grey, or is it gray?

7.5°C, grey overcast


Mixing it (BBC r3)is ending next week. Shame! My favourite radio show since it started in 1990. Tis bad news indeed; don’t know what I’ll do without them- they have been a majour source of ideas for new additions to my LP/CD collection.
 
Today’s mood is lead by the weather, it’s a black & white day, ideal for cycling – getting my normal speed back already which is surprising when I have been off the bike feeling ill as long as that. The roads are dry, grip on two wheels good and journeys to work light by some light from the clouds.

Catholicism and gays

9°C, thin cloud.


Interesting news thread: the argument between church and state is on the fron pages again. Here on the BBC is a brief summary.
Basically, the church are objecting to the requirement for anti-discrimination in the new Equality act. They want to carry on discriminating on the basis of some old anthology of short stories written by long lost authors. There are quite a few religions opposing this new law, none of them value equal rights- at least not in their leadership.
So far, the govt’ have been admirable on this issue.
 
To contrast- here’s a chuckle:
Woman gets 75,000 bank statements.

Grateful for my illness

6-10°C, light cloud, windy; c=60 miles


Ooh! I just noticed that we can post videos here! Scratches chin…

Out cycling, I met Rob, who I haven’t seen for quite a few years. He was recovering from a bout of ‘flu. We compared symptoms, as you do, and he was very grateful to hear of my experience, which it turns out, is the same has his. Why is this interesting- it’s not but I will continue anyway. He thought he was the only one to have a heavy cold that had a brief interlude before “going onto his chest”. Same here.

Buzzard of the day: today’s buzzard (said out-loud in the style of a certain Fast Show sketch) was seen over Catton Hall.

I’m alive….I’m alive!

-2°C, clear, winter has arrived.


Finally, recovery is here. Yesterday was the first time I felt alive again after over 2 weeks. That, was a long haul.
Now I can get on with it all. Even managed to finish that stubborn level in Company of Heroes. Wow.
this all, of course, means that I have only been cycling once this year. Thus explaining the blog-drought this last month. The rivers are still high.

Still ill

9°C, clear.


Dog experience: imagine playing with your mates in the park, running about and having a generally exciting time. Made more so by no having not seen a particular friend for nearly six months. Eventually you get out of breath and you take a moment to have a little sit down. Moments later your long lost friend decides to pee on you. That’s what happened to my dog this morning, in fact he did it again to the other dog too. You just wouldn’t accept that in social circles would you?
No?- well i suppose you just aren’t as cool as my two poodles are you.
 
They did get a wash-down when we got home.

McNaught: nought

9°C, clear & sunny


No ride today: walking in Derbyshire instead. The rivers are deep- near to overflowing, and the mud thick black stuff. Deceptively – it’s not as deep as it looks, there are limestone rocks near the surface. Those new walking boots are superb.
 
McNaught: With the first day of clear sunset, I really hoped to see the new wonder-comet, just as the sun went down. It’s too late by a few days- and when it was higher- we had cloudy skies here in England.

They are not all bigots

9°C, rain and more rain.


News story; as I write, the house of Lords (an unelected body of very old men who hold tremendous power here in England) are debating the law that could protect the human rights of homosexuals. Read here:
Fortunately, I did find a readers’ opinions page which held quotes from christians who aren’t as bigoted as their religious leaders can be. You have to scroll down a fair way before the malicious side of christianity appears. Following on from there there are very few christians moved to criticise the proposed law, and many who want to be distanced from the intolerant members of their religion. Conclusion? for now, we must be wary of headline grabbers, the moderates are in the majority, just watch out for those Christians in positions of power.

less fever, more gummed

12°C, cloudy, still no ice in Moscow!


Saturday was a bad day for this cold, I was all a shiverin’ in the late evening after sleeping most of the day. There followed a rotten night.
That bout has given me a chance to take big bites out of "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins. The book meandered a during some of the middle passages, but then regained its pace near the end. There are many instances where I have read arguments and felt thoroughly supported in my own views. My own distaste for faith schools is a good example. RD went further and suggests we resist the practice of referring to children as a Catholic child, or Moslem boy or Jewish girl, we could though, say child of a Christian family (and so on). There is a little more to read, but then I can start lending the book out.

If there weren’t so many wanting to borrow it, I could consider the practise of "Bookcrossing". That is some organised way of planting a finished-with book so someone can pick it up to read.

Weather and worrying about it: hold back a little,
Here is a graph of recent trends


Nothing in there to start excessive panic. Curiously- 1940 peaks as a warm year, a year famous for it’s harsh winter her in the UK and western Europe.