entourage of Black Peters (Zwarte Pieten). They are black-skinned (long life shoe polish), a reference to the fact that Spain was occupied by Moors from North Africa, who were of a swarthy disposition.
Sinterklaas comes bearing gifts for all children in Holland, provided they have been good. Bad children will be picked up by Zwarte Piet and taken back to Spain in the big sack, which held the presents. On the evening of 5 December, Sinterklaas will take to his white charger to ride across the rooftops of Holland. He will drop presents down the chimneys, and collect a carrot for the horse, left by the children in their shoes by the fireplace. Bad children will get a faggot instead of a present, provided they're not taken away. In order to actually get a present, children will have to sing a Sinterklaas song into the fireplace.
Repost from last year
Twitter followers
I am wondering why someone who is in favour of gun ownership (the Second Amendment in the US constitution) is following me on Twitter. After each gun atrocity in the US, I voice my pretty strident opposition to the undiluted right to bear arms. I wonder in the first place how they came across my little Twitter ID. But, such is the world of the Internet.
Saturday 5 December
Overcast and cold today, although 8C isn't all that desperately cold. Just the windchill in combination with the high relative humidity.
Three news items jumping out at me today: the life sentence handed down to Amanda Knox for her part in the killing of British student Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy, two years ago. It is a weird case, and I'll refer to the BBC report for details. It worries me that a verdict can be based so strongly on assertions that the suspect had the character traits of a murderer and behaved like a "she-devil". Obviously, I don't have access to the fine details of the case.
The Russian city of Perm, 900 miles east of Moscow, is mourning the death of 109 party goers. They died as a result of a fire in the Lame Horse nightclub, which appears to have been started by fireworks. A 1 minute videoclip shows the dancefloor being engulfed in smoke within seconds of the ceiling catching fire. Russia's president states the fire was a criminal act.
Three news items jumping out at me today: the life sentence handed down to Amanda Knox for her part in the killing of British student Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy, two years ago. It is a weird case, and I'll refer to the BBC report for details. It worries me that a verdict can be based so strongly on assertions that the suspect had the character traits of a murderer and behaved like a "she-devil". Obviously, I don't have access to the fine details of the case.
The Russian city of Perm, 900 miles east of Moscow, is mourning the death of 109 party goers. They died as a result of a fire in the Lame Horse nightclub, which appears to have been started by fireworks. A 1 minute videoclip shows the dancefloor being engulfed in smoke within seconds of the ceiling catching fire. Russia's president states the fire was a criminal act.
Friday, 4 December 2009
Friday 4 December
Brilliantly sunny today, if a tad on the breezy side and cool. I started writing this post at midday, but had to leave it due to work having to be carried out on the electrical systems in this house. Since then, the clouds have moved in and the wind has picked up. The overnight low was -3C, which is a sharp frost for these parts. However, if I hear from parts of the States which are already way down to -10C, I have no reason to complain.
I'll have to start thinking about Xmas cards, and I thought I had a list with addresses somewhere. Will have to dig around for a bit. The shops are now full of Christmas gear and the TV adverts are slowly but steadily driving me to distraction. People here in Stornoway are relieved as there will be a fireworks display for New Year after all. Initially, there was no money (it costs around £25k to put up a display), but some local enterprises have chipped in with contributions. At 12.30 am on January 1st, things will go bang in the night.
I'll have to start thinking about Xmas cards, and I thought I had a list with addresses somewhere. Will have to dig around for a bit. The shops are now full of Christmas gear and the TV adverts are slowly but steadily driving me to distraction. People here in Stornoway are relieved as there will be a fireworks display for New Year after all. Initially, there was no money (it costs around £25k to put up a display), but some local enterprises have chipped in with contributions. At 12.30 am on January 1st, things will go bang in the night.
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Thursday 3 December
The sun is setting as I start typing this post - it is 3.42pm. It has been a nice day, with cloud lifting around midday. I saw a magnificent 'sun-dog' (a parhelion), caused by refraction of the sun's light in ice crystals, contained in high-level clouds. On Saturday, I expect a gale.
Next week, the Christmas illuminations here in Stornoway will be switched on on Tuesday evening. Winter is well and truly here, borne out by the flurry of complaints about gritting of roads. Last Monday, traffic in the Isle of Harris ground (or more to the point: skidded) to a halt. Although the gritters had been out first thing, a rain shower had washed away all the salt. The low temperatures did the rest, reducing the Harris road system to a skating rink. Residents of Maraig were unable to drive up the 500 feet hill out of their village, as it was covered in ice. The main road south of Tarbert was blocked by skidded vehicles, and the road to Huisinis was similarly impassible.
More later.
Next week, the Christmas illuminations here in Stornoway will be switched on on Tuesday evening. Winter is well and truly here, borne out by the flurry of complaints about gritting of roads. Last Monday, traffic in the Isle of Harris ground (or more to the point: skidded) to a halt. Although the gritters had been out first thing, a rain shower had washed away all the salt. The low temperatures did the rest, reducing the Harris road system to a skating rink. Residents of Maraig were unable to drive up the 500 feet hill out of their village, as it was covered in ice. The main road south of Tarbert was blocked by skidded vehicles, and the road to Huisinis was similarly impassible.
More later.
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
MV Muirneag
The Muirneag is the aging ferry boat that takes lorries and other haulage vehicles back and forth across the Minch. It leaves Stornoway each evening at 23.30 (except for Sunday, when this time is 00.30 on Monday morning, in order not to offend the Sabbaterians) and returns at 08.00 the next morning. Muirneag is not popular in Ullapool, on the mainland, because it docks at 3 am with a lot of noise from its engines and the movement of heavy vehicles in the village. The ship was built in 1979 and was previously active around Northern Ireland. Muirneag is not exactly top of the heap for technological advancement. The ship is difficult to manoeuver in high winds, which frequently leads to cancellations of its sailings in winter.
Muirneag is our lifeline, it brings all our food if anything. She has had a checkered career in the Minch; I vividly remember the time she had to run before a force 12 storm in November 2005, which saw her 60 miles north of the Butt of Lewis, well on her way to the Faeroes, before the captain saw an opportunity to turn round. Last year, her rudders failed, which resulted in the ship running into the Castle Grounds, opposite the town, nearly knocking over an early morning runner, who was going for his constitutional on the shoreline path. This morning, the poor old Muirneag crashed into the pier at Ullapool, damaging the installation. As a result, the passenger ferry Isle of Lewis was not able to carry out her customary 7 am sailing, and all traffic was redirected south, to Tarbert and Skye. What the cause of this morning's accident was is not clear; the weather was good and there was no high wind.
Visit to Port of Ness
Port of Ness beach
Distant houses at Eorodale looking over the surf at Port of Ness
Port of Ness harbour at low tide
Beach House restaurant
Behind Port of Ness
Title picture
I've once more changed the title picture, this time showing Stornoway's Inner Harbour last Friday afternoon. It was very quiet, as the image shows.
Industrial accidents
Union Carbide showed a callous disregard for the safety of the community in which it operated a plant, and was never brought to account over the 1984 disaster. UC plainly demonstrates that it ranks amongst those in the developed world who abuse the developing world to get rich quick over the back of the poor, irrespective of the consequences. Big money talked in this case, and the poor of India paid the price.
These three names rank among the worst industrial accidents of the 20th century, with far-reaching consequences. All could have been prevented, and in the latter two cases, lessons appear to have been learnt. Not in the case of Bhopal, as I have outlined in my comment.
Wednesday evening
Went to Port of Ness, 25 miles north of Stornoway, by bus to sample the cuisine of the Beach House restaurant there, which opened a week or so ago. Its predecessor, Sulair, relocated to a hotel in Stornoway. I only knew it to be closed. The weather took a decided turn for the worse, but kindly waited for nightfall (after 4pm) to send buckets of rain our way. The mainland hills, 45 miles to the east, looked as if they had taken delivery of snow. I'll upload my pictures tomorrow.
Wednesday 2 December
Although it's still windy, the wind has dropped down a notch or two to force 6, from force 9 yesterday afternoon. The sun is peeping through the clouds here and there, and the ferry is sailing again, after missing the afternoon crossing yesterday.
I am pleased to note that the British yachtsmen, who had been detained by the Iranian authorities since last week, have now been freed. Following a delay due to a religious holiday, the Revolutionary Guard got round to interrogating the sailors and it transpired that their presence in Iranian waters had been a mistake. The five crewmembers of the "Kingdom of Bahrain" were released and towed into international waters earlier this morning.
If you click on certain newspaper sites more than 5 times in a day, you may be required to pay for further access. In the battle between newspapers and the internet, Google appears to have blinked first.
I am pleased to note that the British yachtsmen, who had been detained by the Iranian authorities since last week, have now been freed. Following a delay due to a religious holiday, the Revolutionary Guard got round to interrogating the sailors and it transpired that their presence in Iranian waters had been a mistake. The five crewmembers of the "Kingdom of Bahrain" were released and towed into international waters earlier this morning.
If you click on certain newspaper sites more than 5 times in a day, you may be required to pay for further access. In the battle between newspapers and the internet, Google appears to have blinked first.
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Tuesday 1 December
The start of the final month of 2009, and it's World AIDS Day. In memory of those that have died of AIDS, all over the world. And their number is higher than you might think. A vaccine is not yet on the scene and a cure is not either. Twenty-five years ago, I wrote an essay on the subject. Although the life expectancy of AIDS sufferers in the developed world has improved, the prospects in the developing world remain abysmal - and will remain so for as long as the drugs companies see fit to charge exorbitant prices for their AIDS treatments to the Third World.
Here in Stornoway, it is a windy morning, with a force 7 blowing through. The temperature, which had gone down to -2C yesterday at 7pm, is now up at +6C. The rain has just commenced and will carry on for a while; in the Highlands and on high ground, it will fall as snow. Local blogger breascletemick took some stunning pictures on Sunday of our highest peak, the Clisham, from his position, some 30 miles to the north. You can view them here.
More later.
Here in Stornoway, it is a windy morning, with a force 7 blowing through. The temperature, which had gone down to -2C yesterday at 7pm, is now up at +6C. The rain has just commenced and will carry on for a while; in the Highlands and on high ground, it will fall as snow. Local blogger breascletemick took some stunning pictures on Sunday of our highest peak, the Clisham, from his position, some 30 miles to the north. You can view them here.
More later.
Monday, 30 November 2009
Befehl ist Befehl
John Demjanjuk, aged 89, is standing trial in Germany for his part in the extermination of Jews at the Sobibor deathcamp - I referred to this last week. He is an ill man, and I would not be surprised if he did not make it to the conclusion of his trial in May 2010. However, Mr Demjanjuk has fought extradition to Germany for 32 years. However, he states that he only followed orders.
As an ex-serviceman I know that orders should be followed. However, even the lowest ranking soldier has the liberty not to follow orders. You can refuse to jump off a high cliff, even if a general tells you to do so. You can decline to participate in torture, abuse of prisoners or other violations of the Geneva Convention. Mr Demjanjuk had that liberty - even if it could have meant he got the bullet himself. He did not just stand idly by - he actively participated in mass murder on an industrial scale.
As an ex-serviceman I know that orders should be followed. However, even the lowest ranking soldier has the liberty not to follow orders. You can refuse to jump off a high cliff, even if a general tells you to do so. You can decline to participate in torture, abuse of prisoners or other violations of the Geneva Convention. Mr Demjanjuk had that liberty - even if it could have meant he got the bullet himself. He did not just stand idly by - he actively participated in mass murder on an industrial scale.
Minarets not allowed
The Swiss people have voted to ban the construction of minarets on mosques in Switzerland. There are currently 4 minarets in the country, with about 100 Islamic prayer houses. The reason for the ban is that it would infringe on Swiss culture, which is predominantly Christian. A worrying development. The same reasoning is being deployed by far right parties across Western Europe, such as those found in Holland and the UK. Anyone who manages to gather 100,000 signatures can call for a nationwide referendum in Switzerland.
It is deplorable that the Swiss cannot get themselves to allow expressions of multiculturalism in their country, in a world which is continually on the move, and where people from various cultures mix across the globe. I am aware that a reluctance to allow expressions of faiths, other than the one most common found in a country, is not restricted to Europe.
It is deplorable that the Swiss cannot get themselves to allow expressions of multiculturalism in their country, in a world which is continually on the move, and where people from various cultures mix across the globe. I am aware that a reluctance to allow expressions of faiths, other than the one most common found in a country, is not restricted to Europe.
Monday 30 November
Today is St Andrew's Day, dedicated to the patron saint of Scotland. First Minister Alex Salmond will initiate proceedings today to have a referendum on independence for Scotland. It will not quite go the way he wants; Mr Salmond's Scottish National Party run a minority administration, and most of the other parties in the Scottish Parliament are opposed to full independence.
It is a cold day, and tonight will see a widespread frost, with the mercury down to -5C / 23F. I expect to hear even lower values from some of the notorious cold spots across the Highlands. At least the sun is out, in amongst the infrequent light showers. The birds are quite happy gobbling up the old bread that lies scattered under the trees for their benefit.
Reports from Washington State suggest that the man, suspected of carrying out the shooting of four police officers yesterday, may have died of gunshot wounds, sustained in an exchange of gunfire with one of his victims. Maurice Clemmons, aged 37, is a convicted criminal who had been sentenced to 95 years in jail for aggravated robbery. His sentence was reduced by the former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee.
A boy aged 4 was killed by a dog last night in Liverpool. A woman aged 63 was injured as she tried to separate the dog from the boy. When police arrived, they destroyed the dog which was in an 'agitated state'. Investigations are on-going.
It is a cold day, and tonight will see a widespread frost, with the mercury down to -5C / 23F. I expect to hear even lower values from some of the notorious cold spots across the Highlands. At least the sun is out, in amongst the infrequent light showers. The birds are quite happy gobbling up the old bread that lies scattered under the trees for their benefit.
Reports from Washington State suggest that the man, suspected of carrying out the shooting of four police officers yesterday, may have died of gunshot wounds, sustained in an exchange of gunfire with one of his victims. Maurice Clemmons, aged 37, is a convicted criminal who had been sentenced to 95 years in jail for aggravated robbery. His sentence was reduced by the former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee.
A boy aged 4 was killed by a dog last night in Liverpool. A woman aged 63 was injured as she tried to separate the dog from the boy. When police arrived, they destroyed the dog which was in an 'agitated state'. Investigations are on-going.
Sunday, 29 November 2009
Sunday 29 November
Rain, sleet, hail and snow are falling at regular intervals here this morning. Temperature has plummeted to 3C at the moment, the lowest we have seen this side of summer. Winter is here. The weather charts show a conduit of cold, arctic air, plunging straight down from the North Pole. It is engineered by a low pressure system over the Bristol Channel and another low off northwestern Norway. In one word: brrr!
Read a very interesting article on Glenn Beck, who is spearheading a lot of the opposition to Barack Obama in the States. The expression "loose cannon" is probably applicable to this chap. I have never seen such a degree of vilification of a sitting US president, and quite frankly the assertions that he is not a true American, a Muslim (i.e. a terrorist sympathiser) are unworthy.
More later.
Read a very interesting article on Glenn Beck, who is spearheading a lot of the opposition to Barack Obama in the States. The expression "loose cannon" is probably applicable to this chap. I have never seen such a degree of vilification of a sitting US president, and quite frankly the assertions that he is not a true American, a Muslim (i.e. a terrorist sympathiser) are unworthy.
More later.
Saturday, 28 November 2009
Homecoming
On Monday, 30 November (St Andrews Day), the Scottish Year of Homecoming is coming to a close, with a host of events, the BBC reports. However, a number of those events have had to be scaled down due to lack of money. Personally, I have seen very little of the Homecoming. Most of the events appear to have taken place in major population centres, like Edinburgh, Glasgow or Inverness. It all started on Burns Night, 25 January. The First Minister, Alex Salmond, has been a keen protagonist of the Homecoming. It is supposed to have been good for tourism - something that accommodation providers can't seem to agree with. Particularly here in the islands, there has been a 30% increase in visitor numbers, for a number of reasons.
1. A reduction (up to 50%) in ferry fares
2. An exchange rate with the Euro which discouraged European travel
3. The recession, also discouraging expensive foreign holidays
Nobody I came across ever mentioned the Homecoming. In fact, I haven't seen an American visitor all summer, and they are supposed to have come flocking back to the Old Country in droves. Well, they sure didn't come here.
Yes, you correctly detected a huge degree of sarcasm. OK, I'm not a born Scot, but having lived in the Western Isles for 5 years, I'd like to think that I have a fair idea what Scotland is about, in the first decade of the 21st century. And it's not all about Robbie Burns, however good a writer and poet he was. It's not all about clans, claymores and that eternal fool and historical disaster Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Scotland in the 21st century is a country that is indeed acutely aware of its history, which is in parts bloody, tragic and full of oppression. However, we no longer live in 1746, thank goodness. This is the year 2009 AD, and Scotland is an integral part of the United Kingdom. As a lone entity, it would have a severe struggle to keep afloat in an economical sense. England and Scotland have fought together, without distinguishing between either home country, in two world wars and many other conflicts since. I will go so far as to say that a stronger Scottish Parliament, with more powers devolved from London to Edinburgh would be a good thing. It certainly would be better if the current frosty relationship between Downing Street and Bute House (the respective seats of Prime and First Minister) were to thaw and improve to a decent level of cordiality with a normal flow of communication.
Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, is leader of the Scottish National Party, whose stated aim is a fully independent Scotland. He will not be the man to bring about the aforementioned improvement in relations, as that (in his mind) will not lead to an independent Scotland. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is not able to effect this change either, as he has way too much on his hands, keeping his premiership alive until the next elections, in May 2010.
There are indications that the Conservative Party under David Cameron, could take office after the next general elections in 2010. After the last elections, in 2005, exactly one Scottish Conservative MP was returned to Westminster, a trend not likely to be reversed anytime soon. If there is a Conservative Prime Minister, working with an SNP administration in Edinburgh and a host of Labour MPs, we don't need to hold our breath for the onset of improved relations between London and Edinburgh either.
1. A reduction (up to 50%) in ferry fares
2. An exchange rate with the Euro which discouraged European travel
3. The recession, also discouraging expensive foreign holidays
Nobody I came across ever mentioned the Homecoming. In fact, I haven't seen an American visitor all summer, and they are supposed to have come flocking back to the Old Country in droves. Well, they sure didn't come here.
Yes, you correctly detected a huge degree of sarcasm. OK, I'm not a born Scot, but having lived in the Western Isles for 5 years, I'd like to think that I have a fair idea what Scotland is about, in the first decade of the 21st century. And it's not all about Robbie Burns, however good a writer and poet he was. It's not all about clans, claymores and that eternal fool and historical disaster Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Scotland in the 21st century is a country that is indeed acutely aware of its history, which is in parts bloody, tragic and full of oppression. However, we no longer live in 1746, thank goodness. This is the year 2009 AD, and Scotland is an integral part of the United Kingdom. As a lone entity, it would have a severe struggle to keep afloat in an economical sense. England and Scotland have fought together, without distinguishing between either home country, in two world wars and many other conflicts since. I will go so far as to say that a stronger Scottish Parliament, with more powers devolved from London to Edinburgh would be a good thing. It certainly would be better if the current frosty relationship between Downing Street and Bute House (the respective seats of Prime and First Minister) were to thaw and improve to a decent level of cordiality with a normal flow of communication.
Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, is leader of the Scottish National Party, whose stated aim is a fully independent Scotland. He will not be the man to bring about the aforementioned improvement in relations, as that (in his mind) will not lead to an independent Scotland. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is not able to effect this change either, as he has way too much on his hands, keeping his premiership alive until the next elections, in May 2010.
There are indications that the Conservative Party under David Cameron, could take office after the next general elections in 2010. After the last elections, in 2005, exactly one Scottish Conservative MP was returned to Westminster, a trend not likely to be reversed anytime soon. If there is a Conservative Prime Minister, working with an SNP administration in Edinburgh and a host of Labour MPs, we don't need to hold our breath for the onset of improved relations between London and Edinburgh either.
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