What the Dickens?

I was relatively ill yesterday, as reported. Today, I'm very ill. Nothing life threatening, just a really bad head cold. But I can't think clearly, and I hate it when I can't think clearly. I woke up at like 5:30 in the morning and my nose just started streaming. Yep, disgusting I know, but I'm trying to tell it as it is. Worse than that, we had to go for our fortnightly shop after that, and I hate shopping at the best of times, but on a Saturday when I'm ill, it's crowded and the weather is miserable, well, so was I.

Events have conspired to prevent me going hillwalking this weekend, and therefore there won't be any photos of the Scottish landscape for you until at least next weekend now. I for one can tell you that there's definitely no better place to be than the Scottish countryside when the weather's fair. Plenty people would pay for the privilege. I just go out and drive a short distance, and there I am, in the hills.

Sorry for the short post today, I'm sure you'll understand, and if not, too bad. I'm bloody well ill!

The Return to Action!

Looks like I won't be flying off to the hills this weekend! Not only do I have a bad cold, apparently the weather is going to be horrible as well. It was no wonder that I caught a cold when I was surrounded by unwell people all week. I was sort of hoping that I'd just get lucky and stroll through it untouched like Bruce Willis in "Unbreakable"! However, I actually broke in about 3 days, as it happens. Ah well, there goes my invincibility. Perhaps I'm more like Samuel L. Jackson than Bruce Willis then.

Speaking of Bruce Willis, I saw a photo of Demi Moore the other day, and she's starting to look like somebody's grandmother despite having put up a pretty good fight against time and nature. Poor Ashton, looks like he's been Punk'd! He should have known that he could never step into Bruce's shoes and fill them. Can't believe that either Bruce or Stallone are still making films. They're both pushing on a bit now and should probably be on the other side of the camera like Clint Eastwood.

Then there's the other aged action hero due to return to the big screen shortly, Harrison Ford, as Indiana Jones, reprising the role for the first time in over 20 years. It's a shame there weren't more Indiana Jones films, I know there was the young Indy TV show, but I found it lacking to be honest. Mind you, we also have the Tintin films to look forward to, although I haven't really come across any details as of yet. I don't know if they'll be making films of the books, if so which ones? And if not, who's script writing? Anyway, everyone likes Tintin don't they? Surely?

Saving the World!

I see that Mr.Yorke is undertaking another environmental campaign, and he's right of course when he lays the responsibility firmly at the door of the World's governments. The unfortunate part being, that (at least in the UK) the goverment then lays the responsibilty firmly upon the tax-paying public. They have somehow twisted it into a desperate need for more taxes on fuel, transport and whatever else they can tack on, as a tool for combatting climate change. The best part is how they've convinced the public that it's down to the individual to make a difference. Of course it isn't, and you must be mad if you think that to be true.

No single person will ever make a difference! Why not? Becuase even if the UK completely stopped carbon emissions overnight, the emerging nations in the East would make up the difference in 5 minutes, then quickly overtake it. I'm not just bandying numbers around. I have that time frame from a reliable source. Then of course there's the US! Need I say more, massive SUV's just to drop off a kid at school. Either everyone's pulling the same way, or it's all pointless.

It's true, I'm fairly cynical about any attempt to combat climate change. I admit that climate change is happening, and I recycle and so on. But I'm not even sure that once I sort out my waste that it actually is recycled. They could just dump the whole lot at the tip, and I supect that they often do, because there isn't an infrastructure to support it. Quite plainly this is what happens when agencies do sign up to environmental protocols. They just pretend that they're doing what they ought to be doing, while actually doing what ever they please. After all, if it looks like it's working, who's going to ask the question, "Is it really working?"

Everything's Not Lost!

I'm 15 years married today. That's pretty good going by modern standards, I do believe. What's more we've never once threatened to kill each other, and that has to count for something right? I'm not a big fan of overblown romantic gestures, and neither is she, or at least she's practical enough to realise that we can't afford them, so there's no extravagant presents or massive bouquets. If there was I'd probably be right under the spotlight. In certain quarters, such items are a sure sign of hidden guilt. This is such a quarter!

I'm still loving the new series of Lost, loads of questions stacking up once more, such as why is Kate pretending to be Aaron's mother? What therefore happened to Claire? Why did Jack say that there were only 8 survivors of the flight? and why are they called the Oceanic 6? We already know that Jack, Kate, Hurley, Said and Ben make it back, and so who is the other island escapee?

I'm trying to find some smaller hills for this weekend. After last week's Force 10 bashing at the top of the Buck, I'm starting to think that it's still just a little too seasonal for hills of that height, so the plan is to stick to the smaller ones until the weather improves. The challenge is to find smaller hills that sre still worth scaling, because if you can practically drive to the top, then there's hardly any point pulling on the hiking boots is there? I'll find such a hill though, don't you worry!

Under the Microscope!

Funny thing happened today. I'm not giving away too much detail, but in an overheard conversation, I overheard mention of the fact that no-one had ever seen an electron. It went further... electrons were just too small to see, but atoms could be seen. Then, tonight I'm having a quick scan through the first few pages of Digg, and I read the headline "Scientists view electrons for first time"! How spooky is that? It's not like it's every day you hear people talk about electrons unless that's part of your job, and it's not part of my job. Well, maybe slightly, but not to such an extent that I even need to say the word "electron"!

I did read another much more disturbing article on Digg last week about a report that the Pentagon had commissioned on climate change. Allegedly, the results suggested that the World, and it's over-burgeoning population might be on it's knees by 2020. It suggested that the UK would be as cold as Siberia, sea-levels would rise dramatically, resource shortages would escalate, and that countries would use nuclear weapons to defend their precious resources, in what was termed "a resource war"! That paints a pretty gloomy picture. Of course they could be wrong, and they better be wrong, because I'm not a fan of the cold and I live in the Northern extremities of the UK.

It gets to the point though, where all these scare stories just wash over you. We've heard it all... pork gives you cancer, vegetables are filled with pesticides, and radiation from Chernobyl, as are the animals grazing on the irradiated pastures. Wine is good for you, no it's bad, wait, some wine might be good. Tap water is filled with fluoride and stuff that makes it shiny, but gives you Alzheimers. On the other hand, bottled water contains chemicals from the bottle's plastic which will give you cancer. Let's face it, there's nothing safe to eat or drink, so you may as well eat, drink and be merry!

When the Time Is Right!

Well, today went alright. I've only been finding my feet really. Tomorrow will be my first time out in front of class. Nothing massively difficult, but actually fairly new to me believe it or not. That's right, I don't know everything already. I know most, but not all. The fact is, parts of this will be difficult, other parts will be fairly straight-forward (I hope). My principal concern is, that when the time comes, I'll land with the right class, the right lesson, and the right amount of luck. Lady luck had smiled on me so far through this course. Just once more, that's all I ask!

If you're reading this and you haven't read any of my previous posts, then it won't make a whole lot of sense. I'm complex you see, and I didn't land where I am now overnight. It's taken 4 years of graft, and I'm still not quite done. But soon I will be, then I can start reaping the rewards that my dedication and perseverance so surely entitle me to.

I really wish it was Summer, or even Easter. I need a break! I want to have the time to read a few books. What's more, I really need to do some archiving... badly! I just haven't had the time, and stuff is accumulating with speed. The trouble with even thinking about archiving is (touch wood) that usually when I think about it seriously, that's when I get a hard-drive crash. So, I've just unthought it again. This conversation never took place, you never saw me, right?

Ark Drum Of the Lemba!

A researcher "Tudor Parfitt" reckons that the Ark of the Covenant was actually a drum filled with some substance akin to modern day gunpowder, and that it wound up in Zimbabwe after being carried into Africa by the Lemba. The original Ark-drum thing was allegedly destroyed by an expolsion, but the remnants were used to build a replica, which now resides in the Harare Museum of Human Science in Zimbabwe.

Now there are parts of this story which make sense and others which fall short. Mr.Parfitt was the man who traced the genetic relationship between the Lemba and the Judaic Temple Priests, proving their assertion that they were a lost tribe of Israel. The association of the Ark with trumpets, King Solomon dancing in it's presence, and the drums beating around the walls of Jericho, add circumstancial anecdotal evidence. But could a drum really have had the powers ascribed to the Ark in the Old Testament?

On the one hand, the ancient Egyptians also associated musical notes, particularly those of trumpets, with magical powers, but I'm not sure about drums. And, Moses had just departed from Egypt when he received the Ark. Maybe he had it with him already, taken from Pharaoh. That would definitely explain the Pharaoh's burning desire to catch him. The Ark may well have been a prized possession of the Egyptian elite. We'll never know.

Perhaps the drum was merely associated with the Ark, perhaps beating time as the Ark passed around Jericho, and in time became the Ark to a tribe that had ancestors present at the occasion. Maybe the real Ark is still waiting to be found, or maybe it has been found, crated and stored in a huge warehouse someplace where nobody will ever look!

Back Of Beyond!

The Buck!

Took this shot on the way back. A view of the Buck from the Cabrach. Doesn't look nearly as big as it actually is from here.

Thought this was a nice idea for a photo, looking along the fenceline with Ben Rinnes in the distance.

What appears to be a pictish symbol stone with 3 fishes swimming around each other, and some other symbols. Nobody knows what these stones represented, but it could have been a boundary marker. Interestingly, the present day boundary between Moray and Aberdeenshire, runs right across the top of the hill!

View from the top towards the Cairngorns.

This was a hard one! The virtual bog at the bottom had to be negotiated twice, but at the top of the hill, the wind was so strong it was almost impossible to stand. I've never experienced anything like it before. I only managed to get some photos off because I found shelter behind the rocks on the summit. What an adventure!

The Missing Dollar Bill Mystery!

Things are beginning to take shape. I might have a job lined up for next year. It's not definite yet, but it's definitely very promising. If I can keep my head down and keep my nose clean, I'll be in with a great chance, that's for sure. I for one will be glad to have a pay-packet again after 4 years of study. I say pay-packet, but it'll be a payment transfer probably. I guess pay-packets are a thing of the past. I can remember when I got my pay-packet on a Thursday, and having to mix it with the drunks at the bus stop wasn't fun at all. Especially when they started hassling me for money... "You've been paid today right, it's Thursday, everybody gets paid on a Thursday!" Of course I denied it. They'd probably have robbed me for it otherwise.

Anyway, thoughts turn to buying a house, not likely similar to the one in the photo. I'll probably opt for something more traditional to be honest. Old on the outside, Sci-fi on the inside. That's my ideal house, and with huge rooms, which you don't usually get in an old house. You see what a contradiction I am. Anyway, probably won't need a house unless I have to move, and I'm hoping not to have to move, but I might upgrade anyway.

I was hoping to climb a hill called "The Buck" this weekend, but the weather is damn awful right now. Yes American citizens, you read correctly, it's called "The Buck". I don't know where the name came from, but I'm sure it wasn't because an American tourist lost a dollar bill up there and nobody ever found it. We don't get many American tourists up here anyway, because they haven't found out about the place yet. In case you're wondering, we have some of the best beaches, hills, forests, castles and scenery in the whole of Scotland, and you don't even know about it! Scotland's best kept secret! Sssshhhh!

A Flight Of Books!

Came across this today, a staircase cum bookcase that anyone would be proud to have in their house. It helps if you have time to read, and if you happen to have a life of leisure. Unfortunately for me, I haven't been able to find hardly anytime to read of late. My Uni course is all consuming, and even more so the periods while on school placement. There's no respite! And, even Summer when it eventually comes will offer very little in the way of down-time, as it looks like I might have to seek employment until around the time when the schools go back.

My love of a good book is no secret in these parts. I'm sure I've mentioned it several times in the past. I won't read just any old rubbish though. It has to leave me thinking, or at least take me on some sort of journey. I have no time for disposable fiction, books need to have longevity. A good book is the one I can come back to in 5 or 10 years, and enjoy it all over again. The trouble with this sort of attitude to books, is; I never throw them away. I just accumulate them, and they accumulate dust, or sit in boxes in the attic waiting for retrieval. I know that I've got some good books up there, and as I can't remember which ones, that's good! I can read them again soon, if I ever have the time.

So, it's back to school on Monday for another 4 week block of teacher training. However, I'm in a different school this time, and the circumstances are also very different. I won't go into details just yet, no doubt I'll have plenty to post about in due course. This placement is followed up by another even harder assessment than the last one. Then it's a group presentation in front of half the Uni, followed by another school placement just to round the year off. It's been tough and it's not over yet. Probably a third of the students on the course have dropped out, and soon others will be getting kicked out, while even more will fall. It's not for the faint-hearted, that's for sure!