False Terror Flags!

You can't help wondering recently why the press and media in general are so ineffective in posing questions which must surely seem in need of answering, certainly from a public standpoint anyhow. Of course, since I was going on holiday, the attack at Glasgow airport definitely warranted cause for concern, but at the same time it occured to me that several things didn't add up. For instance, why were the main doors to the building accesible from the roadway in the first place? Even shopping centres and other buildings of relatively little importance have steel bollards to prevent access to vehicles. Surely they could have seen the potential was there, the attackers did!

Anyway, that's the least disturbing part. When the incident was reported initially, the news stated that US secret services had warned of a possible attack at Glasgow airport 2 weeks previously. Who did they warn exactly? Was it the UK government or UK secret services? Because, airport officials claimed that they certainly weren't told about it! Makes you wonder doesn't it? Nothing better than a terrorist attack to start off the holiday season and a new arrival in office at No.10. Indeed, even with the recent flooding and government failures in handling them, the papers today indicate that Labour have opened up a 8% lead on the Tories. Remarkable!

More Tales From the Veneto!

I may have to retract my previous statement that 50% of Lido de Jesolo was made up of Germans. As my father rightly pointed out, they were probably largely Austrian, especially given the close proximity of Austria to that area of Italy in particular. My father actually went a little further, suggesting that (in his experience) Austrians don't like being identified as Germans, in much the same way as a Scotsman wouldn't want to be identified as English.

Perhaps the strangest thing I saw on holiday, was young kids (say about 4 or 5 yers old) talking to their parents in German. It just doesn't seem natural, such a harsh sounding language being spoken by children. I found it very weird, but that's just a personal opinion, perhaps they would think the same about us.

Anyhow, the picture above is one I took of the entrance to the Gasoline Road Bar in Lido de Jesolo, at the Piazza Mazzini. Clearly a pair of hard-living peanuts! Oh, by the way, some odd stuff! We met with our holiday rep the day after arriving and were informed of the following necessary facts for holiday survival:

• Crossings on Italian roads are merely for show, although sometimes cars will stop, but rarely.
• Speed limits on Italian roads have no significance, they drive at whatever speed they feel like.
• Sudanese guys were selling fake designer handbags on the beach, getting caught handing over money for one could earn you a 1000 Euro fine.
• Littering could earn you a 500 Euro fine.
• Italians all carry ID cards (for security reasons?) and you could be asked to provide ID at anytime.

These were all valid points, and apart from the handbag statement which I wasn't going to try out, I saw all the others clearly demonstrated. They drive like maniacs, and if they see you on the crossing, they actually speed up so as to make you run for it. Like wise I frequently saw speeds of probably 70mph and upwards on a 30mph road. I was also aked for ID several times (completely unnecessarily in my opinion) such as when I changed some currency, and when I asked for a locker at Aqualandia, wtf?

Holiday Snaps!

Here are some photos I took while in Italy... hope you like them!

Venice - Bridge of Sighs

Venice - Somewhere off the beaten path

Cortina - From the top of Mount Faloria

Cortina - Street in Cortina

Verona - The Arena


Verona - Juliet's Balcony

That's all for now!

Holiday Report!

Here is the full holiday report from my exciting adventures in the Italian Veneto and beyond:

Lido di Jesolo

We were staying at the seaside resort of Lido de Jesolo on the Ventian Riviera. About 20km from Venice, with a 15km long golden beach and with temperatures in the 33-35*C region the first week and more like 35-37*C the second week. You can of course imagine my disappointment on returning home to find out that it has been raining almost constantly for the duration of our absence.

The resort itself was very busy, with I'm guessing about 50% German tourists, about 40% local Italians and the rest, pretty much a cross section of Europe and beyond.

Of course though, beaches aren't really my thing, more of a last resort for when there's nothing else to do, so we booked ourselves day trips to Venice, Cortina, Verona and Lake Garda shortly after arriving. I was particularly looking forward to Venice and it didn't disappoint.

Venice

We travelled into Venice by boat from Punta Sabbioni (about 50 mins). Spectacular views of the islands on the way. It was also hot, very hot! We disembarked near the Bridge of Sighs and then arrived in the Piazza di San Marco. A beautiful square with a smaller square off to one corner, but it was very crowded as you'd expect. We went for a little wander for 2 hours down some off the narrow lanes, then had a guided tour (including a quick scoot around the Basilica), followed by the highlight of the entire holiday, the water taxi cruise down the Grand Canal. It was absolutely amazing and "I got it all down on videotape". The Gondola ride was an anti-climax after the water taxi. With some time left we then took the lift up to the top of St. Mark's Tower, from where we had a great view over the whole of Venice.

Had an interesting converation afterwards with our tour guide Alessandro, after I asked him which house on the Grand Canal was the oldest, to which he replied "the Ca' Da Mosta". Anyone keeping up will recall that I mentioned before travelling, the television program "Italy, Head to Toe" fronted by Francesco Da Mosta, which I identified as part of the driving force behind my desire to visit Italy.

I would love to go back to Venice sometime and spend a week or so there just wandering around, preferably off season when it's not so warm or crowded.

Cortina

We visited the Winter resort of Cortina, once again accompanied by Alessandro, stopping along the way at Lago di San Croce (Lake of the Holy Cross). On arrival we headeh straight for the cable car which took us up Mount Faloria. Once again I videoed the experience for posterity. This was followed by a jaunt around the lovely village of Cortina and a short trip further into the Dolomites to visit Lago di Misurina (Lake Misurina). It was of course very hot again, but there was a cool breeze which made it tolerable on this occasion.

Verona

Off to Verona and with a different Tour Guide, Luigi, who like Alessandro, also spoke very good English, and was an absolute mine of information. Verona was hot, 35*C apparently, but I must have been acclimatised by then (or so I thought, see Lake Garda) because it didnt feel too bad. We walked around the outside of the Arena then went to see Juliet's balcony and statue. Yes, I know Juliet is a fictional character, but the Capulets existed and the balcony is part of the house where they once lived. We made a quick visit to the Castle and famous bridge, before heading back to the bus where I had a conversation with Luigi about Umberto Eco, The Name Of the Rose in particular and also Manfredi, as I'd just finished reading "The Tower".

Lake Garda - Sirmione

If Verona was 35*C then I have no idea what the temperature was in Sirmione, because it was killer. First we went on a boat trip around the tip of the peninsula, taking in some wonderful views including the majestic ruins of the oldest Roman villa in Northern Italy, built by the poet Valerio Catulus in the 1st Century B.C. Coincidentally, I had just finished reading Robert Harris's "Imperium" the day previously, in which the Catulus family feature. Serendipitous!

We then climbed to the top of the castle tower before exploring the little village. The heat was intense and sweat was pouring off me. I went to seek some shelter in the shade of a tree and got several mosquito bites on the back of my legs as reward. The only time I was bitten on the whole holiday.

Other

Besides the day trips we also visited several attractions in Lido de Jesolo; A wonderful sand sculpture exhibition based on the Wild West. I forgot to take my camera, but I'll look for links later. We also went to Aqualandia for a day, seemed like fun, but it was just too hot to spend the whole day in the sun. We also went to Pirate Adventure Crazy Golf where we all got burned (did I tell you how hot it was?) All in all we had an excellent time!

Resumption Of Activity!

I'm back, revitalised and ready to go. Did you miss me? Holiday report and photos to follow, once I get my car working again and get some food in the house!

Interruption To Scheduled Blogging!

We are sorry for this interruption to the scheduled blog posting. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible! We regret to inform you that any delay in the resumption of blog activities is unavaoidable, indeed delays should be expected, owing to unfavourable blogging conditions!

What's In A Name?

What's In A Name? I'm going to be referring mainly to Scottish Surnames here, but you might have one of those even though you live in a land far, far away, because what was formerly called the British Empire, was largely created by Scotsmen and Scottish colonists. And, you don't necessarily have to have a Surname beginning with Mc or Mac for it to be Scottish. If you thought that was the case then you have been misled by popular culture.

Scottish Surnames fall into several categories:

• Patronymics - Taken from the fathers forename, for instance, where the father was called Donald, the surname derived from him could be; McDonald, MacDonald, Donaldson or just Donald.
• Occupations - Examples are; Wright (Carpenter), Skinner, Baxter (Female Baker) and the most common of all, Smith (Blacksmith).
• Place Names - Scottish Surnames derived from places near where I live include; Cullen, Fordyce, Keith and Findlater.
• Physical Charcteristics - Primarily hair colours such as Reid, Brown, Gray and Black or the Gaelic: Bowie - Blond or fair-haired and Duff - Black. Names such as Campbell and Cameron are supposed to translate as Crooked Mouth and Crooked Nose.

Of course there are other Scottish Surnames which do not fall into those categories, but in general most do. Also, should you find that you do have a Scottish Surname and particularly one which is fairly common, do not assume that you are therefore related to everyone who shares that Surname, because the same name may have several origins. For instance, my own Surname, Wilson, is believed to be derived from an Earl of Innes named William way back in the 14th or 15th Century. Yet, the name also originated in Caithness with the Clan Gunn, and other instances of the name originate early on in Glasgow, Dundee and also down in England.

My wife also has the rather rare Surname, Maver, the origins and meaning of which are highly questionable, but her family has been in Scotland since at least 1440, and yet the same name is prolific in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovakia, with apparently no connection whatsoever. Very odd!

The Waiting Game!

I'm sure everyone else reading this is just like me, always waiting for something to happen. The expression "I can't wait" suggests more than mere anticipation, it also reflects how uninterested we become in our lives between major events. The lulls are interminable. Whether it's waiting for better weather (this year has been awful, see picture for details), waiting for the holidays or waiting to attend some important event with family or friends. You'd probably just rather skip the time between now and then... yes, you are wishing your life away, and you're definitely not the only one!

Me, I'm waiting to go on holiday to Italy, I'm waiting to go to Uni for Teacher Training, I'm waiting to get out of this God forsaken town. Heh, this reminds me of that Adam Sandler film "Click". I better be careful what I wish for, it's the in-between times that are important. Don't really want to fast-forward my life!

Luckily for me, unlike some, I'm not up to my ears in debt (apart from my student loans, obviously). Some people spend there whole lives waiting for some sort of miraculous event, which will never happen. They think that there luck is going to change, that they'll win the lottery or receive an inheritance, with which all their problems will be sorted. I guess some people do get lucky, but it's not usually people who desperately need it, is it? That sort of waiting I can do without.

The Rise and Fall Of Communism!

Last night, Battlefield with Peter and Dan Snow returned, having been rudely interrupted by I'm not sure what, but it wasn't on the last 2 weeks anyhow. This time around they were casting a wistful gaze over the Tet Offensive, a pivotal point in the Vietnam War. My knowledge of the Vietnam War, I'm afraid to admit, up until this point, extended no further than; M.A.S.H. , Platoon, Hamburger Hill, We Were Soldiers, Good Morning Vietnam, Air America, Casualties Of War, Deer Hunter, Jacob's Ladder and The Killing Fields. All well and good, but films don't give you a very good perspective of events in terms of the broader picture.

So now I know that the US were in Vietnam, supporting the South Vietnamese in order to stem the rise of Communism. The North Vietnamese (NVA), backed by the USSR and China, were the principal enemy, further supported by the Viet Cong (VC's) who would be termed insurgents nowadays. The NVA launched the Tet Offensive, when the South Vietnamese army had been sent home to celebrate the festival of Tet with their families, believing that the festival would mark an unofficial ceasefire.

Parties of VC's, who had been stockpiling munitions and supplies all over South Vietnam for months (via the Ho Chi Minh trail), launched attacks all over South Vietnam and even into Saigon itself, while the US soldiers and airforce were busy fending off a diversionary attack by the NVA at Khe Sanh camp, near the Vietnamese border. Meanwhile the VC's had captured a major part of the US embassy in Saigon, images of which were beamed into US households.

The next major battleground was the city of Hue, where US marines had a major task on their hands in driving out the VC, who had entrenched themselves in the city's ancient citadel. Not until the South Vietnamese authorised the use of artillery and air-strikes, were the VC's reduced to rabble. At this point, the Viet Cong had been fully committed to battle and having been overturned on all fronts, no longer represented a viable fighting force. In the North of the country the US soldiers had also repelled the NVA.

The American Generals thought they were well on their way to victory, but back home things had taken a bad turn. The US public had seen enough footage on TV to convince them that things were going very badly. They'd seen executions and dead US servicemen lying in the street. They gave the President Lyndon B. Johnson no option but finally to withdraw all American forces from Vietnam. Despite the US then training and equipping the South Vietnamese Army, South Vietnam fell to the Communists in 1975.

But, despite the victory of Communism in Vietanam, as we now know, there were other battlegrounds between Democracy and Communism, Afghanistan being one instance. Communism however, ran its course and even China it seems, buoyed by a booming economy, cannot remain a Communist country for much longer. Now the attentions of the West are focused on a new enemy, the invisible force, the terrorist, who has no specific nation or race, and who can pop-up anywhere at any given time. Here is the final irony. In order for Western nations to combat terrorism, our glorious leaders request that we kindly surrender our civil liberties. In doing this, they increasingly use Big Brother tactics not entirely unlike those formerly used by the Communists.

History Is All About Blood!

Terry Pratchett has a point in Hogfather when he says that history is all about blood, don't you think? What's more, that definition can be deduced in several ways;

• History is all about blood-shed
• History is all about bloodlines
• History is all about genetic traits

Which ever way you take it, there is a definite ring of truth. The expression "History goes to the victors!" is one with which I would definitely agree, because it is clear to me that many of our accepted views of historical events are false, precisely because it is the accounts of the victors which we rely on, when events were entirely different to what was actually recorded. For instance, Hitler didn't ensure that accurate records were kept for posterity regarding the genocidal atrocities, which he had ordered. Had he been victorious we might never have known other than in rumour.

Many other historical events follow the pattern whereby there is no external verification of events, such as Tacitus' account of Gnaeus Julius Agricola's defeat of the Picts at the battle of Mons Graupius. Julius Agricola was the father-in-law of Tacitus, so clearly had a vested interest in promoting the achievements of Agricola. It is actually debatable whether the battle even took place, and little evidence to suggest that the Romans managed to cross the River Spey, which presented a formidable barrier, especially if the Picts held the opposite bank. However, Tacitus knew that the Picts could not relate their version of events and so history tells us only what he, Tacitus, had to say.

As far as blood-letting effects history, you might suppose that War can have a positive effect on society because the superior force would win. However, using the First World War as an example, it could be suggested that the War set Britian back hundreds of years, because the majority of its brilliant young minds were needlessly killed. Meanwhile, back on the farm, the half-witted labourers spawned the next generation. A serious setback for the gene pool.

Blood-lines have played a significant part in the history of the UK, for over 1000 years this nation was controlled by an elite, who largely inter-married with each other and held on to titles, vast tracts of land, wealth, and small armies of servants. In this respect, they held what they did by virtue of blood.

How can genetic traits influence the course of history. As an example of how inter-breeding can impact heavily on society, I would highlight the Roman Emperors and the Pharaonic Dynasties. Doubtless, the irrational and often insane behaviour displayed by many of them was a direct consequence of incest. Obviously, I'm focusing on the negative viepoint here, but conversely, a broader gene pool does result in more intelligent offspring. Anyone with a broad spectrum of ancestral origins, I'm sure will quite clearly demonstrate proof of what I'm suggesting!