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!

The Same Old Story!

I read somewhere today, that some brave people have decided to make futuristic manga comic strips featuring biblical stories. A cited example was David and Goliath, but with robots portraying the pricipal characters instead. I actually quite like the idea, because despite it's quaintness and occasional cliched moralistic tale, the Bible is clearly a good source of material. It's probably provided the back-bone for many a modern book or film. Let's face it, Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter are incarnations of Jesus anyway, maybe with a swipe of Dionysus as well, but that's bye the bye really!

I personally think that the Old Testament has some kernels of truth from pre-history in it. The New Testament might have given us a useful insight into historical happenings in Judaea at that time, if it wasn't for the later removal of every notable historical and political element, by the Roman church. Why don't they write a new bible anyway? Using the Nag Hammadi scrolls and others, I'm sure they could put together something much more relevant. But that something would be well out of line with the traditional scriptures wouldn't it? They'd never stand for that!

My own favourite is Ezekiel! He got up to all sorts. Babylon was obviously the place to be in those days, even though they didn't exactly choose to be there. But if he hadn't been there then he might never have got to travel in a space-ship. Ezekiel probably would have been left out too, had they not been able to interpret events entirely differently to what clearly happened. After all, nobody would have looked at Ezekiel's "visions" as close encounters before the 1950's. It wasn't until then that an explanation was given for such events. Before that people wouldn't have known what to think. Yes, people, especially those of little education, do have a need to be told what's going on, and tend to blindly accept the explanation given, especially from an authority they hold in veneration... like the Church for instance!

That Which Was Lost!

Yes, I finally found the time last night, to catch up on the first two episodes of the new series of "Lost". Here was me thinking there was going to be a significant decline in decent storylines, but that doesn't seem to have been the case. Since the creators decided the show would end with a sixth and final series, and having mapped out their expectations for the remaining shows, things seem to have more cohesion. I like the way that they've introduced new characters at the start of each season, and this season's bunch are the biggest bunch of oddballs yet!

My wife still thinks the whole thing is a figment of Hurley's fevered imagination, combined with some experimental drugs. A while back, we saw the nuthouse he was in before the crash, and he seemed to have quite a few of the other characters sharing the same domicile. If they were all on the same medication, then that might be plausible. My theory that they were all dead seems to be losing ground, but you never know. That would explain new guy Miles, involvement in the "rescue" mission.

I could be insanely busy over the next month, so if I miss the odd post, don't fret. I'm at a crucial juncture in life. I'm almost at the end of a journey, but there are still a few twists in the road to navigate. Ten years ago, I don't think I could have done this, but I've changed. I'm much more self-assured, you might say. Sometimes I even suspect myself of being cocky, and it disgusts me. I try not to, but I work hard and feel I should get some recognition for it occasionally, even if it has to come from myself!

Star Shift!

Lots of star news today, not celebrity type stars, but stars as in solar systems with a Sun (maybe more than one) and some planets orbiting the Sun. What news you say, pray doth tell? Well, firstly and probably as no surprise to anybody, scientists have proclaimed that there are likely millions of solar systems just like ours, with planets similar to ours, which probably have life, not necessarily like ours! Who'd have guessed? I hope you weren't thinking we're all alone in the Universe, because it seems that would be a wrong assumption. I would have told you that anyhow, but would you have listened?

Other news, which ties in with the first news. Apparently Titan, moon of Mars is hugely abundant in natural resources, scientsists have declared. Very fond of declaring things, these scientists. Perhaps there are a specific bunch of scientists who do nothing but make big declarations to the press, while the other scientists do the real scientific work. Anyway, since the Moon and Mars already have lots of natural resources, which the Superpowers are naturally eager to exploit, why not add Titan to the list. In fact, once we've done shafting this planet, why don't we just tear apart the rest of our solar system, then branch out across the galaxy, leaving massive open cast mines all over the place.

To be honest, my Sci-fi idealism suggests that the best course of action would be to build huge self-sustaining space-ships, fill them with "suitable" people, and send them out into the depths of space, to find new planets to inhabit. Meanwhile the rest of us can stay here and either wait for armageddon, massive global flooding, or some pandemic. We would be able to rest safe in the knowledge that humanity had rooted itself elsewhere, and had started to rip the guts out of another planet just like Earth! That started off idealist and ended all realist, my apologies. I'm tainted by the human genome!

So Much Still To Do!

Sorry about yesterday, I was just so busy, what with going to the cinema to watch "The National Treasure: The Book of Secrets" in the afternoon, and genrally I have a hell of a lot of work to do. Things aren't going to get easier either, over the next month or two. Ah well, took some time out this morning to walk up "Meikle Conval" near Dufftown. Nice walk!

Half-way up, looking back towards Dufftown, generally!

Looking South-East, about two thirds up!

Looking from the top, towards "Little Conval" (another hill fort) to the North!

The magnificent site that is Ben Rinnes. Must be pretty cold up there! Some day soon I'll tackle that one. Still a bit out of my league for now though!

Tap o' Noth!

Beautiful sunny Winter's day today, school's off for a long weekend. What finer way to spend a Friday morning than getting some nice fresh air? We decided to walk up Tap o' Noth. Not the easiest place to get to, but so much the better for it. We never saw another soul the whole way up and back down again. Tap o' Noth also has the vitrifed remains of a fort on top. I've covered the mystery of vitrified forts in this blog previously, but this was the first time I've seen one with my own eyes!

The Southern approach, easy for now!

Some time later and after a serious dip in temperature ( even though it' still sunny)!

Inside the fort remains. Must have been a fair size.

Looking along where a wall once stood, possibly 3000 years old!

A lump of rocks vitrified together. Fused by extreme heat? Nobody knows!

How Romantic?

Saint Valentine! Why do we commemorate this saint in the way we do? The association with romance escapes me, there's no record of his life at all (or his death), except for what Geoffrey Chaucer wrote, but that was plainly concocted. Chances are, like other early saints, that in order to be sainted, he had to suffer some sort of horrifically gruesome death. Then later once he was departed, somebody probably prayed to him for help, was cured of some boils, and verily, sainthood was assured! You see now, I know how these things work!

So why all this romantic nonsense on the 14th February? I laughed today at the way in which some of my fellow students felt obliged to give their partners cards, chocolates, flowers and other presents, and still take them out for a meal as well. The suggestion that they watch the football tonight instead (Aberdeen 2 : Bayern Munich 2) literally scared most of them. Their girlfriends would kill them. Why? Because someone hundreds of years ago got disembowelled for refusing to deny Christ? That's a good reason to commemorate the event with a Chicken Biryani! I'm sure St. Valentine would appreciate that token of respect to his memory! I might take the wife and kids hill-walking tomorrow, that's more romantic in my opinion!

I've never seen so many cops on the street before as I did this afternoon. I was on the bus heading down King Street and they were all heading the opposite way, towards Pittodrie. I wonder where they ususally spend their time, because you never normally see any police in the city centre, or anywhere in the North East generally. But, stage a European football match, and suddenly they're out in force. Don't need tickets to see the match either, how convenient!

Unlocking the Secrets of the Past!

I guess the Great Pyramids were once the most important stop on the Grand Tour, if you were a dashing young socialite hell-bent on seeing the World at Daddy's expense, and basically shoved off abroad in order to stop embarassing the family. It certainly was up until recently. When my brother went there maybe 10 years ago, he reported back tales of many a foppish 18 year old living on an extensive annuity, and generally making merry around the globe. But times have changed, yes, not such a desirable place to visit now is it? Not that it really was before, but the revenue from tourism kept the welcome mat out even though you were liable to have your bus raked with machine-gun fire if you happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Bad enough the awful food, the incessant heat, the persistent hawkers, the flies, the stinking camels and a whole lot of sand. That was all tolerable to get a good rummage around the Pyramids, the Sphinx, Luxor etc. But not any more, the welcome mat has truly been withdrawn and reigious extremism and hatred of Westerners is now rife. The Egyptian goverment and particularly the custodians of Egyptian antiquities want to deter tourists from visiting Egypts monuments. Gun-toting soldiers have orders to shoot anyone trying to scale the pyramids for instance. We've all seen the adverts for the Red Sea resorts. They'd rather you went there instead, but it's not much of a holiday when you know you're surrounded by would be suicide bombers is it?

My own personal opinion is that the Egyptian authorities have a real over-powering fear of what might be discovered at some ancient Egyptian site. They've pretty much prohibited all foreign archaeologists and scientsist from working in the country. Only patriotic Egyptian archaeologists can work there, and all answer to the Director of Egyptian Antiquities, Zahi Hawass. They are also pushing hard for the return of all Egyptian artifacts to Egypt. Why are they suddenly become so insular? Well, Dr. Hawass himself is a fierce opponent of any suggestion that there were races in Egypt before the Egyptians themselves. It seems they will do anything to prevent an opposing notion coming to the fore. If that means closing sites, they'll do it, and if that means hiding away artifacts which contradict the prevailing history, those will disappear forever.

It could be that I'm singling Egypt out here, but very similar situations are playing out around the World, the remains of ancient kilted caucasians in China got them all worked up, and the discovery of the remains of giant caucasians in New Zealand got the Maori led government all hot under the collar, to the extent where you could be risking your life to try and acces the site. Interesting times we live in, but these people should learn that nothing stays secret forever!

No Real Deterrent!

Oh joy of joys, Parent's night tonight, and tomorrow also. Two hours waiting to be told what we really ought to know already! I love the little kiddies chairs that they make us sit in. It's all psychology! It works on the children so they probably assume that it will work on their parents as well. Of course to make the feeling of domination even more pronounced, the teachers tend to sit in an elevated position also. I've got nothing against teachers mind you. After all I'm going to be one soon enough, and I'll probably use the same techniques myself. Anyway, I've already sat in on a parents night, and seen how it works from the teacher's perspective. Let's just say that the parents play a bigger part than they might realise.

Apparently the University are doubling their intake of student teachers next year, because of shortages. That has to be promising for me with regards to the job front, although I'd like to think I might have something lined up already, but it's never as simple as that. There are several organisations involved in placing teachers in positions. Each one working to a different set of criteria unfortunately. Did I mention that I'll have to get a job over the Summer? That's an area where they really let down student teachers. You'd think that after 4 years of studying, and desperate to earn some money, they would place student teachers on a retainer until they can start work. Nothing of the sort. They're abandoned for 2 months until the schools go back. I wonder how many find themselves something else in the meantime, and then turn their backs on teaching forever.

Anyway, I've came so far, I don't think I'll be deterred that easily. But then, you never really know. If the right offer comes along, only a fool would turn their back on it, wouldn't they? I think that's what happens to many, but I'm in a bit of a backwater really, so there are never going to be that many opporunities staring me in the face. I'll have to make my own opportunities as usual. Always have to do things the hard way!

Blame It On the Dark Star!

I was absolutely delighted today, to have the opportunity to join in a lively discussion on the merits of Sci-fi films, and from my perspective, 70's Sci-fi in particular. The fact that a wide variety of age groups were involved made it all the more lively, but what was truly interesting, and confirmed a supposition made by me previously in this blog, was that the younger guys present (early 20's), had very little background knowledge of the development of Sci-fi. I mean, clearly Sci-fi was on the go before I was born, but I suggested that the pinnacle of Sci-fi had been achieved in the late 70's - early 80's, with films like Dark Star and The Black Hole and T.V. series; Doctor Who, Blake 7, Space 1999, Star Trek etc. were all at their peak in that era.

Of course, these young guys hadn't heard of The Black Hole or Dark Star, but when I told them the general storyline for "The Black Hole", they thought it sounded like a great story. Perhaps because I focused on the robot and his robot friend, their relationship, and how the film evoked great empathy for the robots, who seemed more human than the human characters. My advice to them and to anyone else who loves Sci-fi, but hasn't seen these 2 films, would be to go and get them on DVD, they're probably in the budget bin anyway. These films never got huge credit, but I suspect must have massively influenced the following generations of Sci-fi film-makers.

I should mention that my ankles were in agony this morning. They're much better now, but I probably pushed myself too hard yesterday. What's truly shocking is that everyone else in the family is alright, even the kids, who moaned enough at the time. They don't feel my pain though! As someone once very rightly stated "You'll find sympathy in the dictionary, somewhere between shit and syphillis!" Never was a truer word spoken!

The Moorhound of Bennachie!

I'm knackered! I've just spent 5 hours this afternoon trekking across the five tops of Bennachie, and it took about 5 hours from start to finish. I'm not going to type much, the only peak of any magnificence was the one seen below, the Mither Tap, the last of the 5 for us. After which the long slog back to the car park was fairly tortuous!

Could this be the hiding place of the mysterious Moorhound of Bennachie. Sorry if you don't get that, you really had to be there (family joke of the day).

Barbarian Wormhole Summit!

I read yesterday that scientists want to create a wormhole, which will allow people from the future to travel back to this time. The wormhole thing's a bit vague though. I'm not sure they should be allowed to just create a wormhole. Aren't wormholes theoretical concepts? They might create a paradox. In other related news, Russian scientists are also claiming that they are on the verge of developing time travel. It's all quite exciting and at the same time, fairly scary. I always go back to the Ray Bradbury short story I read in school, where one of the central characters went back to a time before men, where they tried hard not to do anything paradoxical, but accdentally bent the stem of a single flower. The long and the short of which was that when they returned to the present, all writing was backwards.

There are a couple interesting programmes on telly this week. In about an hour's time, there's a show about the Dead Sea Scrolls. Very hotly protected by the Cathoilc faith, because they know and we know that the contents could utterly destroy their version of biblical events. As history tells us, they'll do "anything" to protect the faith, because faith is far more important than the truth. On Wednesday evening, there will be a program about Attila the Hun airing. I'm looking forward to that. Apparently he was vastly intelligent and complex, while still possessing the brutality and penchant for violence that made him the lovable rogue he was.

Hillwalking on Bennachie tomorrow looks like it will go ahead. We had a lovely day here today and if it's the same tomorrow, we'll have a great time. As usual, I'll be sure to take some photos for you. I'm certain that the view from the summit of the "Mither Tap" will be well worth the exertion taken to get up there in the first place.

The Emperor's New Boots!

I bought myself a proper pair of hiking boots today, so now there's no excuse. I have a whole series of reasonably large hills lined-up, which I intend to hillwalk while the weather is still fairly Wintery. Once the snow's all gone, I will have a go at some of the larger hills around here, Ben Rinnes being a priority. It's actually quite exhilirating, and little challenges give you something to look forward to, something to aim for. This week's intended target is Bennachie near Insch, in Aberdeenshire. It's actually three fairly large hills strung together, but we'll take the whole lot if you don't mind, weather permitting as always.

I'm also planning ahead. I'd like to climb the Tap o' Noth near Rhynie, which is a vitrified fort, and so should probably count as double. Actually, like Bennachie, there are two hills joined together at Tap o' Noth. Following that will be another nearby double-hill; The Buck. What we're aiming for are increasingly high peaks. Bigger and badder every time. That's the way to play it I reckon, culminating in Ben Nevis sometime this Summer!

So, it looks as though there might be a few decent films out this year. I never even realised that they were making a follow-up to "The National Treasure". That was a decent film, and the sequel look like it could potentially be half-decent also. I might just go and see that next week, if it's showing here of course, which is by no means guaranteed, as per my recent Cloverfield not showing here post. There is also the small matter of the new Indiana Jones film to come, as well. The Indiana Jones franchise stole part of my childhood, I must confess. What kid wouldn't have wanted to be Indie? I also seem to recall some game I had for the PC, I think it was called "Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb". It looked fantastic, but was rendered virtually unplayable by the dodgy controls which made a simple jump into a doctorate in computing physics!

In A Bunker Underground!

Do you remember the mid 80's, when we were all going to die in a nuclear winter? They used to have these information cartoons telling us what to do in the event of an atomic armageddon. Not applicable if you lived within the blast radius though, as your flesh would be instantly melted, and your bones turned to dust. Otherwise, a matress under the stairs would prove sufficient to protect you, possibly from falling debris, I'm not sure. They tended to focus on the moment of the nuclear missile's impact and the period immediately after. There was no mention of the global nuclear winter to follow, the death of all plant life, and the subsequent resorting to cannibalism once all the animals were gone. A never-ending supply of tinned goods, and a nuclear bunker would be handy at this juncture, but would only be available for those who instigated the war in the first place.

I've just realised that I've pretty much broken down the lyrical content of "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath there, except for the "witches gathered in black masses" part, but since I've covered that in a previous post, I will consider myself fully exhonerated. Why the bunker thing today? Not really sure, I think it's Aberdeen that's affecting me. Yesterday, we were in the car-park which felt underground although it wasn't, the orthdonstist was in a basement, and maybe it's just cities in general, but the darkness and sunbterranean elements are most unappealing for me. Aberdeen in particular with it's grey granite buildings and some horrendous architecture, is just not a nice looking city. Need I moan anymore today? I don't think so. I'm tired, but tomorrow I will be back refreshed and possibly with something reasonably worth itterating!

Port Ticket Road Works!

I had to make a trip into Aberdeen today for reasons which involve being a parent. Anyhow, we were just heading back to the Denburn car-park, and we came down the steps which are just to the left between the first and second car in the photo. the Denburn car-park was right behind me when I took this photo. Anyway, we were confronted by 3 traffic wardens, just as we rounded the corner. I had my camera with me, so I took this photo of them disappearing up the road. I wonder how many cars they ticketed?

Not that there was any chance of me getting ticketed. I'm a decent law-abiding citizen. I even paid for two hours when it turned out one would have been enough. Ah well, better safe than sorry I suppose. Besides which, driving into Aberdeen today was horrendous, a combination of the salt off of the road and the sun directly in front all the way in, made the journey rather unpleasant. Plus, there are numerous road works in operation right now. There must be Third World roads better than the A96, I'll bet there are too!

I also tried my hand at Port Forwarding my router today. It claims to have been successful, but I see no noticeable improvement in my dismal download speeds. However I am getting the message "Your Internet connection is working like it should", which has replaced the previous "Your connection is awful, better forward a port" message. I'm sure things will improve though, otherwise it's back to the drawing board!

No Great Mystery!

You might be like me and enjoy the mysteries that life has to offer. Aren't mysteries wonderful? Unfortunately, when you solve that mystery, it tends to have a disappointing outcome, or it just turns out that there are no real answers and that they mystery is a mystery for mysteries sake. Does it seem as though I'm talking in riddles? Perhaps I am, but I know what I mean and there's no real mystery behind what I'm saying!

What I'm saying is, that the best mysteries are the ones that can't be solved! The kind of mystery that presents tantalising clues, but then fades away again, only to resurface many years later. I've examined a few in this here blog... the crucifixion... archaeological anomalies, and so on. These are the best mysteries, because the truth isn't easily accessible. there are people working hard to hide the truth. Probably harder than those trying to discover it. There's mis-information, dis-information, and academic ridicule for those who dare to challenge the established orthodoxy.

I have my own opinions on such matters and I use rationale and deduction to reach my conclusions. These are valuable weapons when opposed against blind faith in religion or science. Both have their merits of course (science and religion), but the real truth probably lies somewhere in between, which presents a problem for those firmly encamped in one or the other. Let's face it, the theory of evolution is probably about as accurate and definitive as the bible version of the crucifixion. Anyone with the least capability of rational thought would spot the immediate flaws in either one, yet even intellectuals cling on to these ideas for dear life. Ah well, here's to philosophy, where even the impossible remains a possibility!

The Results Of Assessment!

Back to Uni today and the 6am rise nearly killed me. Honestly, I've been shattered all day. All I wanted was my assessment results, which I've waited 2 months to find out about. The results were very good as it turns out, but now that's done and it's on to the next task. I need my bed though, and I think I might just not get up tomorrow, until I see fit to do so.

Well, at least the trains ran on time today, although they're insanely over-crowded. The rail company are well aware of the fact, but will they stick on extra coaches? No chance! They put the prices up though, they can do that alright! It has to be one of the worst forms of transport ever. Anyway, enough ranting about that, I've made my feelings regarding public transport well known long before now.

The real issue at hand is; how long before I start earning some money, because, to be honest, I need some right now. I've had 4 continuous years of College and Uni, with next to nothing to live on, and suddenly household appliances have decided to implement a policy of non-co-operation. The washing machine has been working infrequently for several months, and now the oven in my cooker has called it a day. I could probably buy a new one of those if it wasn't for the car. It needs a health check-up too, which I suspect it won't pass with flying colours, in which case I will have to acquire another car, just to get me through till June. That's the state of play, can't say I'm happy about it, but shit is nothing new to me!

Another Sunday, Another Hill!

Haha, intrepid adventurer that I am. Given that most of the snow had melted overnight, and not to be perturbed by the dark clouds looming (see picture), we decided after lunch today, that we may as well attempt the trek up Ben Aigen. I think it's 471 metres or so, but the ascent itself isn't a problem, because it's very gradual. So gradual in fact, that it's about an hour's walk from the car park to the top, and that's including a short-cut through a very boggy fire-break.

The hill you can see in the picture is Ben Rinnes (from the top of Ben Aigen) which I'm itching to try and ascend. It is considerably higher than anything I've ever attempted though, at 842 metres (which makes it a corbett). I'm told by experienced hill-walkers however, that going up Ben Rinnes at this time of year would be pure madness, and I well believe they're right. However, the view from the summit must be phenomenal.

We've sort of got into a routine of climbing hills on a Sunday, with the Bin Hill 2 weeks ago, the Knock Hill last week, and Ben Aigen this week. Each one successively higher. Yes, I know they're not mountains, but it is Winter and my daughter in particular is highly averse to mud and dirt. She was very concerned about the state of her new jeans, which she had misguidedly worn for the event. The worst aspect of hill-walking at this time of year appears to be the run-off, by which I mean the torrents of water pouring down the hillside from rain and melting snow. A decent pair of water-tight boots is essential. I don't have a decent pair of boots, and can unfortunately confirm this as fact!

Snow Go!

Since it seems I'm going to be thwarted in my attempts to do any hill-walking this weekend and because I promised you some photos, here they are;

This is the Spey Bay to Fochabers road, the river Spey is about 10m to the right just behind the trees and bushes.

Here is the river, looking downstream. I believe it's the fastest flowing river in the UK.

Elgin town centre with St. Giles church at the rear.

This is the back road into Elgin. The building at the end of the road is a distillery.

This is Buckpool, where I live. I took this picture looking out over the Moray Firth, about 150m for my house.

Something For the Weekend!

Well, that's me finished teaching for 3 weeks or so. It's been an experience! On the assessment front, I'll get my results and feedback at Uni, on Monday. Going back to Uni's a bit of a thought to be honest. I've gotten used to being in the school, and the prospect of having to stand waiting at the train station at 6:45 in the morning, at this time of the year, is very unappealing. It's got to be one of the coldest damn places around here, at the best of times.

So, we've had a little snow today, but it looks like tonight is going to see some major snowfalls here for the first time this year. Don't know if I'll be able to get any hill-walking in this weekend, the rest of the family are wavering. They're talking about the cinema, but there's nothing on. They're not even showing Cloverfield here, which is the only film I'm remotely interested in going to see at the moment. Did I mention that the oven in my cooker has packed up? No, I don't think I did. I'm not happy about that at all!

I will try and get some photos this weekend though, rest assured I'll find something photograph-worthy on my travels. Preferably with snow in it, but I can't guarantee it. If you live in another part of the World, you might not really understand how the weather works here in Scotland. We can get the four seasons in one day, any combination of snow, rain, sunshine and wind. The weather can change every 10 minutes. That's what it's like here, always changing, from good to bad and back again in next to no time. That's why you always have to dress for the worst possible weather!