The Tomb of Osiris!

Call me barking, if you like, but I have a deep-rooted suspicion that someday soon, a discovery is going to be made which will cause the whole of humanity to stop and re-think not only the course of human history, but our very place in the Universe. What could such a discovery consist of you ponder? Well, there are indeed many fabled wonders, which believe in their existence or not, you can be rest assured that there are those out there seriously seeking them.

The sort of thing which might fall into this category would be, for intance, the tomb of Osiris, or perhaps the Hall of Records, the Cavern of the Ancients, call it what you will, or alien visitation in prehistoric times. Anyone with an open-mind can accept the possibility of any sort of dicovery taking place. The real question is, would the public ever know if it such a discovery was made? That's debatable, but let's consider the possibility for a moment, that someone, somehow discovered the tomb of Osiris, complete with 12 foot tall skeleton, after all "There were giants in those days!" The Egyptian King Lists tell us that Osiris existed, so why not? If Schliemann or Evans hadn't taken supposed mythology at face value, then perhaps Troy and Knossos would never have been discovered.

We live in a sceptical age, when sagas and legends from the past are dismissed as fantasy out of hand. However, the evidence has always tended to suggest that the opposite is true. Supposed myths when regarded in all seriousness, can probably be proven if the requisite evidence has survived the course of time. You can't disprove a myth, neither through lack of evidence or by reasoning alone. Reason tells us that giant men or aliens, with long lost powers and abilities, couldnt possibly have held sway over the Earth in ancient times, but that doesn't mean that they didn't. Anything's plausible and logic would suggest that at least one myth which is currently regarded as impossible, must be based on real events! Which one will it be?

My Sinister Left-Brain!

Today at Uni, we were looking at different ways of thinking, and of course by different ways of thinking, also, different ways in which people think! The image above might indicate where I'm going with this. Nio disrespect to women, au contraire, I think they're lovely, but the way in which their brains' operate is virtually alien to man! They're totally right-brainers, OK some men are also right-brainers (they claim), but I'm not convinced that there's an even spread.

What separates left-brainers from right-brainers? Well left-brainers are logical and rational. Right-brainers are random and irrational. See what I mean? This is the reason why (if you're a man) that you will find it impossible to win an argument with your other half. You are applying logic, they are applying insanely irrational randomness. They don't win the argument, they just render your logically constructed points completely irrelevant, through tangential absurdness. In effect, you feel like you've lost the argument, but don't know how, while they feel like they've won the argument, and don't care how.

Obviously, thinking is not as clear cut as left or right brain and indeed many people are partly both. Right-brainers are creative, that is there forte, and they therefore supply a product (art, music, writing) which is useful to left-brainers. And, it's sometimes also useful to be reminded of how not to behave!

The Solution Is Obvious!

What's wrong with this answer? Is it the student's fault if the person who wrote the question wasn't half as clever as the person answering it. As they say; "Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer!" My intuition however, suggests to me that the person who gave such a witty answer, was probably slapped down for it, as there's often no place for humour in education. I personally would have allocated full marks for this answer, and used the experience as a lesson to myself for correctly wording questions in future!

I think it's a shameful indictment of modern society, but more particularly in the UK I suspect, that while saying we'd like to see more open thinking and discussion, on the one hand, when it comes to putting those ideas into practice, we get all disapproving and snooty about it!

Fortunately, in this short period I've had so far, of teacher training, has demonstrated to me that there is a significant sea-shift away from the traditional emphasis on assessment and formal teaching, towards promoting greater understanding and a concentration on more narrow topic areas. Government initiatives such as AiFL (Assessment Is For Learning) and cFE (Curriculum For Excellence) are probably going to result in the end of the Standard Grade format which is currently the norm. Many schools have already gone over to teaching subjects at Intermediate 1 and 2 instead. The winds of change, they're gonna blow!

Read Before You Look!

So, the kids are sitting watching "The Lord Of the Rings - The Two Towers" again and they still really enjoy it! I'm glad they do, because it's a fantastic story, which I'm afraid to say is far more enjoyable in the reading rather than on film. The problem is, having read the book at the age of 12, it was clear to me that any film version would never be able to do justice to Tolkien's writing. The second component is the imagination, and as a 12 year old, my imagination was indeed vivid. I lived this book, in my head.

Now, I know that my children, even if they were to read the book, would never draw the same enjoyment form it that I did, because not only do they now know the main themes of the story, but they already have mental images of the events described, and so won't be able to imagine them for themselves. It's a shame really, but at least they show me that they have the same good taste as myself, in embracing "The Lord Of the Rings" just as fully as they have now rejected that Harry Potter nonsense. The comparisons are ridiculous really, but they do happen, and it's clear to me that the popularity of Harry Potter says a lot about the present generation of children. What's astounding though is how many older people I've met who have expressed a liking for it (mainly women in retrospect). I wonder why that is? Perhaps because, it's written by a woman!

Anyhow, I think it should be compulsory that in order to be permitted to see a film based on a book, you should have to have read the book before-hand. Such a move would increase literacy skills and allow people to be imaginative again, instead of sitting in front of the telly vegetating. Get your brain mechanisms working again, reading does stimulate the mind, just get a book and read it, even if it's awful at least you'll have the mental capacity to realise that!

Who Does He Think He Is?

He's Sir Matthew Pinset (four times olympic gold medallist), that's who! I've decided to do a second post of the day, because this is what I was going to write about in the first place, but got side-tracked by political news. Well, last night was the final episode in this series of "Who Do You Think You Are?" Unfortunate, as besides "Top Gear", it's one of the few things that the BBC can be congratulated for. I've got to admit, where British TV used to be pretty good, we're rapidly losing out to US telly. For instance I've recently caught a few US shows in passing such as "Entourage" with Matt Dillon in it, and "Californication" starring David Duchovny. Both seem excellent!

Back to Sir Matthew Pinsent and his family tree. I was quite jealous, because he found (a researcher found actually) what genealogists allegedly call a "Gateway Ancestor". The individual in question was General Sir George Anson, who we were told acquitted himself rather well in the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. Turns out that Sir George was descended from the Howards, one of the leading noble families in England during the Middle Ages. They also provided a wife for Henry VIII to have beheaded.

A visit to some peerage place later, and it becomes clear that the Howard line was descended from Edward I, who was descended from William the Conqueror. He was then shown a tree going back to Jesus, Adam & Eve and finally God. You see now that's the kind of thing I want for my own family tree, I just need one of those Gateway Ancestors, and I'll be sorted. I know I'm descended from nobility, I just can't join the dots, so to speak. For instance, on my mother's side of the family I have Beaton's (or Bethune's) from Skye. It's commonly known that they were descended from an Earl of Fife, but no written genealogy. My wife's family claim a link to the Dukes of Gordon, and circumstantial evidence indicates a likelihood of this, but conclusive proof is elusive. Nevermind, someday I'll make a breakthrough too!

No Change From This Lot!

I've quite a few things to get off my chest today, mainly political I'm afraid, but all hugely significant I can assure you. Firstly, let's talk about the man above. Yesterday he claimed that a nuclear Iran would pose the potential for World War 3. Hmm, really! Well, we all know that a nuclear Iran is some years away, but a nuclear US is here and now, and hasn't Bush been threatening to nuke Iran? Don't all but one of the present Predential candidates for 2008, advocate such an attack? I'll answer for you, yes they do!

What's more, Putin says he'll be very upset by any attack on Iran, as he knows the US only has eyes on the Caspian Sea oil there. Of course he's right! When asked by a reporter about Putin's step-down from President to Prime Minister in order to keep hold of power, being a constitutional violation, Bush's reply was "I was planning something similar myself!" Nothing new there, I said so many moons ago. The legal framework is in place. All that's needed is an major Iranian-backed terrorist attack, elections will be cancelled and that's a toe-hold on the Presidency for life that Dick Cheney and his lackies have had their eyes on all along. Take heed, I'll be happy if I'm wrong!

Back to this country, and yes as predicted, Gordon Brown has provisionally signed the new EU treaty (to be formally ratified in December), which is proven to be 96% the same as the old EU constitution, which he promised us a referendum on, but then lied in saying wasn't the same and that he had our "red lines" covered anyway. All lies, he's a liar, it is the EU constitution, we never got our referendum and the "red lines" will be gone in 5 years. I know they'll be gone, becuase the Germans say so! The real question is; "What's in it for us?" Nothing whatsoever! So, what's in it for Gordon? we might wonder. Maybe he has his eyes on that EU Presidency that was once Blair's pipe-dream. He has no chance though, that's guaranteed to go to a Frank or a German.

Last but not least, seeing we've mentioned Blair, new evidence released concerning MOD scientist, UN weapons inspector and government whistle-blower Dr.Kelly, pretty much proves that he was indeed murdered as we had all concluded anyway. The knife with which he apparently slit his wrists had no fingerprints on it. Independent doctors also claim that the wounds would not have been fatal anyway. Take into account the lack of blood found with his body, and it becomes pretty plain that Dr.Kelly was murdered (by lethal injection?) elsewhere and deposited afterwards at Harrowdown Hill! You thought that poilitics was sordid and murky in the past. Well, it's worse than ever now. We really can't trust the people who hold the reigns of power!

Hanging In the Balance!

Where's the paper and scissors? I totally stumbled across this, this morning... and I want to know more about it. Apparently, someone somewhere has instigated this new art-form, known as rock-balancing! Just look at that picture above, isn't it amazing? Reminds me totally of "Myst Exile", I wonder if either the rock balancer or the photographer had that in mind? Anyhow, I will find out more about this and report back to you on the subject at a later date. It definitely merits further investigation.

OK, change of plan, and I've left the above to demonstrate just how fickle I can be. Wikipedia tells me that rock-balancing has been around far longer than I had presumed, and that there are three types of rock-balancing:

• Pure Balance - each rock in near-point balance (See Above)
  
• Balanced Stacking - rocks lain flat upon each other to great height
  

• Free Style - mixture of the two above; may include arches, etc.

It is suggested that there might be spiritual connotations involved, presumably traits from Buddhism, particularly as a great deal of patience is required in order to achieve perfection. Harmony with nature is another Buddhist element that one might associate with rock-balancing. I note however that some people get paid for doing it, and while artists need to make money, as soon as money becomes the principle motivation for doing so, the art is sure to suffer. I therefore cannot condone payment of any sort for rock-balancing. Long live the unpaid free-style rock-balancers!

Some Books, Some Clothes!

Yes, today we took a trip into Aberdeen, under the guise of stocking up on some early Christmas presents. My son and I headed off to the Bon Accord shopping centre for a nose around, so that on our return to Union Street, my wife and daughter would have done most of what was required. You know my clothes shopping hate, so I did this in order to survive!

I came back with two books; The War Of Wars by Robert Harvey (described as: the definitive one volume account of the Napoleonic Wars) and The Lords Of the Isles by Ronald Williams (describes the kingdoms and conquests of the Scottish Western Isles). My son was looking for PS2 games, but there seems to be a famine as far as those go. I wonder why, could it be that they're pushing the PS3 real hard at the moment?

Anyhow, surprise surprise, when we returned to Union Street after about an hour, my wife and daughter had acquired a blouse and a pair of boots. I'm convinced that they'd much prefer to spend the whole day just looking, they're good at looking and acquiring nothing. So I'm in a clothes shop 15 minutes and I have a pair of jeans, a pair of trousers, 3 shirts and 2 ties. That's how to shop! So, there were no early Christmas presents after all, only the ones I bought for myself.

The Tree Of Life!

I may have mentioned this before, but I do have a bit of the amateur genalogist in me! I started researching my family tree around 1990, and not long after probably started researching my wife's side of the family as well. Back then though, it was straight-forward. A visit to New Register House in Edinburgh, then back up to the North-East, trawling through Census records and Parish records (combined with the IGI) on microfilm. Some scanning through old newspapers, the odd local reference book, and of course scouring cemeteries for headstones.

I haven't done that type of research for several years now though, because the Internet changed all of that. At least, my discovery of the Internet. Four of five years ago, I took the liberty of uploading my family tree to several genealogy sites such as Ancestry.com, Genes Reunited (when they got going) etc. Since then, I haven't had to do any research, the information has come to me. Let me explain further:

• People anywhere in the World, can log-on to any of those sites and enter a name, possibly just a surname.
• They find a match.
• They look for the E-Mail address of the person who uploaded that name.
• They E-Mail me saying that they are descended from the individual in question.
• I respond with a sort of, I'll show you mine if you show me yours.
• Information is exchanged, and I add that new information to my tree.

At this point, I should re-upload my tree to show the new names on there, but this is something I haven't done for a year or two, but still I add and add new names to my tree. At this point in time, I'm just shy of 11,000 individuals dead or alive. Mostly dead I'm afraid. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep adding people. You'd think there'd be a ceiling of some sort, where the names just dry up, but not neccessarily. You'd be surprised how many descendants one person can have, for instance, take the wife's Gt Grandfather, Alexander Maver b.1855. My family tree software enables me to see that he has (or had) 254 direct descendants, and those are only the ones I know about. There might be more. I really should re-upload my tree, I think I'll do it now!

Top Gear Rules the Waves!

If you are a resident of the UK then you will be familiar with "Top Gear"! If you're not then it's a bloody shame, because Top Gear is absolutely immense. It is a motor show, but, anyone will tell you that I have no interest in cars whatsoever. And yet, my kids and I (and I suspect the wife even) enjoy Top Gear no end, because it's so funny. They're prepared to be outrageous, they take enormous risks and clearly enjoy driving and cars in general, particularly fast ones.

On Top Gear last night, the team: Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, each built an amphibious vehicle (part car, part boat), which they then had to drive from London to Dover. Once at Dover, they recieved the next part of their challenge, to sail their ridiculous amphibious vehicles 28 miles across the English Channel to Calais. The idea was just plain stupid. There was no way any of their vehicles could possibly make it. At least that's what we thought.

Thei first attempt was a trial run within the harbour, which went quite well, but the second attempt was fairly disastrous. As they left the calmer waters of the harbour, James May's boat sank, Richard Hammond's rudder jammed and he started going around in circles in the harbour entrance as the gigantic Sea-cat came steaming towards him. The timely intervention of the coastguard saved the day. Attempt 3 saw James May join Richard Hammond as cabin-boy. This time the sea was much calmer, so they made a good start. Several miles out to sea however, Hammond's boat began taking on water and then capsized. The three hosts then all ended up together on Jeremy Clarkson's boat, which was a converted pickup truck.

They were going great, but then came the shipping lanes. The English Channel is quite probably the busiest shipping lane in the World, and these nutcases were weaving in and out between tankers, ferries and cargo ships in a floating pick-up truck with an outboard. It was completely insane. They are crazy. Then they started to take on water, but as they drew closer to France the water calmed and unbelievably they made it. They landed somewhere near Sangatte, off target, but considering they had no maps or guidance systems of any sort, pretty good I would say. Rivetting viewing that's for sure. Here's a preview to give you some idea if you missed it or couldn't watch it. Check out some of the videos on the Top Gear website though, and you'll see what I mean!