Worried about Werewolves ?

"It's no silver bullet" an EU functionary said recently, referring to a plan to deal with refugees.

Did he think the refugees were werewolves?

Long-winded Duplication

I keep hearing 'two times' for 'twice', never in conversation, nor in writing, but quite often on broadcast news.

That made me reflect that 'thrice' seems to have fallen almost completely out of use and tempted me to revive it, until I realised that I hardly ever encounter 'three times' either.

I wonder if there's an equivalent abbreviation for 'four times'

More Danger in Sports

Today's Economist reports on research into concussion. Apparently the resulting impairment of brain function can be permanent, and frequently lasts for several years.

As the Economist remarks, this is most serious when injuries are sustained by children for whom sports at school are not voluntary, and are organised by people who favour the cultivation of the 'stiff upper lip' and minimize the severity of injuries sustained in the course of what they consider to be 'fun'.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that PE teachers are conspicuous for their stupidity. Perhaps they are suffering from the same brain damage that their arrogant folly is likely to inflict on many of their pupils.

Compulsory Injury

I've just heard a discussion of a proposal to ban tackling in Rugby football when it is played in schools. Neither participant in the discussion mentioned that it is usually compulsory to play games in school, and that it is also compulsory for children to attend school.

Many recreational activities involve some risk of injury, and we often tolerate that because we think that  people should make up their own minds whether the fun is worth the risk. However that argument does not apply to unwilling participants for whom compulsory games are not fun - after all if they were fun there would be no demand to make them compulsory.

Very Cheap Salt

I noticed that in the local supermarket tins of salmon without added salt cost 15p more than otherwise similar tins of salmon with salt, suggesting a negative price for the salt.

Perhaps next time I want a packet of salt they'll pay me for taking it away !!

An Image of Cream Cheese

A poster about diet in the Cardiology Department of Kettering General Hospital urges us to avoid cheeses such as Cheddar and Stilton, and to eat cream cheese instead.

That reminds me of my childhood in the 1940's. Refrigerators were rare, so milk often went sour in warm weather, but people were reluctant to waste food in a time of scarcity.My father used to convert curdled milk into cream cheese. He separated the solid curds from the whey by pouring the milk into an old sock, which he left hanging from one of the taps over the kitchen sink.  After a while he'd squeeze the sock, extract the contents, and eat them while mother and I watched in horror.

If you are ever tempted to eat cream cheese, just visualise father's sock hanging from the kitchen tap !!

Augmented Ancient

There's now more of me than there used to be.

On Friday a very charming cardiologist put stents in two of my coronary arteries,  so I'm no longer entirely organic.

Does that make me a cyborg ?

Afraid of Numbers

Reporting of the New Hampshire primary results has been copious but irritatingly  vague. There are comments to the effect that someone did better than someone else and someone else did even worse than yet another person, but there there is no clear statement what happened.

A table giving the votes of each candidate would make all the waffle redundant.

I've often noticed that the media are reluctant to be precise, and suspect that many reporters and editors are afraid of numbers.

Surplus Insulation

I have two Winter overcoats, the default overcoat, and the heavy one reserved for specially cold weather. It struck me that I haven't worn the heavy one for several years.

I can't remember details of previous Winters, but I'm sure that this Winter there has never been a frost severe enough to last until noon.

Is that a sign of climate change, or just an instance of the chaotic variations in our weather ?

Who Counts as a Child ?

I've just spotted an article about unaccompanied child refugess. It was illustrated with a picture of children who appeared in the age range six to nine.

What proportion of the refugees admitted as unaccompanied children will be in that age range, and what proportion will be thugs aged seventeen and three quarters, or even 20 year old thugs pretending to be seventeen and three quarters ?

A Cafe with an intriguing name

Making a virtual exploration of the local amenities I discovered a cafe  called Totty teas in the nearby village of Lubbenham I wonder if the proprietors are aware of the resonance of that name.

I plan to visit in the Spring. Shall I be brave enough to ask about the name?

Where are a Fish's Loins ?

I've just seen an advertisement for cod's loins.

Loins are where the legs join the body, fish have no legs, therefore they have no loins !!!