The View from the Pond

Friday Foto Finder - Curiosity

2012-02-10T08:31:00.000Z

I used to live in a wonderful place, where I would stumble across new, to me, plants and creatures every week. When I first saw these, I thought I had found some beautiful tropical CURIOSITY, but orange ladybirds are, apparently, fairly common in the UK.

How characterful are they?

Why not have a go at Friday Foto Finder yourself?

January Auroras

2012-02-09T08:53:00.000Z

Now this is a nice way to start your Thursday morning...

Aurora 2012 from Christian Mülhauser on Vimeo.

Produced by the talented (and rather handsome) Christian Mulhauser. Makes me want to move as far north as I can and stay up all night watching the sky...

Technology Isn't Always a Good Thing...

2012-02-06T08:10:00.001Z

Pinched from blogging newcomer, Roaming Radish, is this very funny cat conversation:
Louis vs Rick. I wasn't at all sure this was going to be funny when I began reading but it just gets funnier and funnier. Give it a go.

Friday Foto Finder - Dedication

2012-02-03T09:04:00.002Z

I went on a cake decorating course recently and DEDICATED the results to - myself!

Play along yourself, over at Archie's place.

What's In the Sky This Month?

2012-02-01T08:49:00.000Z

Happy February everyone!

The (northern hemisphere) night sky has some beautiful objects in it this month. See what to look out for, courtesy of the Hubble Site.

Friday Foto Finders - Welcome!

2012-01-27T02:14:00.000Z

Archie over at the Archive has started up this new photo meme, with the first theme being "Welcome"...

A rainbow is a WELCOME sight after rain...

Merope

2012-01-08T11:00:00.003Z

Time for another poem...a bit of classical mythology, I think...

Merope

Merope, daughter of Atlas,
daughter of Pleione, runs
in the sky with her sisters.
Youngest of seven, wooed by
Orion, ever she runs
from his eager advances.
Guided by Maia, the bull
is their guardian. Orion,
the hunter, laughs at the ploy,
and shoulders his bow. Merope
loved the mortal Sisyphus,
married, bore him children.
Sisyphus paid for boldness,
Merope was alone again.
Her sisters gathered around
and became the Pleiades,
twinkling, fairest of all, high
in the winter sky, a swarm
of fireflies, darting around
the head of Taurus, laughing.

It's a bit of a work in progress - comments gratefully received! Incidentally, Merope is the star at the bottom of the group, being well shielded by her sisters.

Why I Will Never Be A Famous Film-maker, And Neither Will You...

2012-01-03T10:51:00.000Z

Oh, I have dreamt SO many great movie screenplays, if only I could remember them when I wake up...

From the mighty xkcd.

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T12:21:00.001Z

Happy New Year everyone!

For only the third time in my adult life, I brought in the New Year not in my own house. I went along with friends to the Hogmanay bash in Inverness and had a jolly good time, listening to fusion tcheuchter rock and watching some very nice fireworks at the end. The Inverness fireworks were perfectly good but it looks as though the London ones were utterly spectacular. Have a look...

Sharp, clever and highlighting the best bits of London - maybe the Olympics aren't going to be the embarrassment we all fear... I wish you all a fabulous 2012!

Nidstang

2011-12-29T13:41:00.003Z

(picture by the talented shadowgate )

A nidstang is an ancient word from the Norse. It was a cursing-pole, apparently, and I had some fun imagining what might happen if an out-of-the-way village decided to erect one...

Our village built a Nidstang
good and strong and tall.
We hewed it from a big old pine
that grew beside the Hall.
Richard carved the runic marks,
Robert dug the hole,
the Gaelta boys erected it
and we gathered on the knoll.
We held a day-long party
to open up its power;
the chief's wife, Hael, had first go,
and ranted for an hour.
She railed against the weather,
she wept about her age,
but mainly, to the clan's delight,
her menfolk took her rage.
Her husband was a bully,
her sons were wastrels all.
We left her as the sun set,
and still can hear her call.

A Seasonal Warning From a Pair of Socks

2011-12-25T00:44:00.000Z

Be careful out there and HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

The Xenopus Portolan

2011-12-22T17:42:00.002Z

Another poem-y, story sort of thing...

Massive, ancient, fastened with a
metal clasp and vellum bound,
the Xenopus Portolan is the
record of a lost civilization.
Seafarers from the earliest times,
explorers of the five seas,
inch by treacherous inch they
traversed the blank map, filling
in the spaces systematically. Discovery
was their only motivation, and
they wrote it all down
in this mighty book - islands,
whirlpools, sea monsters to beware,
the depth of channels and
the hidden rocks; the new
people, animals, fruits and flowers
found. And on every page
the name, age and birthplace
of every sailor, cook and
cabin-boy lost in the endeavour.

Just Listen to That Glorious Carolling...

2011-12-15T11:15:00.000Z

A bit of high-brow Christmas humour courtesy of the New Yorker- enjoy!

How Evolution Works

2011-12-15T00:27:00.000Z

A very elegant introduction to how evolution works...

Yoga And Cats DO Mix

2011-12-14T22:05:00.001Z

I'm not mad keen on cats (dogs rule!) and I couldn't even begin to do yoga as well as this woman but this is a fab (and funny) video...

Pinched from Astropixie.

Endings

2011-12-11T13:09:00.003Z

Inspired by reaching the end of a writing notebook, I had a go at a poem on endings:

The day ends with the sunset.
Heat ends with the rain.
Love affairs end in failure.
Marriage ends in pain.
The seed ends in the rosehip,
conker, and the nut.
The corm ends in the harvest.
Drought ends in the glut.
Days out end in arguments.
Christmas ends in tears.
Will Hay films end in laughter.
Rallies end in cheers.
Every life must end in death.
All flesh turns to dust.
Pack every day with living
and dazzle fit to bust.

Tracks in the Snow

2011-12-10T10:12:00.000Z

I absolutely love this - xkcd at its best.

A Year of the Moon

2011-12-07T10:25:00.001Z

This is beautiful as well as informative: my favourite kind of science:

This, incredibly, is a computer simulation, created by the Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio. Find out more about how they did it here.

Alistair

2011-12-05T18:43:00.000Z

My brother, who died in the mountains just after his 21st birthday, would have been 49 years old today. Incredible to think of him being a middle-aged man on the verge of 50. Instead he will always be young.

The Cappuccino Test

2011-12-03T10:19:00.000Z

It's about time for another bit of quiz fun:

You Are Idealistic

A total idealist, you envision great things for your life. You believe your dreams will come true.

You are willing to speak out. You are a big believer in standing up for what's right.

You are pioneering and an outside the box thinker. You believe in possibilities.

You are ready to fight for your interests. In the end, you need to take care of yourself first.

The Cappuccino Test

Blogthings: We'll Tell You The Truth... Someone Has To!

What does your coffee say about you?

Creature of the Week

2011-12-01T15:11:00.000Z

A new feature here in the Pond and, appropriately, it's an underwater creature we'll start with: the impossibly delicate-looking Weedy seadragon:

Find out more at Wikipedia.

Mathematical Poetry

2011-11-30T17:25:00.000Z

Another piece of creative writing - not quite poem, not quite prose...

(photo from Lucky Tom on Flickr)
Mathematics

Maddening and breathless in equal parts;
I feel so clever when I work it out.
Down-to-earth people tell you it's pointless.
Friends proudly, with palm raised, claim ignorance,
as if it's too clever for its own good,
and suspect, too, like the weird bloke next door.
But climb inside, open your brain and look.
It's like being safely underwater,
watching luminescent jellyfish and
shoals of tiny glittering fish dart past -
sparks and flashes dance in endless patterns.

Thought For the Day

2011-11-29T10:37:00.000Z

I'm not sure if this is by way of being an arm round the shoulder for the middle-aged, or more of a communal sob but, in any case, Thoreau has it right (again):

"The youth gets together the materials to build a bridge to the moon, or perchance a palace or temple on the earth, and at length the middle-aged man concludes to build a wood-shed with them."

I find this curiously comforting...

Blog of the Week

2011-11-28T15:32:00.000Z

This week's highlighted blog is Archie's Archive. Archie is a magnificently bearded Australian, whose blog is guaranteed to raise a smile. His photographs of Perth are interesting, and his terrible puns are headache-worthy. Highlight for me every week is the BBC quiz, in which he awards a dunce's hat to the reader with the worst score and a crown if you manage to get all the answers right (I never have...)

Benton Fenton Spreads

2011-11-27T12:01:00.000Z

Viral vid of the week has been Fenton the dog chasing deer in Richmond Park...

...and then clever people all over the world began using the audio footage...

...and...

...and...

...and, of course...

Happy Sunday everyone!

How Many Times Have You Been Here (This Month) ?

2011-11-19T09:15:00.001Z

From the mighty xkcd.

Written in the Seeds

2011-11-18T10:45:00.000Z

Some Friday fun after a tough week...

Blog Of The Week

2011-11-17T22:58:00.001Z

A new feature here in the Pond - I thought I'd draw attention to some of my favourite blogs out there. There are some really talented people keeping blogs and they deserve the widest possible readership. One such person is Helen over at toomanytribbles. She is a photographer by profession, and a supporter of free speech, intelligence and Star Trek. Check out her stunning photographs - buy her book too, if you like - it's highly recommended.

Apart from showcasing her photography, her blog consists mainly of videos, always worth watching, on space, atheism and, well, anything that might appeal to the intelligent reader. You will always find something thought-provoking or beautiful, or both, over at toomanytribbles!

She's gone...

2011-11-16T17:31:00.001Z

My gorgeous old dog died today, aged 17 years and 8 months. Mind you, she wasn't always a gentle old lady - she was a right thug in her youth, picking fights with other dogs and defending her lord and master (my husband) to the death. Her favourite things were digging and chewing roots.

Yesterday, it was obvious that she was nearing the end. She has had dementia for four years, which she has borne with great courage and patience. In the last few days she had lost the capacity to eat, though she could still lap liquids. She was completely peaceful so it had been tempting to keep her with me just one more day, one more week, but I knew that she was ready to go. In the afternoon, I took her up to our favourite forest path, aiming to carry her along. We did mainly go along in that fashion but at one point she asked to get down and wandered off up the path for a short while. I took a picture of her and I am glad I did because it seemed to capture the mood of today - my little dog setting off on some unknown journey along a long woodland path.

She has been the best companion I could have wished for these last 6 years and I am going to miss her dreadfully. Sweet dreams Gem.

Sock Nonsense

2011-11-15T09:53:00.000Z

It's a chill, foggy Tuesday in November, with only months of it getting darker and colder to look forward to. Time for some cheering up. I think...

Blue Marble bathed in Green

2011-11-14T11:25:00.002Z

Changed my mind - I do want to be an astronaut...

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

Filched from the fab toomanytribbles.
These stunning time-lapse photographs are taken from the International Space Station. Look at the aurorae! The music is Jan Jelinek's Do Dekor.

Stressed?

2011-11-13T11:33:00.000Z

(Photo credit David Friel)
This is quite good fun, and useful too. The BBC Lab UK use their huge audience pool to enable big experiments to be undertaken, providing psychologists with useful and real data. I was feeling a bit stressed yesterday, so thought I'd have a go at this test: The Stress Test. It takes twenty minutes or so but you get good, personalised feedback at the end and I can honestly say that I found one or two of the answers helped me. Go on - have a go and do your bit for science!

Where are my dancing shoes?

2011-11-12T10:40:00.000Z

Rather pleased with this result - how do YOU travel through life?

You Dance Through Life

Your journey through life is inspired, creative, and optimistic.

You are an engaging, positive person - and you're always looking for the possibilities in life.

You hope to motivate and uplift other people. You want to change the world in your own little way.

You are confident and expressive. You're happy with who you are, as unique and different as you might be.

How Do You Travel Through Life?

Work is Hard. Time for Blogthings!

Favourite Things...

2011-11-11T17:43:00.001Z

I've been playing around with poems and 100 word pieces of writing and thought I'd put some of them up here and see how they go...

Favourite Things

Raindrops on roses,

whiskers on doggies,

leaves turning russet,

and lily-pad froggies,

brown paper packages piled on a chair:

if I have all these then I really don't care

about ageing and aching

and hair turning grey,

friends who desert me

and men who won't play;

boring and rude people filling the street:

give me my garden and chocolate to eat,

animals, plants and beetles around:

these are my favourite things I have found.

The Earth from Space

2011-09-19T08:59:00.001+01:00

Pinched from toomanytribbles:

I would hate to be an astronaut but it must be pretty awe-inspiring to wake up to this view every morning...

By the way - hello again, everyone. I had no idea it was two months since I had last posted. Just been (happily) busy with other things!

Real Men Drink Sun Screen...

2011-07-24T11:49:00.000+01:00

Found over at Fake Science

and thanks to Archie for finding the site!

It's Going To Be An Interesting Day...

2011-07-19T08:21:00.000+01:00

I hear, and not before time, the feathery flap of chickens coming home to roost...

Thanks to Archie for the find.

Looks Familiar...

2011-07-06T20:39:00.002+01:00

Priceless...

2011-07-02T10:57:00.000+01:00

I'm still not sure how I feel about Julian Assange, Wikileaks et al BUT I hate it when big powerful governments stomp on the little guy, so...

Archie brought this to my attention and he writes that Visa and Mastercard allow payments to be made to the Ku Klux Klan but they have blocked payments to Wikileaks. It's a topsy-turvy world.

Which Craft Hobby Should You Take Up?

2011-06-24T11:17:00.000+01:00

And now you're in the mood, here's another quiz - it must be Friday...

You Should Take Up Journaling

You are very private, but you aren't aloof. You just have a well developed inner world.

You spend a lot of time thinking by yourself. It helps to get your thoughts down on paper.

You are an idealistic soul. You have noble ideas about the world.

You are a natural writer of all sorts. You are equally suited writing essays, journals, and fiction.

What Crafty Hobby Should You Take Up?

Blogthings: We'll Tell You The Truth... Someone Has To!

What's Colourful About You?

2011-06-24T11:13:00.000+01:00

Your Spirit is Colorful

You are easygoing and leisurely. You prefer to keep things low-pressure in your life.

You are approachable and genuinely nice. You are the friendly face in the room.

You are a true optimist. You give anyone or anything a chance, even if others tell you not to.

You are open-minded and flexible. You don't see things as set in stone, and you like to leave yourself open.

What's Colorful About You?

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes and 3 Stupid Ones

We All Feel Like This Sometimes...

2011-06-06T11:52:00.000+01:00

Dedicated to the middle-aged, the slightly-older-than-middle-aged, and the otherwise downright miserable, this video WILL make you laugh AND make you feel better about your rotten life - I promise...

Pinched from the marvellous Helen over at too many tribbles.

Sadness (and Hope) in the Jungle

2011-06-03T16:33:00.000+01:00

Picture credit: Cecilia Pakravan

This is Miko. He is one of many orphaned orangutans being looked after at the Nyaru Menteng sanctuary, in Borneo. It's an old and sad story, I'm afraid - habitat destruction by humanity, in this case, rainforest cleared to provide land mainly for palm oil plantations, for both the food industry and also for biofuels. These gentle giants are rendered homeless in the process. A remarkable woman, Lone Droscher Nielsen, set up the sanctuary in 1999 and has, with the help of local babysitters, spent the last 12 years rearing these orphans and teaching them how to be orangutans before releasing them to safe, wild spaces to live in peace. Watch this and I dare you not to cry:

Orangs are, I think, the forgotten great ape. David Attenborough is almost speechless, watching the intelligence of this mother using tools:

It makes me very angry and ashamed to think that I might have the smallest part in killing even one of these animals. I look now at food labels in the supermarket and try not to buy anything that has palm oil in it. It's not much but I don't know what else I can do.

The Night Sky in June

2011-05-28T10:04:00.000+01:00

Here's another excellent guide to the night sky from the guys at Hubble. I think I'm going to have a go at trying to resolve the two stars in Izar. What about you?

Mmmm...scones...

2011-05-26T11:38:00.000+01:00

Pinched from the house of az ...

You Are a Butterscotch Scone

The early part of your day is filled with unpredictability and fun.

You are never sure when you are going to wake up. Your schedule varies as much as your life does.

You may have a hard time getting up in the morning, but you usually make it out of bed on the first try. You often have something new and exciting to look forward to.

You're the type most likely to make your scones from a mix and add in all sorts of funky stuff. Butterscotch chips are just one example of how inspired you can be.

What Kind of Scone Are You?

Blogthings: Learn Something Surprising About Yourself

Creme Egg Survivability

2011-05-25T15:56:00.000+01:00

I LOVE scientists - proper, white-coated, geeky scientists. No more need be said.

Thought For the Day

2011-05-19T11:15:00.000+01:00

"Men rarely (if ever) managed to dream up a god superior to themselves. Most gods have the manners and morals of a spoiled child"

Robert A. Heinlein

Spotted!

2011-05-16T10:54:00.001+01:00

Cuteness overload for a dull Monday morning. Mind you, Mum does look a bit bamboozled by it all, doesn't she?

see more Daily Squee

The Cartoon Universe

2011-05-08T11:37:00.000+01:00

In a kill-or-cure kind of way, this will either make your brain expand or explode - enjoy!

Dark Matters from PHD Comics on Vimeo.

Filched from Archie.

Happy Birthday Hubble!

2011-04-21T08:32:00.000+01:00

The Hubble Space Telescope has been on its extended sightseeing tour now for 21 years. It has, in the words of Nasa Administrator Charles Bolden, "profoundly changed our view of the universe, allowing us to see deep into the past while opening our eyes to the majesty and wonders around us". To celbrate its 21st birthday, Nasa turned Hubble to view this stunning pair of galaxies, 300 million light years away. The large spiral galaxy above is being distorted by the tidal pull of the galaxy below. But never mind the science - Nasa thought it made a beautiful rose shape, suitable for a birthday gift. Happy birthday Hubble!

Geddit?

2011-04-10T09:19:00.003+01:00

From xkcd, as usual...if you don't geddit, have a think about what the cross might be called............................hell if I know.................

The Night Sky in April

2011-03-29T09:03:00.000+01:00

Feeling starry? This excellent video from the Hubble site tells you what to look for in the April sky.

Can't Win With Some People...

2011-03-25T16:23:00.000Z

Nails, heads, and the hitting thereof come to mind...yep, it's xkcd again...

It's Talk Like WIlliam Shatner Day!

2011-03-22T09:24:00.000Z

Hey! William Shatner (Captain Kirk to you non-Trekkies) is 80 today. Let's all celebrate a cultural icon by talking like him, just for today...phasers...to stun...

Happy Birthday Gem!

2011-03-21T10:52:00.001Z

Today, my Jack Russell terrier is 17 years old. Seventeen is a good age for a dog, though terriers have been known to live to 20.

Gem had always been an incredibly healthy dog, only ever visiting the vet for her annual booster shot. But three years ago, she developed doggy dementia (yes, dogs can get it too) and so, since then, I have effectively been her carer. Many times over these years I have thought I was losing her. She would have a bad day or a bad few days, and seem to be at death's door, but always she sprang back to (relative) sprightliness.

Then she developed cataracts and is now effectively blind. And still she soldiers on, She is amazing (and fearless). On encountering a new place, she will quarter the room, banging into chair legs and bouncing off walls, until she understands the layout. Then, sometimes after an hour of this, she will settle down and sleep. I am sure her doggy brain is then processing all the information she has painfully absorbed. I have moved house twice in the last three years and, each time, she has been able to find her bowls and her bed within a day.

(or the Aga!)

She has given me far more over the last three years than I have given her.Yes, she is now somewhat incontinent and, every day, I have puddles and steaming piles to clean up. We can't go for long walks any more; and she can't interact with me the way she used to - she's not such a strong presence in the house. And yet, I am so glad she has survived all this time. I wouldn't have changed a day of her company. Well-meaning friends tell me it would be "kinder" to have her put to sleep. Kinder to whom? Not to the dog, surely. She's had three years of cuddles and sleeps by the fire and gentle walks among the trees. Who is to say that her life is less worth living than that of a puppy?

I have come to believe that the way we treat our pets is a microcosm of the way we treat the weak amongst our own species. If you think it's okay to put a dog to sleep just because she's old and not as much fun as a puppy, then what would you do if you had that power over the life of you old auntie? I think I know the answer to that one.

We have settled down into a calm and pleasant routine. She eats well enough, we try to take a small walk every day, and we have a wonderful cuddle every evening, watching the telly. When she tires on her walk and I pick her up to carry her, I get a lick on the nose as a thank you. She knows enough about what's going on to be grateful to me for helping her out - how amazing is that?

So, happy birthday Gem! Now that you've made it this far, who knows how long you will carry on. I think we should aim for the big two-oh. You've amazed everyone with your determination and strength. To celebrate, here is a picture - my favourite, I think - of Gem in her prime. I was taking a picture of a sunflower in my garden, a lifetime ago when my husband was still alive and the world was normal, and didn't spot that Gem was careering across the grass in the background.

Friday Giggle

2011-03-18T10:09:00.001Z

If this doesn't make you smile, I'll eat my hat...

Seventy Years Ago

2011-03-14T11:10:00.000Z

'Terraces', one of a series of Clydebank Blitz paintings by Tom McKendrick.

On the 13th and 14th March 1941, the German Luftwaffe bombed the town of Clydebank, near Glasgow. It was targetted because of the important work being done there - munitions and shipbuilding, mainly. 260 bombers came, in three waves, aided by a full moon and pretty much destroyed the town. In a town housing 50,000 people, only 7 properties survived undamaged.

The news of the blitz was largely kept from the wider public so that one young soldier, returning home on leave to surprise his family, knew nothing of the raid and arrived home to see his home destroyed and all of his family dead, except his father. How do you ever recover from a thing like that? The true death toll will probably never be known. The official figure is 529 but the actual figure is certain to have been higher than this.

As a Scot, I take the Clydebank Blitz personally but I have an even closer link, as my grandfather worked with the Auxiliary Fire Service and was involved in the efforts to battle the raging fires those two nights. He died before I was born and so I was never able to ask him about his experiences.

There was an excellent documentary on the BBC last night - I'll put the link here, though it will only be available for a week:

Clydebank Blitz

It was impossible not to be moved and angered by the personal stories of those two nights but mainly I was left with the realisation that this must be what it is like to be an innocent Iraqi during the "shock and awe" bombings, or to be a resident of Dresden during the huge bombing raid of '45. It never stops. The Germans may not be bombing us now, nor we them, but there are plenty of ordinary people enduring bombing campaigns of the magnitude, or worse, of the Clydebank Blitz. Why do we allow it?

Kitchen Hints #176

2011-03-13T11:21:00.000Z

You KNOW you are going to try this...

Deathbed Conversions...or Not

2011-03-11T09:52:00.000Z

Christopher Hitchens, the journalist and prominent atheist, has been seriously ill with cancer recently. In this wonderfully clear-minded vid, he rebuts, in a nice clear voice, once and for all, the old chestnut that atheists will always recant on their deathbeds. He also conjures up a teasingly gleeful alternative scenario...

Nice to see him looking a bit better and thanks to Archie for finding the link in his vast archive.

Artificial Intelligence

2011-03-09T09:30:00.000Z

xkcd does it again...

Hope your Spring is going well (if you're in the Northern hemisphere - otherwise - happy autumn!) ... we have snow...

Every Librarian's Fantasy...

2011-02-28T10:13:00.000Z

Ah - those boring Sundays with nothing better to do than play with your books...

Pinched from the mightily bearded Archie...

Fruity Truths...

2011-02-20T10:36:00.000Z

Pinched from the admirable Archie

You're Sitting by the Ocean...Now, Who Are You Again?

2011-02-18T11:00:00.002Z

Some of these quizzes work, some don't - this one has got me bang on the nail or, at least, bang on the nail of how I would like to think I am...

You Take Yourself Seriously

You see yourself as a thoughtful and introspective person. You are very intelligent.

You think other people see you as friendly, happy, and charming. You tend to get along well with everyone.

You want to see yourself as independent and free wheeling. You'd like to do your own thing more often.

You identify as a compassionate and accepting person. You pride yourself on being forgiving.

Who Are You to Yourself?

Blogthings: Quizzes and Tests and Memes, Oh My!

Pinched from the inspirational azahar

Thought For the Day

2011-02-11T10:32:00.000Z

It strikes me that we spend the first half of our lives learning to live with other people and the second half learning to die alone...

or is that just me?

Current Thinking

2011-02-06T12:14:00.000Z

It occurs to me that, for a blog that claims to be both atheist and a little bit philosophical, I haven't posted much in that way in quite a while. So here is a fairly gentle, and very funny, poke at Christian certainty from the splendid Edward Current...

I'm a Tinkerer - What Are You?

2011-02-04T11:20:00.001Z

This is fun - and that comment is thereby proof of my inquisitiveness and curiosity, thereby proving what a perceptive quiz it is. Boy, I love it when these quizzes make me feel good about myself!

Your Dominant Personality Trait is Inquisitiveness

You are an imaginative and curious person. You are excited to learn about the world.

You are interested in all sorts of topics. You like to understand history and how things work.

You are both a tinkerer and an intellectual. You probably enjoy working with your hands and more passive activities like reading.

You have many interests and hobbies... and you're always looking to take on a new one.

What's Your Dominant Personality Trait?

Blogthings: Our Quizzes Weren't Written By Bored 12 Year Olds

The Flow Chart of the Kitchen

2011-02-04T10:48:00.000Z

After a lifetime of cooking proper meals for other people (and myself), and now that I am an Open University student, I am aspiring to this....well, the pizza every night bit, anyway...

Oh, and a curtsey to the mighty xkcd, as usual

Which Star Sign Are You, And Does It Make Any Difference...

2011-01-24T15:29:00.001Z

From the very clever Information is Beautiful, via the almost as clever Bad Astronomy is this rather devastating (to popular astrology)bit of work. The brain boxes at Information is Beautiful did a meta-analysis of thousands of daily horoscopes and below is the resulting word cloud, arranged by star sign.

Could you pick out the Leo from the Pisces here?

Don't Know Why This Makes Me Giggle But It Does...

2011-01-02T17:38:00.000Z

Xkcd does it again.

What is Your Life Path Colour?

2010-12-28T11:12:00.001Z

Pinched from the inspiring azahar, I really like this quiz. I come out rather serene and intelligent, I think, which has to be a good thing. What colour is your life's path?

Your Life's Path is Jade

You seek connection and security. You want nothing else more than to love and be loved.

You believe that gratitude and appreciation are the key to a happy life. You try to thank everyone who ever helps you.

You are generous and compassionate. You have deep resources and a lot to give.

You are intelligent and love to learn. Some may say you're even addicted to learning new things.

What Color is Your Life's Path?

Blogthings: Discover the Parts of Your Personality that Have Been Hiding

Christmas Jollity

2010-12-23T20:26:00.000Z

Now this is talent...singing and skating and working with kids...the serene Andy Williams - happy Christmas everyone!

Solstice Eclipse

2010-12-23T09:04:00.001Z

The Earth is turning back to the Sun, the days (for those of us in the northern hemisphere!) are getting longer again, and a couple of days ago, on the Solstice, there was also a Lunar eclipse. Here, from the admirable APOD is a most beautiful image of the Eclipse. Stay warm, the snow will go away eventually. It was minus 10 in the middle of the day here yesterday - chilly!

Star Wars-Doctor Who Mashup

2010-12-19T20:31:00.000Z

Star Wars or Doctor Who - now you don't have to choose...

Merry Christmas Everyone

2010-12-19T09:51:00.000Z

This is dark, very dark, but funny and full of quality - enjoy!

39 Degrees North: Christmas Card 2010 from 39 Degrees North on Vimeo.

Seems Apposite Somehow...

2010-12-11T13:46:00.000Z

Britain Under Snow

2010-12-02T19:01:00.000Z

A rather gorgeous satellite photo from Dundee University, taken this morning, showing Britain almost entirely covered by snow:

And Another Thing...

2010-12-02T10:10:00.000Z

...and then I saw this one, and I think I like it even more...

In Your Dreams...

2010-12-02T10:04:00.000Z

The fab xkcd have done it again...

Sounds a bit like a certain internet social networking site dispute to me...

What Medieval Occupation Would You Have?

2010-11-26T19:00:00.000Z

And here's another quiz - I'm quite excited about coming out as a cartographer, but who's going to be the night soil collector?

You Are a Cartographer

You have a wide range of knowledge and you're very detail oriented.

You have a photographic memory, and you remember places very well.

Like a middle ages cartographer, you're also very adventurous and curious about the world.

In modern times, you would make a good non-fiction writer or scientist.

What's Your Medieval Profession?

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

Puss in Boots?

2010-11-26T18:54:00.000Z

I am big black boots - what kind of shoes are you?

You Are Big Black Boots!

You can be best described as: attitude

You've got lots of it - and you love to give it

A guy has to be pretty gusty to hit on you

But if he's your type, you'll warm up... a little

What Kind Of Women's Shoe Are You?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

Stunt Biking to Skye

2010-11-20T23:20:00.000Z

Thanks to my brother Roddy for finding this fab vid. The Scottish landscape looks absolutely gorgeous in it - the Scottish Tourist Board should be using it...it still drives me mad when I see these guys doing this around the town, mind you, at bus stops and in car parks, but Danny Macaskill has turned it into an art form or, dare I say, a new Olympic sport?

A Mote of Dust Suspended in a Sunbeam

2010-11-09T11:37:00.000Z

You can never have too many funny animal videos on a blog but, even so, I have been sadly neglecting the other stuff here - the stuff to make you think rather than smile, or maybe think and smile - you be the judge.

Carl Sagan died too young in 1996 but he left us with an inspiring collection of insights. His TV work in particular, with that gentle and intelligent voice, is moving as well as informative. Have a look at this one - this is where the "pale blue dot" comes from, and I hope it makes your day better to have seen it.

Dogsbody

2010-11-09T10:02:00.001Z

Another day, another Youtube video, but this one's a beaut and guaranteed to make you smile, unless you hate Jack Russells...and if you hate Jack Russells what are you doing on my blog - go away immediately!

Pinched from the magnificent Archie

Cat in a Box

2010-11-06T10:45:00.000Z

And while we're at it, let's have one from Simon's Cat too. I don't know who Simon is but he must be a pretty wonderful kind of bloke to make these funny, witty, warm and fundamentally existentialist vids...wonder if he's married?...

Socks for November

2010-11-06T10:21:00.000Z

It's a gloomy November morning, I'm really down in the dumps and wondering if life is worth a candle...time for some cheering up, I think.

If anyone needs a translation from the East coast Scottish, just ask!

If Dogs Could Talk...

2010-09-29T10:09:00.000+01:00

Pinched from Archie - a happy song about dogs. Made me smile, hope it does the same for you.

Slugs Are Beautiful

2010-09-27T10:46:00.000+01:00

Thanks to PZ over at pharyngula for putting this up on his blog. Slugs get a terrible press. I was disappointed to see recently that even the BBC Wildlife magazine had an article on how to get rid of them, rather than treating them with the respect they claim for most other forms of wildlife.

Watch this and you'll never think of a slug in the same way again. It is a most beautiful and unexpected sight. It might also make you feel just a little inadequate in the bedroom...

It Can't Have Been That Long...?

2010-09-27T10:35:00.000+01:00

Having just blogged a post, I see (but don't believe it) that I haven't blogged in the Pond for two months. I also see that the Pond had become of late a bit of an xkcd tribute page. Nothing wrong in that, of course, but maybe a sign that I have had my mind on other things. Those other things have been moving house again. Yes, twice in a year! I am now settled into a lovely new pond, back within walking distance of my old Highland place and with the firm intention of blogging with a bit greater frequency than bi-monthly.

Expletive Expression

2010-09-27T10:30:00.000+01:00

It's Monday morning and I haven't had any caffeine yet. Time for a hit of xkcd:

I, for one, will be using "that is f***king jejune" as soon as possible...

So True...

2010-07-24T16:47:00.000+01:00

xkcd do it again...

Wizards Have a Sense of Humour

2010-07-14T10:59:00.000+01:00

This makes me giggle every time I see it - silly xkcd

Being Human

2010-07-11T18:59:00.000+01:00

Pinched from Pharyngula, this is a beautiful, measured and inspiring account of what it is to be human. From the late-lamented Carl Sagan.

Smile of the Day

2010-06-25T21:58:00.002+01:00

This is ridiculously sweet - what an amazing dog.

How to Save a Bee

2010-05-17T10:45:00.000+01:00

The wonderful and incredibly talented Gretel over at Middle of Nowhere has put up a video on her blog that I think you, gentle reader, will find both uplifting and useful. Anything we can do to help nature in its losing battle against the dominance of man has got to be a good thing. Mind you, I'm not sure I'd have been brave enough to pick it up - a jar and a bit of card would have had to do... Enjoy the sounds of a Spring day in sunny Oxfordshire as well.

Hello Possums!

2010-05-13T10:05:00.000+01:00

Here's a fun quiz for a grey (well it's grey here in Scotland anyway) Thursday morning. Are you an emu or a koala?

You Are a Koala Bear

You are living proof that appearances can be deceiving. You are not as cute and cuddly as you look.

You have endless compassion for those you love, but you also don't like to be messed with!

You may move a bit slowly, but you make up for your slowness by being clever.

You've lived long enough to know that you should do your best to stay out of harm's way.

What Australian Animal Are You?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

I am now Officially an Elder

2010-05-11T20:58:00.000+01:00

Well, fellow bloggers, a new milestone has just been reached here in the Pond. I now join the ranks of people older than the Prime Minister.

As he is 43 and I am a little bit older than that, I will now be grumbling a lot about the good old days, complaining about the price of beer and cinema tickets and shaking my head at the things young people wear.

Best of luck David - I think you are going to need it...

Politics Turns Out to Be Quite Exciting After All

2010-04-29T11:17:00.001+01:00

Well, only a week to go until the general election here in the UK and, boy, has it been exciting. Much to everyone's surprise, the leaders' debates have been a fantastic success, with viewing figures that only the soaps can routinely expect to get. Some critics have suggested that the debates mark the descent into X Factor territory, with the emphasis being placed on style, good looks and charm - obviously an area where one of the leaders does less well than the others...

But I think these people have got it wrong. The moment I sat up and began to take notice in the first debate, instead of just tuning in out of duty, was when the POLICIES of each of the parties began to be laid out side by side by the leaders of the parties. For the first time, without the cynical and unhelpful barracking of clever-clogs political hacks, voters could hear each case made, hear each party explain where they differed from the other, all argued clearly and passionately. It was a revelation. I literally sat up when I heard the answers to the first question, on immigration, and felt, for the first time, that I understood each party's policy on that subject, and the differences between them. I even got to hear, from the horse's mouth, where each leader thought the holes were in the others' policies. It was thrilling and brainy.

It is true that Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, did well in the first debate (and in the second), but I think politics was the winner in the end. After the first debate, application to the voters' register soared, with an incredible 128,000 forms being downloaded off the Electoral Commission website in the weekend after the debate - a fantastic result for democracy.

One Man and his Mountain

2010-04-24T17:28:00.002+01:00

I just love this - found it over on the talented too many tribbles. It's clever and funny - it probably helps if you are a William Shatner freak like me too...

We've All Been Here...

2010-03-19T21:19:00.001Z

From the ever-excellent XKCD

I am a Song...

2010-03-18T16:25:00.001Z

Pinched from the kitten-loving Azahar, this is the coolest quiz I've done since...well, since the last one, actually. I am very chuffed to be the uber-cool Let It Be. Which Beatles song are you?

You are "Let It Be"

You are philosophical, balanced, and wise. You try not to worry about things you can't change.

You can let go and find peace in troubling times. You believe in controlling what's on the inside.

You know that you can't create or predict the future. You just have to let it unfold.

The answer will eventually come to you. All you have to do is wait.

What Beatles Song Are You?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet