Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Pamplamoose
Pomplamoose has got to be my favorite YouTube 'meme.' Their cover songs are fine, but I find their videos oddly irresistable. Maybe it's because music is such a mystery to me, watching it be created is just fascinating. Anyway, they just did a new collaboration which I think is great:
Here's an example of their regular work:
Here's an example of their regular work:
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
A White Christmas, but at what cost?
Bets are now on that it will be a white Christmas in England, but the severe weather we've been experiencing all month has had quite a toll on the economy:
Meanwhile, the UK Transport Secretary said he was "seeking scientific advice to decide whether heavy snowfall was likely to be a regular occurrence in Britain," in order to justify investing in more infrastructure. Genius.
P.S. Sunday night dropped to 16F (-9C) in London. That would normally just be an academic fact, as I wouldn't be stupid enough to venture out into that kind of cold. However, for a long and complicated set of reasons, I had to go out to do some gardening and get a pizza. Not quite sure what I was thinking.
- On Saturday, only 16 of 650 planes departed Heathrow, stranding 400,000 passengers. On Sunday, most flights were cancelled, and the airport says it will take 5 days to get back to normal. However, the next four days are calling for snow, fog, sleet, and rain, all with freezing temperatures. (Jessica is stranded in Chicago, and I wish her godspeed coming home.)
- 20% of trains were delayed or cancelled due to snow. When I went into central London on Saturday, every tube line had partial closures and/or severe delays. (Most of the problems were where these trains ran overground.)
- The AA (equivalent of the AAA) reported up to 1,500 hours calls per hour, with 28,000 callouts on Monday, nearly 3 times normal. Tailbacks (traffic jams) of 6-8 hours on the major highways are not uncommon.
- As England doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, we also don't have "Black Friday." The Saturday before Christmas is generally the busiest shopping day of the year, but this year footfall was down 24% over last year, despite the economy improving.
Meanwhile, the UK Transport Secretary said he was "seeking scientific advice to decide whether heavy snowfall was likely to be a regular occurrence in Britain," in order to justify investing in more infrastructure. Genius.
P.S. Sunday night dropped to 16F (-9C) in London. That would normally just be an academic fact, as I wouldn't be stupid enough to venture out into that kind of cold. However, for a long and complicated set of reasons, I had to go out to do some gardening and get a pizza. Not quite sure what I was thinking.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Why can't all presentations be this cool?
Here are the actual slides. (37 seem to have been lost.) Google Docs includes a 'slideshow' option but you can't change the speed -- obviously it was significantly sped up for the video. Still, very cool.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Life of a blog post
Just to prove I have ADHD, consider this: Yesterday's blog post started with the thought that tea bags contain way too much tea.
A single tea bag can easily produce 3 cups of tea (if judged by color alone). And it can do so in less than a minute. Yet I remember from "Angela's Ashes" that the mother steeped the tea leaves for five minutes. So I wanted to know if tea drinking had changed over the years, but I never found an answer for that.
Instead I got a brief history of tea from the UK Tea Council. They also included an 'FAQ' with some very interesting facts:
- Per capita, the largest tea drinking nation is Ireland, followed by Britain. (I'm not sure where China fits on the list.)
- Brits drink 165 million cups of tea per day, compared to 70 million cups of coffee
- 98% of Brits spoil their tea with milk
- All tea comes from the plant, Camellia sinensis (although there are 1,500 varieties of that plant).
- The only difference between green tea and black tea is the amount of oxidation that occurs, which breaks down the tea leaves and turns them black.
- Tea was rationed in the UK during World War II.
- In 1953, Tetley introduced the tea bag. Today, 96% of tea is from tea bags.
The Tea Council also had a grisly account of tea smugglers that make today's drug cartels seem pretty soft. It also noted that when William Pitt the Younger reduced the tea tax in 1784, he made up for it by increasing the window tax. (There was also a brick tax.)
From there, I got to reading about the East India Company, which lost its monopoly in 1834. Faced with competition in China, it turned its attention to cultivating tea in India, and within 50 years tea imports from India where greater than those from China.
Competition among tea traders also ushered in the 'tea clippers,' fast sailing ships meant to get from London to China as quickly as possible. They could travel at 20 knots (23 mph), compared to 5-6 knots (6-7 mph) for most cargo ships. Even so, the return journey took over 3 months, often longer depending on the winds, and when the Suez Canal opened in 1869 -- shaving 7,500 miles from the journey -- they could not compete against the bigger and more reliable steamships.
(I also noted with pride that the clipper ships were pioneered in Baltimore, where they were used to outmanoeuvre the British blockade during the War of 1812.)
1869 was also the year the US trans-contintental railroad was completed, followed the next year by the Indian trans-continental railroad, making the world a much smaller place. Prior to that, only a handful of people had circumnavigated the globe, with journeys between 2 and 9 years! In 1873, however, Jules Verne wrote "Around the World in 80 days," which was actually possible.
(The book included an elephant, but the balloon was strictly an invention of the movie.)
It was also interesting that England went from taxing tea as a luxury, to excluding it from sales tax, considering it a necessity. I tried to find a list of similar items exempted from VAT, but could not find anything consistent, but that led me to another court case in cakes.
I mentioned years ago that cakes and biscuits were taxed differently (and apparently chocolate-covered biscuits are also taxed differently than regular biscuits) based on a court decision that about Jaffa cakes. In 2008, Marks and Spencer won a 12-year legal battle with the tax man over their Chocolate Tea Cakes, which were originally classified as chocolate biscuits but have now been reclassified as cake. The interesting bit, though, was that M&S was allowed to keep the £3.5 million (about US $7 million at the time) refund.
We're talking about tax paid by the consumer -- not by M&S! So even if the tax shouldn't have been collected, it's not clear why M&S gets to keep it.
As for my original issue, I found there's about a teaspoon of tea in a teabag, there are actually 3 grades of tea bags (whole leaf, fannings (or broken leaf), and dust), and everybody else in the world thinks its disgusting to re-use a tea bag. I still think it's wasteful, but I'm probably not going to abandon tea bags; I will just start a compost pile at the new house.
Oh, and I found instructions for a tea bag rocket to try at home. I hope Jessica's not reading this.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
A lesson to be learned from tea
When tea finally reached England around 1650, the Brits took to it with enthusiam. However, the East India Company had a government monopoly on imports outside Europe, and so they kept prices artificially high. In addition, the Crown imposed heavy taxes on this 'luxury import,' starting in 1689 with a near-ruinous 25p per pound! (It was reduced to 5p per pound 3 years later.) Even the American colonists had an issue with the taxation on tea.
As a result, by the late eighteenth century, a remarkable organised crime network was importing as much as 7 million pounds annually, compared to a legal import of 5 million pounds! The cheaper tea ensured it became a drink of the masses, but the illegal tea was not subject to any quality control and so was often adulterated, using leaves from other plants, or leaves which had already been brewed and then dried. If the colour was not right, anything from sheep's dung to poisonous copper carbonate would be added.
In 1784, aware that taxation was creating more problems than it was worth, the government slashed tax from 119% to 12.5%, cutting the cost of tea in half. Smuggling stopped virtually overnight. (Unfortunately, it was too late for the Americans.)
In 1964, the British government abolished tea duties entirely, and today it is considered so essential it is even exempt from VAT (sales tax).
As a result, by the late eighteenth century, a remarkable organised crime network was importing as much as 7 million pounds annually, compared to a legal import of 5 million pounds! The cheaper tea ensured it became a drink of the masses, but the illegal tea was not subject to any quality control and so was often adulterated, using leaves from other plants, or leaves which had already been brewed and then dried. If the colour was not right, anything from sheep's dung to poisonous copper carbonate would be added.
In 1784, aware that taxation was creating more problems than it was worth, the government slashed tax from 119% to 12.5%, cutting the cost of tea in half. Smuggling stopped virtually overnight. (Unfortunately, it was too late for the Americans.)
In 1964, the British government abolished tea duties entirely, and today it is considered so essential it is even exempt from VAT (sales tax).
Monday, December 13, 2010
White Christmas
Of course, a white Christmas in London is defined as a single snowflake falling on the roof of the London Weather Centre in the 24 hours of 25 December. At least, that's how the bookies define it. The capital has only seen snow on 13% of Christmas days since 1950, but that doesn't stop thousands of people from putting a 'flutter' on it.
Two weeks ago -- before the earliest snow fell in England for 29 years -- the odds of a white Christmas were 6/1, meaning a £100 bet would pay £700. Today that bet would only return £450. Today's forecast is for another artic blast, and so the odds will probably drop even further.
You can also bet on the number one song for Christmas. That is usually the X Factor winner (the equivalent of American Idol), although in the last few years people have conspired against them, buying Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' and Rage Against the Machine. Unfortunately, this year the conspirators have selected a song of silence -- seriously, a four minute track of musicians in the studio not playing. While I think that is very English, I also think it doesn't have a snowball's chance of winning.
And if you're a little more adventurous, you can bet that the lowest recorded temperature in England will be beaten, the Thames will freeze over, or that Big Ben will fail to chime due to being frozen solid. The odds of the latter is 100/1 but, worringly, the odds that the temperature will drop below -26.1C (-15F) are just 16/1.
Two weeks ago -- before the earliest snow fell in England for 29 years -- the odds of a white Christmas were 6/1, meaning a £100 bet would pay £700. Today that bet would only return £450. Today's forecast is for another artic blast, and so the odds will probably drop even further.
You can also bet on the number one song for Christmas. That is usually the X Factor winner (the equivalent of American Idol), although in the last few years people have conspired against them, buying Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' and Rage Against the Machine. Unfortunately, this year the conspirators have selected a song of silence -- seriously, a four minute track of musicians in the studio not playing. While I think that is very English, I also think it doesn't have a snowball's chance of winning.
And if you're a little more adventurous, you can bet that the lowest recorded temperature in England will be beaten, the Thames will freeze over, or that Big Ben will fail to chime due to being frozen solid. The odds of the latter is 100/1 but, worringly, the odds that the temperature will drop below -26.1C (-15F) are just 16/1.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Tomas the builder
Even though we haven't bought it yet, Jess and I had an appointment at the new house with a builder (contractor to you).
Ostensibly, we just wanted a quote on a few items the surveyor (inspector to you) had highlighted, including the entire electrical system. In reality, though, it was an excuse to start talking about a house extension.
As I mentioned before, the house is a bog standard 1930's semi-detached with a tiny, dated kitchen. It originally had a small living room and dining room, but the owners had removed the dividing wall and made it one long room, although the dining area was quite dark. Our idea was to add a few feet to the back of the house, put in a lot of glass to lighten it up, and open the wall between the kitchen and dining room.
Of course, the first thing the builder pointed out was that everything we wanted to move was structural.
Fortunately, although I never heard of this in the States, it's quite common here to insert a 'reinforced steel joist' and remove the supporting wall. Of course, it's not cheap. And we are talking about three of them.
So now we're waiting for the builder to come back with a quote. Of course, we'll completely change our plans -- I've already changed them twice today -- but it's quite exciting to be looking at photos and talking about what we want to do.
When the quote comes back and we have to deal with the reality of compromising to meet our budget, that probably won't be as much fun.
Ostensibly, we just wanted a quote on a few items the surveyor (inspector to you) had highlighted, including the entire electrical system. In reality, though, it was an excuse to start talking about a house extension.
As I mentioned before, the house is a bog standard 1930's semi-detached with a tiny, dated kitchen. It originally had a small living room and dining room, but the owners had removed the dividing wall and made it one long room, although the dining area was quite dark. Our idea was to add a few feet to the back of the house, put in a lot of glass to lighten it up, and open the wall between the kitchen and dining room.
Of course, the first thing the builder pointed out was that everything we wanted to move was structural.
Fortunately, although I never heard of this in the States, it's quite common here to insert a 'reinforced steel joist' and remove the supporting wall. Of course, it's not cheap. And we are talking about three of them.
So now we're waiting for the builder to come back with a quote. Of course, we'll completely change our plans -- I've already changed them twice today -- but it's quite exciting to be looking at photos and talking about what we want to do.
When the quote comes back and we have to deal with the reality of compromising to meet our budget, that probably won't be as much fun.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Entitlement culture
The UK (and indeed, all of Europe) has a much worse entitlement culture than the US, although for the life of me I can't figure out why. Is it pent up frustrations from the middle ages? Or perhaps a competitive environment where politicians tried to 'outpromise' other countries? Whatever the reason, every day there is a front-page article talking about why the government should, is, or will be gifting money to some obscure group, and how upset people are that the government isn't giving more. A few of the results from the past week:
- A recent survey of 10 UK secondary schools (grades 7-12, approximately) found that 337 students said they had carried out some level of "personal care" of someone in their home "some of the time" over the previous month. Extrapolating from that, the survey concluded over 700,000 children in the UK are caring for their parents. Children's Minister for England said it was "shocking" that child carers did not get the support they needed or the recognition they deserved."The Care Services minister (I didn't even realize there was such a position) then announced the government would make £400m available for carers' breaks over the next four years, and the
- I read a heart-rending article about a father who, after his daughter was diagnosed with cancer, successfully campaigned for students to receive "employment support allowance" (ie unemployment benefits) if illness forced them to suspend their courses. It seemed perfectly reasonable...until I found the issue hinged on the word 'suspend' -- since benefits are based on income, and a student loan is considered income, if the student quits school she is entitled to disability benefits, but if she only 'suspends' her studies then she still has access to the student loan, and therefore was denied additional benefits. Suddenly this seemed quite silly.
- Students have been protesting increases to school fees for about a month. Two weeks ago, about 2,000 (out of 50,000) protesters split from the march to surround the Conservative Party HQ, smashing windows and lighting fires. 58 people were arrested and 14 people hurt during the four-hour stand-off. What could cause such chaos? The UK government is proposing raising the tuition cap from £3,290 to £9,000 a year. That's still less than a public college in the States, and the government will pay the entire amount as an interest-free loan which would not have to be repaid until the student had graduated and was earning £21,000 per year. (A graduate earning the median £31,323 per year would repay £77/month.)
- Workers on the London Underground have organised four strikes over the past two months, crippling public transportation, to protest cuts of up to 800 jobs, claiming the cuts would seriously impact safety. Management notes the 800 jobs are for cashiers which have been replaced with automated ticket machines, and they aren't even firing anyone, just not replacing them.
But that still pales next to France, where labor unions have organized six nationwide strikes over the past two months, with between 1 and 3 million demonstrators. This has cost that country nearly US $500 million per day; public transportation has been reduced, motorways have been blocked, refineries have been disrupted, leading to a national fuel shortage, and students have built barracades around 400 high schools. And what is the social injustice that has caused such an uproar? The government has raised the retirement age from 60 to 62.
- A recent survey of 10 UK secondary schools (grades 7-12, approximately) found that 337 students said they had carried out some level of "personal care" of someone in their home "some of the time" over the previous month. Extrapolating from that, the survey concluded over 700,000 children in the UK are caring for their parents. Children's Minister for England said it was "shocking" that child carers did not get the support they needed or the recognition they deserved."The Care Services minister (I didn't even realize there was such a position) then announced the government would make £400m available for carers' breaks over the next four years, and the
- I read a heart-rending article about a father who, after his daughter was diagnosed with cancer, successfully campaigned for students to receive "employment support allowance" (ie unemployment benefits) if illness forced them to suspend their courses. It seemed perfectly reasonable...until I found the issue hinged on the word 'suspend' -- since benefits are based on income, and a student loan is considered income, if the student quits school she is entitled to disability benefits, but if she only 'suspends' her studies then she still has access to the student loan, and therefore was denied additional benefits. Suddenly this seemed quite silly.
- Students have been protesting increases to school fees for about a month. Two weeks ago, about 2,000 (out of 50,000) protesters split from the march to surround the Conservative Party HQ, smashing windows and lighting fires. 58 people were arrested and 14 people hurt during the four-hour stand-off. What could cause such chaos? The UK government is proposing raising the tuition cap from £3,290 to £9,000 a year. That's still less than a public college in the States, and the government will pay the entire amount as an interest-free loan which would not have to be repaid until the student had graduated and was earning £21,000 per year. (A graduate earning the median £31,323 per year would repay £77/month.)
- Workers on the London Underground have organised four strikes over the past two months, crippling public transportation, to protest cuts of up to 800 jobs, claiming the cuts would seriously impact safety. Management notes the 800 jobs are for cashiers which have been replaced with automated ticket machines, and they aren't even firing anyone, just not replacing them.
But that still pales next to France, where labor unions have organized six nationwide strikes over the past two months, with between 1 and 3 million demonstrators. This has cost that country nearly US $500 million per day; public transportation has been reduced, motorways have been blocked, refineries have been disrupted, leading to a national fuel shortage, and students have built barracades around 400 high schools. And what is the social injustice that has caused such an uproar? The government has raised the retirement age from 60 to 62.
London is beautiful
The snow, which has shut down most of the UK over the past 4 days, finally came to London. Of course, I'm watching it on TV -- I'm not crazy enough to actually go outside! The thermometer is not expected to go much above freezing for the rest of the week.
But even through the window, the city really comes into its own, with large gossamer flakes blowing lazily about, giving the city a clean, white sheen. I know at some point I will have to venture out, but I will be prepared--thermal underwear, multiple layers, a warm coat and scarf, possibly even a hat. Fortunately, the Indian takeaway is just a block away.
Winter in England is not like New England -- snow is usually fairly mild, it rarely gets below freezing, and when there is heavy snow, most people have the good sense to stay home. Last year, the heavy snow caught the local councils off guard, and they did not have enough salt to grit the roads. This year, they assure us that won't be a problem, but it is a worying start to winter--snow hasn't fallen in November in 29 years.
The Met Office has predicted a 'dry and mild winter' -- but then again, they said the same thing last year, which turned out to be one of the coldest winters on record.
Winter officially starts tomorrow.
But even through the window, the city really comes into its own, with large gossamer flakes blowing lazily about, giving the city a clean, white sheen. I know at some point I will have to venture out, but I will be prepared--thermal underwear, multiple layers, a warm coat and scarf, possibly even a hat. Fortunately, the Indian takeaway is just a block away.
Winter in England is not like New England -- snow is usually fairly mild, it rarely gets below freezing, and when there is heavy snow, most people have the good sense to stay home. Last year, the heavy snow caught the local councils off guard, and they did not have enough salt to grit the roads. This year, they assure us that won't be a problem, but it is a worying start to winter--snow hasn't fallen in November in 29 years.
The Met Office has predicted a 'dry and mild winter' -- but then again, they said the same thing last year, which turned out to be one of the coldest winters on record.
Winter officially starts tomorrow.
Friday, November 26, 2010
News of the day
Here is today's headline:
How about the rest of the article?
Other headlines today:
- Despite announcing record cuts to most services, the UK government announced it was giving £8 billion (about US $12 billion) to the railways, despite record levels of dissatisfaction, delays, overcrowding, and safety records. Yesterday, Network Rail announced theThameslink project was going to be 2 years later than expected, but by 2018 they should be able to ease the overcrowding.
- The government also announced it was spending £2 million to define a 'happiness index,' something the last government also looked into but abandoned as 'too flaky.'
- London police were called to task yesterday for being 'too aggressive' in response to student protests. Two weeks ago, London police were called to task for being 'too lenient' in response to student protests.
- The weather report is calling for snow this weekend, the earliest snowfall in 17 years. They expect freezing temperatures for a fortnight. (That's two weeks.)
- A comprehensive health report indicates doctors in the South-west are three times more likely to amputate diabetics' limbs than doctors in the South-east. Nobody knows why.
And, of course, endless articles on the upcoming royal nuptials. The only information I deemed relevant was that since April 29 -- which has already been declared a national holiday in England -- is between the 4-day Easter weekend and the 3-day Spring bank holiday weekend, I can take an 11-day holiday with only 3 days off work. Unfortunately, I suspect a lot of other people are making similar plans...
Ashes: Siddle hat-trick shocks England at Gabba
Any idea what they are talking about? Does the byline help?Peter Siddle took a hat-trick on his 26th birthday and a Test-best 6-54 as England's batting was dismantled on the opening day of the first Ashes Test.
How about the rest of the article?
England had reached 197-4 before Siddle had Alastair Cook caught at slip for 67, and then removed Matt Prior and Stuart Broad with his next two balls.
Ian Bell hit out, making a fine 76, but England were all out for a modest 260.
Shane Watson and Simon Katich safely negotiated six overs as Australia replied with 25-0 in Brisbane.
Australia, by contrast, went into the match on the back of three straight Test defeats - but the Gabba has long been a fortress and England made poor use of winning an important toss.
Captain Andrew Strauss lasted just three balls, Jonathan Trott (29) fell when threatening a major innings, and it was a similar case with Kevin Pietersen (43).
Cook, who put on 76 with Pietersen and 72 with Bell, played his part but it was his wicket that triggered the Siddle-inspired collapse that left Australia firmly on top.
I find cricket fascinating only because it so obtuse. They could be writing about anything. They could be writing in another language, it would be just as impenetrable.Other headlines today:
- Despite announcing record cuts to most services, the UK government announced it was giving £8 billion (about US $12 billion) to the railways, despite record levels of dissatisfaction, delays, overcrowding, and safety records. Yesterday, Network Rail announced theThameslink project was going to be 2 years later than expected, but by 2018 they should be able to ease the overcrowding.
- The government also announced it was spending £2 million to define a 'happiness index,' something the last government also looked into but abandoned as 'too flaky.'
- London police were called to task yesterday for being 'too aggressive' in response to student protests. Two weeks ago, London police were called to task for being 'too lenient' in response to student protests.
- The weather report is calling for snow this weekend, the earliest snowfall in 17 years. They expect freezing temperatures for a fortnight. (That's two weeks.)
- A comprehensive health report indicates doctors in the South-west are three times more likely to amputate diabetics' limbs than doctors in the South-east. Nobody knows why.
And, of course, endless articles on the upcoming royal nuptials. The only information I deemed relevant was that since April 29 -- which has already been declared a national holiday in England -- is between the 4-day Easter weekend and the 3-day Spring bank holiday weekend, I can take an 11-day holiday with only 3 days off work. Unfortunately, I suspect a lot of other people are making similar plans...
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Royal wedding bun throw in doubt
As I'm sure everyone in the world has heard, there's going to be a Royal Wedding. However, in one of those stories you couldn't possibly make up, officials in Abingdon County (in Oxfordshire, about 60 miles west of London) are concerned because building works on the County Hall Museum may prevent its tradition of hurling cakes from the top of the building into the crowd below.
According to the BBC, It is thought the custom started in 1760 with the coronation of George III, and is a way to reward the public on special occasions.
Officials are hopeful, however, that once the wedding date is announced, they will be able to schedule the work so civic leaders can get on the roof on that day.
According to the BBC, It is thought the custom started in 1760 with the coronation of George III, and is a way to reward the public on special occasions.
Officials are hopeful, however, that once the wedding date is announced, they will be able to schedule the work so civic leaders can get on the roof on that day.
Only in England...
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Funding
The funding finally seems to be in place, although it has been a ridiculous week.
Originally, we were just taking out a simple mortgage on the new property, but a chance conversation changed all that. Unlike the States, interest on your primary home is not tax-deductible here. However, we found out interest on a rental property is. Since we're planning on renting out Jessica's flat, a back-of-the-envelope calculation showed that by shifting equity from the flat to the house could save us £15,000/year!
So we told the mortgage advisor (who probably should have told us about this in the first place) to rip up the first mortgage application and start over. Last Saturday, we went to sign the final paperwork, and everything fell apart.
All I did was ask if the bank would waive the £699 fee. The mortgage advisor called Monday to say they wouldn't waive the fee...and the interest rate was significantly higher than expected...and they wouldn't loan us as much as we we needed! Jess and I were already quite annoyed with her, and this was the last straw. She had taken nearly three weeks to get the new loan, she obviously hadn't talked to the bank, and she was now costing me money. Two weeks ago I had to argue with her about basic math (she got confused between deposit and loan amount), and we'd both had to sit through endless hours of unrelated paperwork and 'options' (i.e. add-ons). It was too much, and with a few choice words, I told her we'd go direct to the bank.
And we did. In fact, I was at work until 8pm that night filling out a mortgage application over the phone. When I got home, however, I checked online and found a much better rate with another bank...but it was good for one week only, and the bank only worked through mortgage consultants!
So I had to call the advsior back and eat some crow. It was already Tuesday, the application had to be in by the end of the week, she was off on Thursday, and we were out of town Friday! We met on Wednesday to sign the paperwork, and she promised to come in on her day off to ensure there weren't any problems. On Friday -- just as we got on the motorway -- she called to say she'd lost the paperwork.
Fortunately, we had time to stop at our hotel, and they had a fax machine so we were able to get it back on track. The surveyor (appraisor, to you) will be coming tomorrow, so I presume it is all taken care of. At least I hope so, because the rate has gone from 4.25% to 4.8%, which equates to over £1,000/year!
Originally, we were just taking out a simple mortgage on the new property, but a chance conversation changed all that. Unlike the States, interest on your primary home is not tax-deductible here. However, we found out interest on a rental property is. Since we're planning on renting out Jessica's flat, a back-of-the-envelope calculation showed that by shifting equity from the flat to the house could save us £15,000/year!
So we told the mortgage advisor (who probably should have told us about this in the first place) to rip up the first mortgage application and start over. Last Saturday, we went to sign the final paperwork, and everything fell apart.
All I did was ask if the bank would waive the £699 fee. The mortgage advisor called Monday to say they wouldn't waive the fee...and the interest rate was significantly higher than expected...and they wouldn't loan us as much as we we needed! Jess and I were already quite annoyed with her, and this was the last straw. She had taken nearly three weeks to get the new loan, she obviously hadn't talked to the bank, and she was now costing me money. Two weeks ago I had to argue with her about basic math (she got confused between deposit and loan amount), and we'd both had to sit through endless hours of unrelated paperwork and 'options' (i.e. add-ons). It was too much, and with a few choice words, I told her we'd go direct to the bank.
And we did. In fact, I was at work until 8pm that night filling out a mortgage application over the phone. When I got home, however, I checked online and found a much better rate with another bank...but it was good for one week only, and the bank only worked through mortgage consultants!
So I had to call the advsior back and eat some crow. It was already Tuesday, the application had to be in by the end of the week, she was off on Thursday, and we were out of town Friday! We met on Wednesday to sign the paperwork, and she promised to come in on her day off to ensure there weren't any problems. On Friday -- just as we got on the motorway -- she called to say she'd lost the paperwork.
Fortunately, we had time to stop at our hotel, and they had a fax machine so we were able to get it back on track. The surveyor (appraisor, to you) will be coming tomorrow, so I presume it is all taken care of. At least I hope so, because the rate has gone from 4.25% to 4.8%, which equates to over £1,000/year!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
We bought a house!
Even though we've been searching since June, and have seen at least 50 homes and driven past 150 more, you'd be hard-pressed to understand why we like this house. It's ugly, it needs a lot of work, it's on a crowded street, there is no parking, it feels like its a million miles away from London, and the garden is north-facing, so it won't get much sun in winter.
Yet, we actually quite like it. The rooms are larger than usual except for the kitchen, and we plan to expand the house slightly to fix that. The yard is private, the street is a dead-end, we're surrounded by parks and fields, there's a nice supermarket nearby, it is walking distance to the tube station so it is easy to get into the city, and it has easy access to the M25 so it is easy to get out of the city.
In short, it was a good house in a good area, and we think we got a good deal, so we're happy to do the improvements ourselves.
In addition, most of the residents seem to be older, having raised their families here, so we expect there to be a lot of turnover as they retire to smaller houses, and young families move in. (There is an excellent primary school just three-quarters of a mile away.)
The owners are retiring to Cyprus, so if all goes smoothly we could be in there by the end of November. However, we plan on doing the improvements first, so move-in will more likely be the end of January.
Here is a link to the property and the "before" photos -- I hope to have "after" photos soon!
Yet, we actually quite like it. The rooms are larger than usual except for the kitchen, and we plan to expand the house slightly to fix that. The yard is private, the street is a dead-end, we're surrounded by parks and fields, there's a nice supermarket nearby, it is walking distance to the tube station so it is easy to get into the city, and it has easy access to the M25 so it is easy to get out of the city.
In short, it was a good house in a good area, and we think we got a good deal, so we're happy to do the improvements ourselves.
In addition, most of the residents seem to be older, having raised their families here, so we expect there to be a lot of turnover as they retire to smaller houses, and young families move in. (There is an excellent primary school just three-quarters of a mile away.)
The owners are retiring to Cyprus, so if all goes smoothly we could be in there by the end of November. However, we plan on doing the improvements first, so move-in will more likely be the end of January.
Here is a link to the property and the "before" photos -- I hope to have "after" photos soon!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Orange Revolution
Martin Luther probably had no idea the storm he was unleashing when he nailed his grievances on the door of a church at Wittenberg. The Protestant Reformation spread like wildfire, and within 50 years half of Europe had split from the Catholic church. In England, Henry VIII was strongly pro-Catholic until the Pope refused him a divorce, at which point he declared the entire country Protestant.
But the reason he wanted a divorce was because his wife had only born him one daughter, Mary, and when she came to throne not only was she Catholic, but she had her own grievances against those who helped her father divorce her mother. (History would know her as "Bloody Mary.")
For the next 100 years, it was almost farcical as each heir came to the thrown alternated between Catholic and Protestant, and the winds of the country shifted appropriately. Elizabeth I succeeded Mary and restored the Church of England. Her successor would have been Mary, Queen of Scots, but she was Catholic, so Elizabeth held her in the Tower of London for 19 years, and then executed her. Her son, James I, was a protestant, and his son, Charles I, was also protestant but made the grave mistake of marrying a Catholic, and was executed. After a brief flurry as a Republic, Charles II -- protestant -- was invited to restore the monarchy, but was succeeded by his brother, James II, a Catholic.
But it gets better: James II had two daughters by his first wife, who were protestant, and one son by his second wife, who was Catholic. When James named his son as heir, it was too much for Parliament, who invited his eldest daughter -- now married to the Dutch King, William of Orange -- to invade.
When William and Mary sailed to England, James II promptly fled to France, making it probably the easiest invasion in history. And in fact, most historians completely ignore the fact that it was an invasion, claiming James II had abdicated the throne, and today it is referred to as the "Glorious Revolution." However, had it been a succession, Mary would have been queen and William merely the 'Princess Consort' (similar to today, with Elizabeth II as queen and her husband, Prince Phillip, as her consort). However, William -- who had brought an army with him -- forced Parliament to declare him King, and Parliament made the odd choice to make them separate and joint rulers, "William and Mary."
Both died childless, however, so Mary's sister, Anne, succeeded. When she also failed to provide an heir, things got weird. Parliament was not tolerating another Catholic monarch, but the next 50 or so people in line for the throne were all Catholic! The 'Act of Settlement' in 1701 passed over all 50 people to settle on the Electress Sophia of Hanover, a province in Germany!
The House of Hanover -- or more accurately, the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha -- has ruled since, although in 1917 George V changed the name to the House of Windsor, due to anti-German settlement preceding World War I.
That's enough nattering today, but here's a nice trivia question: What is Elizabeth II's surname? (And no, it's not Windsor.)
But the reason he wanted a divorce was because his wife had only born him one daughter, Mary, and when she came to throne not only was she Catholic, but she had her own grievances against those who helped her father divorce her mother. (History would know her as "Bloody Mary.")
For the next 100 years, it was almost farcical as each heir came to the thrown alternated between Catholic and Protestant, and the winds of the country shifted appropriately. Elizabeth I succeeded Mary and restored the Church of England. Her successor would have been Mary, Queen of Scots, but she was Catholic, so Elizabeth held her in the Tower of London for 19 years, and then executed her. Her son, James I, was a protestant, and his son, Charles I, was also protestant but made the grave mistake of marrying a Catholic, and was executed. After a brief flurry as a Republic, Charles II -- protestant -- was invited to restore the monarchy, but was succeeded by his brother, James II, a Catholic.
But it gets better: James II had two daughters by his first wife, who were protestant, and one son by his second wife, who was Catholic. When James named his son as heir, it was too much for Parliament, who invited his eldest daughter -- now married to the Dutch King, William of Orange -- to invade.
When William and Mary sailed to England, James II promptly fled to France, making it probably the easiest invasion in history. And in fact, most historians completely ignore the fact that it was an invasion, claiming James II had abdicated the throne, and today it is referred to as the "Glorious Revolution." However, had it been a succession, Mary would have been queen and William merely the 'Princess Consort' (similar to today, with Elizabeth II as queen and her husband, Prince Phillip, as her consort). However, William -- who had brought an army with him -- forced Parliament to declare him King, and Parliament made the odd choice to make them separate and joint rulers, "William and Mary."
Both died childless, however, so Mary's sister, Anne, succeeded. When she also failed to provide an heir, things got weird. Parliament was not tolerating another Catholic monarch, but the next 50 or so people in line for the throne were all Catholic! The 'Act of Settlement' in 1701 passed over all 50 people to settle on the Electress Sophia of Hanover, a province in Germany!
The House of Hanover -- or more accurately, the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha -- has ruled since, although in 1917 George V changed the name to the House of Windsor, due to anti-German settlement preceding World War I.
That's enough nattering today, but here's a nice trivia question: What is Elizabeth II's surname? (And no, it's not Windsor.)
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Towton
I'm reading an excellent book on the monarchy which, like the book on Jewish history I just finished, tries to compact a lot of history into a very short narrative. Naturally, some parts get glossed over, and one of those was the battle at Towton.
Coincidentally, though, I was travelling for work last week, and was in a hotel room channel surfing when I came across an entire program on the battle, and was riveted.
The next day I had to travel to the other side of the country (which is a 3 hour drive -- it's a small country) and I happened to look up Towton. It turns out I'd been less than 20 miles from the battlefield!
Of course, I didn't have time to go last week, but someday I'd like to visit, perhaps when I finally see the armoury at Leeds.
The battle of Towton was the final battle of the War of the Roses. If you thought that was just a Michael Douglas movie, you're an idiot. It was the English civil war, between the houses of York (the red rose) and Lancaster (the white rose) for nothing less than the kingship.
And it was an epic battle, with 42,000 for the Lancastrians and 36,000 for the Yorkists. It was the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil and several times the battle was paused to move the dead out of the way. There were estimated to be 28,000 casualties. To put that in perspective, the entire English population at the time was about 2.5 million, and 1% were killed in one day.
By comparison, 400 years later, the Battle of Antietam -- the bloodiest day in the bloodiest war on American soil -- had 23,000 casualties, but started with 55,000 Confederate soldiers and 75,000 Union soldiers, out of a total population of 23 million.
Part of the reason it was so bloody was both sides promised "no quarter" -- it was a fight to the death. The tide turned when Yorkist reinforcements arrived that afternoon, forcing the Lancastrians to retreat, which turned into a rout. Bridges broke under the weight of the armed men, plunging many into the freezing water, and stranding others who were easy targets after they had dropped their weapons and thrown off their helmets to flee. The fields were full of bodies from Towton to Tadcaster, over 2 miles away.
We can summarize the War of the Roses as a dynastic feud, starting in 1399 when Henry Bolingbroke, of Lancaster, deposed his cousin, Richard II, to become Henry IV. In so doing, he ignored the normal lines of succession and when his grandson, Henry VI, became unpopular (and was quite probably insane), Richard of York challenged on the grounds of legitimacy. In the first major battle, the Yorkists were defeated and Richard's head was displayed on a pole wearing a paper crown. However, his son, Edward, continued the fight and after Towton was declared Edward IV. (Shakespeare actually documented this entire period in a set of seven plays,starting with Richard II and ending with Henry VI, part 3.)
However, the real issue is that England always liked the idea of a monarchy, but not often the reality. As such, it often put controls on the king that were unthinkable elsewhere, and when the king did not suit the country, it was often able to justify his removal. Just look at the text of the Magna Carta, written 500 years before the US Declaration of Independence; it is a stark limitation of kingship, whereas other monarchs were believed to be divinely chosen and above all laws.
The significance of the Wars of the Roses wasn't the line of succession -- in fact, in a few short years Henry Tudor of Lancaster would retake the throne from Richard III, and marry Elizabeth of York, thus uniting the two houses as Henry VII. The significance of the Wars of the Roses, on the other hand, emphasized the insignficance of the king. While still a major political player, it had taken a secondary role to Parliament, and who occupied the throne was largely immaterial.
Of course, Henry Tudor's son would change all that when, as Henry VIII, he challenged the Pope and declared himself head of the Church of England.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Pub quiz
I stole this from www.freepubquizzes.com. Answers are below. This is self-scoring and no cheating is allowed. I think I got 18 right.
1. Who fronted the band 'Culture Club'?
2. What does a bad workman always blame?
3. Which is more substantial, 'Afternoon Tea' or 'High Tea'?
4. In medicine what do the initials E N T mean?
5. In which soap would you find a garage known as 'The Arches'?
6. What is an 'Alto Cumulus'?
7. In which European country would you find Tuscany?
8. Which is the busiest passenger ferry port in England?
9. What weapons are used in fencing?
10. What is the German word for 'one' (spelling must be correct)?
11. Which golfer Jack was nicknamed 'The Golden Bear'?
12. In which Scottish City would you find Sauchiehall Street?
13. Which TV personality's catchphrase is 'Awright'?
14. Which musician was known as 'Satchmo'?
15. Which royal was once married to Lord Snowden?
16. What do the initials MEP stand for?
17. In children's television, what creature was Otis?
18. In which country would you find the pine scented wine 'Retsina'?
19. What is Mozzarella?
20. In which country are Rhineland, Bavaria and Saxony?
21. Which Joan starred in 'What ever happened to Baby Jane'?
22. Which part of your body does an orthodontist look after?
23. Is Sweden a Kingdom or a Republic?
24. What type of plant is associated with a viticulturist?
25. Which film contains the song 'Hi Ho'?
26. For which country did Gavin Hastings play Rugby Union?
27. Which ice dance partnership performed to Ravel's Bolero?
28. Which song contains the line 'Feed the World'?
29. What are the initials of the painter 'Lowry'?
30. What 'flock together'?
Answers below
1) Boy George
2) His Tools
3) High Tea
4) Ear, Nose and Throat
5) Eastenders
6) Cloud
7) Italy
8) Dover
9) Swords
10) Ein
11) Nicklaus
12) Glasgow
13) Michael Barrymore
14) Louis Armstrong
15) Margaret
16) Member of the European Parliament
17) Aardvark
18) Greece
19) Cheese
20) Germany
21) Crawford
22) Teeth
23) Kingdom
24) Vines
25) Snow White and the 7 dwarfs
26) Scotland
27) Torvill & Dean
28) Do They Know It's Christmas
29) L S
30) Birds of a Feather
P.S. There are actually three types of swords used in fencing: Foil, sabre, and épée.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
MGN
MGNBKWRTTNNLLCPSWTHNVWLSPNCTTNRSPCSTHTSTHHBRWBBL
(Translation: Imagine a book written in all caps with no vowels, punctiation, or spaces. That is the Hebrew bible.)
Fortunately, modern Hebrew isn't nearly as incomprehensible. Of course, the letters aren't Latin, and so I can't even represent them here, and the vowels aren't letters at all, but lines under the letters. But there are only 22 letters, the pronunciation and spelling are consistent, and the root of most Hebrew words are 3 letters (not including the vowels), so it should be easy enough to learn. Remember to read right to left, on the other hand...
Modern English is completely unrecognizable from Old English, and that was just 800 years ago. Imagine how language changed over a 4,000 year period! Coupled with such an enigmatic text, and you can understand why it is so open to interpretation.
(Translation: Imagine a book written in all caps with no vowels, punctiation, or spaces. That is the Hebrew bible.)
Fortunately, modern Hebrew isn't nearly as incomprehensible. Of course, the letters aren't Latin, and so I can't even represent them here, and the vowels aren't letters at all, but lines under the letters. But there are only 22 letters, the pronunciation and spelling are consistent, and the root of most Hebrew words are 3 letters (not including the vowels), so it should be easy enough to learn. Remember to read right to left, on the other hand...
Modern English is completely unrecognizable from Old English, and that was just 800 years ago. Imagine how language changed over a 4,000 year period! Coupled with such an enigmatic text, and you can understand why it is so open to interpretation.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Politics as usual
National politics have dominated the UK news recently, which is surprising considering the next elections aren't until 2015.
Three weeks ago, the Liberal Democrats held their party conference in Liverpool, in which the leader had to explain to a very disaffected membership how supporting their arch-enemies the Conservatives while getting nothing in return was actually good for them. Two weeks ago, Labour held its party conference in Manchester, where the heir apparent not only lost the party leadership to his brother, but then decided to drop out of politics altogether. And this week, the Conservatives are holding their party conference in Birmingham, where the party leader (and Prime Minister) is back-peddling on his promise not to cut social benefits, by proposing that people who earn more than £50,000/year (US $80,000) not receive a 'child benefit' payment.
Introduced in 1945, the child benefit was a weekly payment for the second and subsequent children. In 1977, the eldest also got a payment, and in 1991 the payment was reduced for subsequent children. Today, it is worth £20.30 a week (US $1700/year) for the eldest and £13.40 a week (US $1100/year) for the rest.
For a taxpayer making £50,000/year with 3 children, that equates to approximately 7% of net income, a not inconsiderable amount. But here's where it goes off the rails: Like the stamp duty, it is not a phased reduction -- earn £49,000 and the government gives you $2,500, but make £50,000 and you get nothing. In addition, the UK looks at each parents' income separately, so a couple earning £98,000 get the credit, while a single mom making £50,000 does not.
Even more interesting, the government is suggesting this be implemented in three years -- not because they want to prepare people for the cuts, but because the cost of changing the welfare system is so high, they can't afford to incur that cost for the next two years.
Part of the reason for the cost is that, in a related move, the government is also trying to simplify work benefits. Rather than having jobseekers allowance (unemployment benefits), housing benefits, and a raft of other benefits, they are introducing a single 'universal credit' which will be tapered off at 65p per pound. The idea is that right now, it's a bigger risk to take a low paying or temporary job because you then lose your benefits, whereas under the scheme you will be better off taking any job because you'd still keep a portion of your benefits. Of course, the devil is in the details, and some people will lose out significantly -- especially those who live in high rent areas, like London. But I applaud them for at least trying to simplify the system, and since my work permit specifically states "No recourse to public funds," it doesn't really matter to me what they do.
Three weeks ago, the Liberal Democrats held their party conference in Liverpool, in which the leader had to explain to a very disaffected membership how supporting their arch-enemies the Conservatives while getting nothing in return was actually good for them. Two weeks ago, Labour held its party conference in Manchester, where the heir apparent not only lost the party leadership to his brother, but then decided to drop out of politics altogether. And this week, the Conservatives are holding their party conference in Birmingham, where the party leader (and Prime Minister) is back-peddling on his promise not to cut social benefits, by proposing that people who earn more than £50,000/year (US $80,000) not receive a 'child benefit' payment.
Introduced in 1945, the child benefit was a weekly payment for the second and subsequent children. In 1977, the eldest also got a payment, and in 1991 the payment was reduced for subsequent children. Today, it is worth £20.30 a week (US $1700/year) for the eldest and £13.40 a week (US $1100/year) for the rest.
For a taxpayer making £50,000/year with 3 children, that equates to approximately 7% of net income, a not inconsiderable amount. But here's where it goes off the rails: Like the stamp duty, it is not a phased reduction -- earn £49,000 and the government gives you $2,500, but make £50,000 and you get nothing. In addition, the UK looks at each parents' income separately, so a couple earning £98,000 get the credit, while a single mom making £50,000 does not.
Even more interesting, the government is suggesting this be implemented in three years -- not because they want to prepare people for the cuts, but because the cost of changing the welfare system is so high, they can't afford to incur that cost for the next two years.
Part of the reason for the cost is that, in a related move, the government is also trying to simplify work benefits. Rather than having jobseekers allowance (unemployment benefits), housing benefits, and a raft of other benefits, they are introducing a single 'universal credit' which will be tapered off at 65p per pound. The idea is that right now, it's a bigger risk to take a low paying or temporary job because you then lose your benefits, whereas under the scheme you will be better off taking any job because you'd still keep a portion of your benefits. Of course, the devil is in the details, and some people will lose out significantly -- especially those who live in high rent areas, like London. But I applaud them for at least trying to simplify the system, and since my work permit specifically states "No recourse to public funds," it doesn't really matter to me what they do.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Random thoughts
In the spirit of Jack Handey...
Some people celebrate the trivial; others trivialize the profound.
I don't know why I'm here, but I'd be a fool to squander the opportunity.
You choose your own reality; choose one you like.
When in doubt, jump.
Being prepared for failure does not diminish your reach, or lessen your accomplishments.
Live your life so you have nothing to regret.
Sometimes you have to open doors, sometimes they are opened for you; the important thing is that you went through them.
When you notice someone not smiling, let that be a reminder to smile, to appreciate life and your place in it.
Be grateful. The world wasn't created for you, but it's a pretty amazing place to be.
The greatest gift you can give someone is your attention.
I don't know why I'm here, but I'd be a fool to squander the opportunity.
You choose your own reality; choose one you like.
When in doubt, jump.
Being prepared for failure does not diminish your reach, or lessen your accomplishments.
Live your life so you have nothing to regret.
Sometimes you have to open doors, sometimes they are opened for you; the important thing is that you went through them.
When you notice someone not smiling, let that be a reminder to smile, to appreciate life and your place in it.
Be grateful. The world wasn't created for you, but it's a pretty amazing place to be.
The greatest gift you can give someone is your attention.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Flood control
On January 31, 1953, a 'perfect storm' of high spring tide, severe windstorm, and a tidal surge caused water levels to rise 18 feet above normal, overwhelming sea defenses and causing extensive flooding. Nearly 2,400 people died, 70,000 were evacuated, and 47,300 buildings were damaged; 10,000 were completely destroyed.
In response, the government embarked on an ambitious project to reduce floods to one in 10,000 years. Although the Delta Works were 'officially' completed in 1997, in reality they were finished in August this year with the opening of the last strengthend and raised water retaining wall. However, the government is already revisitng the plans in light of global warming and coastal flooding. The American Society of Civil Engineers listed the project on its 'Seven Wonders of the Modern World.'
By comparison, on September 9, 1965, Hurricane Betsy made landfall with winds of 110mph, driving a storm surge 10 feet above normal, breaching several levees. Although only 76 people died, the hurricane caused nearly $1.5 billion in damage, including flooding 164,000 homes. In response, the government built new levees designed specifically to resist a fast-moving Category 3 hurricane like Betsy.
40 years later, on August 29, 2005, a large, slow-moving, Category 3 hurricane made landfall at the same spot, breeching the new levees and killing 1,836 people, causing $8.1 billion in damage, and flooding over one million homes. Five years later, most of the levees have been reconstructed to 'modern standards' but thousands of residents are still living in temporary accommodation, and there are ongoing funding battles over the remaining levee improvements. There is no plan in place to prevent a similar disaster in the future, and the threat of global warming has not even been acknowledged.
The first example was in the Netherlands, and the second was in New Orleans.
Sometimes I feel like I'm just picking on the US, comparing it unfavorably to other countries. However, what I'm really trying to point out that the richest nation on the planet could -- and should -- be doing things much better, and that secular ignorance is no excuse. If other countries (with more limited resources) can do the right thing, there is no reason the US can't.
In response, the government embarked on an ambitious project to reduce floods to one in 10,000 years. Although the Delta Works were 'officially' completed in 1997, in reality they were finished in August this year with the opening of the last strengthend and raised water retaining wall. However, the government is already revisitng the plans in light of global warming and coastal flooding. The American Society of Civil Engineers listed the project on its 'Seven Wonders of the Modern World.'
By comparison, on September 9, 1965, Hurricane Betsy made landfall with winds of 110mph, driving a storm surge 10 feet above normal, breaching several levees. Although only 76 people died, the hurricane caused nearly $1.5 billion in damage, including flooding 164,000 homes. In response, the government built new levees designed specifically to resist a fast-moving Category 3 hurricane like Betsy.
40 years later, on August 29, 2005, a large, slow-moving, Category 3 hurricane made landfall at the same spot, breeching the new levees and killing 1,836 people, causing $8.1 billion in damage, and flooding over one million homes. Five years later, most of the levees have been reconstructed to 'modern standards' but thousands of residents are still living in temporary accommodation, and there are ongoing funding battles over the remaining levee improvements. There is no plan in place to prevent a similar disaster in the future, and the threat of global warming has not even been acknowledged.
The first example was in the Netherlands, and the second was in New Orleans.
Sometimes I feel like I'm just picking on the US, comparing it unfavorably to other countries. However, what I'm really trying to point out that the richest nation on the planet could -- and should -- be doing things much better, and that secular ignorance is no excuse. If other countries (with more limited resources) can do the right thing, there is no reason the US can't.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
House offers
Jess and I started looking for a house in June. That was 5 months ago, and in that time we have seen at least 100 houses, three of which we could consider living in. (Four if you count the one an idiot estate agent showed us that was way out of our budget.)
What's amazing is that we've seen all three in the last few weeks. That means either a) Our expectations are falling faster than the housing market; or b) prices are coming down and we're seeing nicer properties in our price range. I like to believe it's the latter.
Jess and I made an offer on the first house, Mansfield, at just 5% below the asking price. However, the owners had recently dropped the asking price, and weren't even considering going below that. We weren't particularly bothered -- although the property was large (it had a loft conversion) and it backed onto a lovely green and a gorgeous wood, the layout was very odd, the flooring was horrific, the master bath needed to be re-done, and it was a mile to the shops or the tube. Besides, the property was vacant, it had already been on the market for four months, and going into autumn meant prices were going to fall even further, so we were in no hurry to raise our offer.
On the second house, on Old Farm Avenue, we didn't make an offer, we just told the agent the asking price was ridiculous. It was £40k higher than the rest of the area, and although the house was quite nice, it wasn't special, the area wasn't great, and it was right next to a synagogue. But it was an end-of-terrace property--so only one shared wall--with a large backyard, and the ground was sloped so you were looking at sky instead of surrounding houses. It was also closer to the tube and shops, but the main supermarket was ASDA, which is owned by WalMart -- and most people know how I feel about WalMart.
(My feeling was the owner wasn't really interested in selling it, and was just hoping for a fantastic offer. In England, it costs virtually nothing to list a property, so owners often 'float' a property, and in five months we've seen several houses taken off the market by the owners without a sale.)
The third one is Bosworth Road, which is owned by a Greek couple who have lived there for 35 years, raised two children and several cats, smoke like chimneys, and will talk your ear off given half a chance. Unfortunately, they haven't done anything to the place in those 35 years, so it needs a lot of 'modernisation' and, more importantly, a good clean. However, it's on a dead-end road near a park, the tube, shops, and there is plenty of space to extend the property later. I made an offer today, although I feel a litle guilty because I offered them less than what it is worth, knowing they were looking for a quick sale so they move to Cyprus. Cross your fingers.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Separation anxiety
Three months ago, I lauded over my new smartphone, which had quickly ingratiated itself in my life and became indispensable. 6 weeks ago, however, it started rebooting randomly. Two weeks ago, it started going into a reboot cycle, requiring me to actually remove the battery to resolve it. Yesterday it was completely useless the entire day, which made me finally have to face facts: My friend was sick, and needed more care than I could give it.
So this morning, with great hesitation and trepidation, I carefully wrapped it--twice--and handed it over to the UPS man, making him promise to take good care of it. Of course, I still have my crappy Nokia (pronounced 'knock-yuh' in the UK) work phone, plus a cheap phone I bought for visitors, so it's not like I'll be out of touch, or even off the Internet--but it's very hard to go back to 'basic' communciation. I want my calendar, to do lists, and notes. I want my tube map and live departures, my BBC news, my yelp. I want my soft keyboard that figures out what I'm trying to say, even when I type 'f;sdd'. I even want the chess program I haven't been able to master.
But most of all, I want to go back to complaining about what it couldn't do for me, like Skype over wi-fi, visual voicemail, or an up-to-date, off-line list of financial transactions both in the US and UK. Was that really too much to ask?
Godspeed, little android. Get better, and come back soon.
So this morning, with great hesitation and trepidation, I carefully wrapped it--twice--and handed it over to the UPS man, making him promise to take good care of it. Of course, I still have my crappy Nokia (pronounced 'knock-yuh' in the UK) work phone, plus a cheap phone I bought for visitors, so it's not like I'll be out of touch, or even off the Internet--but it's very hard to go back to 'basic' communciation. I want my calendar, to do lists, and notes. I want my tube map and live departures, my BBC news, my yelp. I want my soft keyboard that figures out what I'm trying to say, even when I type 'f;sdd'. I even want the chess program I haven't been able to master.
But most of all, I want to go back to complaining about what it couldn't do for me, like Skype over wi-fi, visual voicemail, or an up-to-date, off-line list of financial transactions both in the US and UK. Was that really too much to ask?
Godspeed, little android. Get better, and come back soon.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Waterloo to Bournemouth
The train slides out of the station, silent and imperceptible at first, then people are walking backwards, and finally you come out of the station into a light rain. Heading west from the city, there are few markers, just a sea of warehouses -- Nero's coffee roasting, Odd Bin wine merchants. Then the train turns a corner and Battersea lies, abandoned and magnificent. Stations seem densely spaced, but the express train doesn't stop. They probably don't want to go this direction, anyway.
The sounds of morning: folding newspapers, sipping coffee, the clack of rails. A young woman deftly applies makeup, a skill in the swaying carriage. The high speed trains are precision-engineered; you can hardly feel the movement; this is not high speed. We are perhaps doing 80mph, and the train is decidedly quaint, as the 'buffet' (an airline-style food dolly) trundles down the aisle. I instinctively ask for a tea.
Now we're in the New Forest, which is beautiful any time of year, but the grey sky and recent rain give it an otherworldy aspect. It also means my journeys will soon be over, as the other side of the forest is Bournemouth, an old town known for little more than being on the sea. There are other, more interesting stops on this route, such as Portsmouth that holds the Mary Rose. The train ends at Weymouth, on the Cornish coast, where the pirates came from.
But I have a meeting to get to, the real life interrupting the fantasy. The sad part is knowing I wouldn't have it any other way.
The Great Vowel Shift
OK, enough biblical references, back to English history...
It's hard to imagine a professor coining the term 'great vowel shift' because a) it sounds awful, and b) it doesn't give you any indication of what he's talking about.
English was originally a West Germanic language, brought to the islands by the Anglo-Saxons, where it was mixed with Norse (from the Vikings) and Celtic (from the Picts, as the Scots were then called) to become "Old English." Here is an example, from Beowulf:
Translation:
In 1066, William the Conqueror brought over French (from the Normans) and Latin (from the church) to create "Middle English." Here is an example, from the Cantebury Tales:
Translation:
Then, in the south of England between1450 and 1550, long vowels moved up and, even more confusing, became short.
There are many theories for the Great Vowel Shift, ranging from a rising middle class to the to the Black Death. Some say it was to sound more French; others say it was to distance themselves from the French (with whom they were at war for most of this period). Whatever the cause, the result was that "Long a" changed from "father" to "ape," "long e" from "shape" to "sheep," "long i" from "machine" to "ice," "long o" from "tool" to "goal," and "long u" from "rude" to "use."
To understand where they went, say "long e" (as in "beet"), then "long o" (as in "boat"), and feel your tongue move from front to back. The long vowels all moved up, like in a chain: /long a/-->/long e/-->/long i/--/aj/ (as in "eye") and /long o/ -->/long u/ -->/aw/ (as in "eight")
They also became short, so while in In Latin (and Middle English and most Romance languages), "long e" "they" is twice as long as "short e" "set," in Modern English "long e" "seat" is the same length as "short e" "set." So while all other languages different long and short vowels by length, we separate them by sound, which is stupid. And while other languages use dipthongs to represent different pronunciations, we use things like "silent e" to change a vowel from short ("rat") to long ("rate").
(By the way, Finnish doesn't have two vowel lengths, it has five: short and long stressed, short and long unstressed, and a short vowel immediately preceded by a stressed short vowel, called a "half vowel.")
Now that would have all been fine -- languages are constantly in flux -- except the printing press was introduced in England around 1470, and dictionaries did not appear until 1604. In between, spelling was phonetic -- you wrote it like you pronounced it -- which meant that written English captured every single one of these changes! Spellings that made sense according to Middle English pronunciation now look retarded in Modern English!
While we're on the subject, you may also be interested to know the last great change on the English language was intententionally inflicted by one man: Noah Webster. Starting with grammar school "spellers" in 1786, and continuing with his dictionary in 1806, he single-handedly established 'American English.'
It's hard to imagine a professor coining the term 'great vowel shift' because a) it sounds awful, and b) it doesn't give you any indication of what he's talking about.
English was originally a West Germanic language, brought to the islands by the Anglo-Saxons, where it was mixed with Norse (from the Vikings) and Celtic (from the Picts, as the Scots were then called) to become "Old English." Here is an example, from Beowulf:
Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,
þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.
Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,
þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.
Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,
Translation:
LO, praise of the prowess of people-kings
of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped,
we have heard, and what honor the athelings won!
Oft Scyld the Scefing from squadroned foes,
of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped,
we have heard, and what honor the athelings won!
Oft Scyld the Scefing from squadroned foes,
In 1066, William the Conqueror brought over French (from the Normans) and Latin (from the church) to create "Middle English." Here is an example, from the Cantebury Tales:
Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Translation:
When in April the sweet showers fall
That pierce March's drought to the root and all
And bathed every vein in liquor that has power
To generate therein and sire the flower;
That pierce March's drought to the root and all
And bathed every vein in liquor that has power
To generate therein and sire the flower;
Then, in the south of England between1450 and 1550, long vowels moved up and, even more confusing, became short.
There are many theories for the Great Vowel Shift, ranging from a rising middle class to the to the Black Death. Some say it was to sound more French; others say it was to distance themselves from the French (with whom they were at war for most of this period). Whatever the cause, the result was that "Long a" changed from "father" to "ape," "long e" from "shape" to "sheep," "long i" from "machine" to "ice," "long o" from "tool" to "goal," and "long u" from "rude" to "use."
To understand where they went, say "long e" (as in "beet"), then "long o" (as in "boat"), and feel your tongue move from front to back. The long vowels all moved up, like in a chain: /long a/-->/long e/-->/long i/--/aj/ (as in "eye") and /long o/ -->/long u/ -->/aw/ (as in "eight")
They also became short, so while in In Latin (and Middle English and most Romance languages), "long e" "they" is twice as long as "short e" "set," in Modern English "long e" "seat" is the same length as "short e" "set." So while all other languages different long and short vowels by length, we separate them by sound, which is stupid. And while other languages use dipthongs to represent different pronunciations, we use things like "silent e" to change a vowel from short ("rat") to long ("rate").
(By the way, Finnish doesn't have two vowel lengths, it has five: short and long stressed, short and long unstressed, and a short vowel immediately preceded by a stressed short vowel, called a "half vowel.")
Now that would have all been fine -- languages are constantly in flux -- except the printing press was introduced in England around 1470, and dictionaries did not appear until 1604. In between, spelling was phonetic -- you wrote it like you pronounced it -- which meant that written English captured every single one of these changes! Spellings that made sense according to Middle English pronunciation now look retarded in Modern English!
While we're on the subject, you may also be interested to know the last great change on the English language was intententionally inflicted by one man: Noah Webster. Starting with grammar school "spellers" in 1786, and continuing with his dictionary in 1806, he single-handedly established 'American English.'
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Essenes
I mentioned the Essenes yesterday, who were very interesting, but you need a little more history: Around 1000 BCE, King David (of David and Goliath fame) reuinited Israel and Judea, then captured much of the surrounding area. Even better, his son, Solomon, was a benevolent leader, consolidating the new subjects and building the first Temple. It was the pinnacle of Israel self-rule, ending in 722 BCE with Assyria invading.
Shortly after that, the Book of Isaiah was written, a bit of propaganda that predicts doom for all the nations of the world that oppose God, and a prophesy that a descendant of King David -- the messiah -- will restore the nation of Israel and establish a kingdom of justice and righteousness. (Note that Isaiah doesn't specify the messiah will be divine, but that gets muddled later.)
In any case, except for the Maccabean Revolt, Israel was the subject of other empires for the next 8 centuries, during which the messianic prophesy grew, as well as much mysticism. The annual day of atonement became the day of judgment, sealing your fate for the next year, and when the messiah came your fate would be sealed forever. Also, it was believed that at this last day of judgment, the dead would rise again. It was an interesting story, but some people took it a bit literally.
When Rome conquered Jerusalem in 63 BCE, ending Israel's 80 years of independence, the Essenes responded by withdrawing from society entirely. They lived in communes, including Qumran by the Dead Sea, and dedicated themselves to poverty, celibacy, charity, and benevolence. They possessed no slaves, forbade the expression of anger, and only used weapons to protect themselves. They did not marry and lived a celibate life; money, property, food and clothing were all shared. They observed the Sabbath and spent much of their time studying the Torah.
Why? Because they believed they were the last generation of the last generations. They performed daily mikvahs (baptisms) to cleanse their sins, so they were always prepared for the final judgment. Not surprisingly, it did not come, and a people who practice strict celibacy don't last very long. After the destruction of the second temple in 70 CE, they aren't heard from again.
Until 1947, that is, when two Bedouins stumbled into a cave near the Dead Sea and discovered hundreds of scrolls...
Shortly after that, the Book of Isaiah was written, a bit of propaganda that predicts doom for all the nations of the world that oppose God, and a prophesy that a descendant of King David -- the messiah -- will restore the nation of Israel and establish a kingdom of justice and righteousness. (Note that Isaiah doesn't specify the messiah will be divine, but that gets muddled later.)
In any case, except for the Maccabean Revolt, Israel was the subject of other empires for the next 8 centuries, during which the messianic prophesy grew, as well as much mysticism. The annual day of atonement became the day of judgment, sealing your fate for the next year, and when the messiah came your fate would be sealed forever. Also, it was believed that at this last day of judgment, the dead would rise again. It was an interesting story, but some people took it a bit literally.
When Rome conquered Jerusalem in 63 BCE, ending Israel's 80 years of independence, the Essenes responded by withdrawing from society entirely. They lived in communes, including Qumran by the Dead Sea, and dedicated themselves to poverty, celibacy, charity, and benevolence. They possessed no slaves, forbade the expression of anger, and only used weapons to protect themselves. They did not marry and lived a celibate life; money, property, food and clothing were all shared. They observed the Sabbath and spent much of their time studying the Torah.
Why? Because they believed they were the last generation of the last generations. They performed daily mikvahs (baptisms) to cleanse their sins, so they were always prepared for the final judgment. Not surprisingly, it did not come, and a people who practice strict celibacy don't last very long. After the destruction of the second temple in 70 CE, they aren't heard from again.
Until 1947, that is, when two Bedouins stumbled into a cave near the Dead Sea and discovered hundreds of scrolls...
So...what happened?
The Pope's visit to the UK happened to coincide with Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. While that was entirely coincidental, it did bring into sharp relief the differences between these two religions, especially considering one was ostensibly an outspring of the other. So what happened?
First, a pretty strong disclaimer: I'm not a scholar, I'm not an expert, I'm not even very religious. And most of my information comes from Wikipedia, because what better source for contentious, heretical, and blasphemous information than a publicaly editable database?
Throughout its early years, Israel was largely a subject of other empires: Babylonia, Persia, Macedonia (Greece), Seleucid, and Rome. During a brief period (the Maccabean Revolt, 164 BCE to 63 BCE), Israel became independent. Unfortunately, John Hyrcanus, third son of Simon Maccabaeus, took the throne after his father and two brothers were killed at a banquet under suspicious circumstances. He then went on a series of conquests, capturing Trans-Jordan, Samaria, Galilee, and Idumea, and forcing them to convert to Judaism. That was the first time anyone had been forced to convert to Judaism, and it had significant consquences.
Despite a rather unlikely story putting him in Bethlehem (and born of a virgin mother), Jesus was probably born in Galilee, one of the conquered territories. He was probably Jewish in name only. He had a wholly unremarkable childhood, then at 30 he went to the river Jordan where John the Baptist was performing mikvahs, a Jewish bathing ceremony, and he began 'ministering' himself. It's not entirely clear what he was ministering, but it didn't matter much -- a year later, he was arrested and crucified by the Romans.
He did establish Christianity as a separate Jewish sect, but it was one of many: Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, and Essenes. To convert to Christianity, gentiles first had to convert to Judaism -- i.e. become circumcised, keep kosher, observe the Sabbath, etc.
The sect would have likely died out, since it believed that Jesus was the messiah who would return to free Jerusalem from the Romans, and that was never going to happen. However, 14 years after the death of Christ, and for reasons unknown, Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee who had never met Jesus, began trying to convert Jews to this new sect. Rejected, he then turned to gentiles (non-Jews) but claimed they did not have to convert to Judaism to accept Jesus. In 50 CE, Judaism and Christianity split entirely; the Mosaic law was rejected, and Paul created his new church, with Jesus as the spiritual messiah.
Why so many pagans chose to embrace Christianity, and how the Catholic church came to dominate Christianity, are stories for another day.
Interesting sidenote: After the Romans destroyed the second temple in 70 CE, and later expelled Jews from Jerusalem, Judaism changed -- the Sadducees, Zealots, and Essenes faded into history. Only the Pharisees survived the diaspora, adapting what is now known as 'Rabbinic Judaism.'
First, a pretty strong disclaimer: I'm not a scholar, I'm not an expert, I'm not even very religious. And most of my information comes from Wikipedia, because what better source for contentious, heretical, and blasphemous information than a publicaly editable database?
Throughout its early years, Israel was largely a subject of other empires: Babylonia, Persia, Macedonia (Greece), Seleucid, and Rome. During a brief period (the Maccabean Revolt, 164 BCE to 63 BCE), Israel became independent. Unfortunately, John Hyrcanus, third son of Simon Maccabaeus, took the throne after his father and two brothers were killed at a banquet under suspicious circumstances. He then went on a series of conquests, capturing Trans-Jordan, Samaria, Galilee, and Idumea, and forcing them to convert to Judaism. That was the first time anyone had been forced to convert to Judaism, and it had significant consquences.
Despite a rather unlikely story putting him in Bethlehem (and born of a virgin mother), Jesus was probably born in Galilee, one of the conquered territories. He was probably Jewish in name only. He had a wholly unremarkable childhood, then at 30 he went to the river Jordan where John the Baptist was performing mikvahs, a Jewish bathing ceremony, and he began 'ministering' himself. It's not entirely clear what he was ministering, but it didn't matter much -- a year later, he was arrested and crucified by the Romans.
He did establish Christianity as a separate Jewish sect, but it was one of many: Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, and Essenes. To convert to Christianity, gentiles first had to convert to Judaism -- i.e. become circumcised, keep kosher, observe the Sabbath, etc.
The sect would have likely died out, since it believed that Jesus was the messiah who would return to free Jerusalem from the Romans, and that was never going to happen. However, 14 years after the death of Christ, and for reasons unknown, Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee who had never met Jesus, began trying to convert Jews to this new sect. Rejected, he then turned to gentiles (non-Jews) but claimed they did not have to convert to Judaism to accept Jesus. In 50 CE, Judaism and Christianity split entirely; the Mosaic law was rejected, and Paul created his new church, with Jesus as the spiritual messiah.
Why so many pagans chose to embrace Christianity, and how the Catholic church came to dominate Christianity, are stories for another day.
Interesting sidenote: After the Romans destroyed the second temple in 70 CE, and later expelled Jews from Jerusalem, Judaism changed -- the Sadducees, Zealots, and Essenes faded into history. Only the Pharisees survived the diaspora, adapting what is now known as 'Rabbinic Judaism.'
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Papal visit
Today, Pope Benedict the Umpteenth arrives in the UK on a state visit. The last time that happened was...never.
To be fair, Pope John Paul II visited in 1982 but it was a "pastoral" visit, meaning he did not meet any state officials. (He did meet the Queen because she is the head of the Church of England.) But in 2,000 years of history -- and with 5 million Catholics in the UK -- I am shocked there had never been a Papal visit prior to that.
28 years ago, Pope John Paul II hosted a 6-day visit, with nearly 2 million attending various events. The Church funded the entire cost, and most of the events were free. There were some minor protests, but in general the Pope was warmly welcomed by both Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
By contrast, today the Pope is visiting for four days, the UK Government is footing £10 million pounds for secural events, and the Church is selling tickets for £25 to religious events (plus the sale of official souvenirs). Security will be tight, and a group called "Protest the Pope" has united secular, gay, feminist and other activist groups in a coordinated campaign. Many celebrities are openly critical of the Pope's visit, including Stephen Fry, Terry Pratchett, Philip Pullman, and Ken Follett. The final ceremony was moved from a 200,000 person venue to a 60,000 person venue; even so, thousands of tickets are reportedly unsold.
The poll numbers paint a similar picture: 11% of the population oppose the visit, and 76% indicate they will not be following it. Even among Catholics, less than half "strongly support" the Pope's visit, which is not surprising given that British Roman Catholics are very bad Catholics:
So what was that miracle? Jack Sullivan, at the age of 60, had enrolled in a four-year ecumenical program in Boston, Massachusetts. During his second year, a vertebrae in his lower back had turned inwards and was squeezing his spinal cord, requiring surgery. The next day, lying in bed and flipping channels, he saw a program about Cardinal Newman which ended with an appeal for anyone who had received a "divine favour" after praying to Cardinal Newman to get in touch.
According to Mr. Sullivan, he prayed: "Please Cardinal Newman help me to walk so that I can return to classes and be ordained." The next day, he said, the pain had gone, allowing him to complete his third year of classes before it returned, on the final day of the academic year. Doctors say a laminectomy (the type of surgery Mr. Sullivan had) usually involves a two-day recovery period. A Vatican panel of medical experts, however, after eight years of investigation, declared Jack Sullivan's healing as miraculous.
But here is the odd thing: Under the Pope's own rules, beatification is done by the senior cardinal in the home country. (The Pope performs the canonization in Rome.) This is the first beatification the Pope has overseen in his 5 years in office. Even more interesting, Cardinal Newman was an Anglican priest who wrote several books denouncing the Roman Catholic church, then converted to Roman Catholicism and wrote two more books countering his earlier works. Newman closest relationships were with younger men, and he lived with Ambrose St John for 32 years, starting when Newman was 42 and St John was 28. Newman's diaries described their intense love for each other, and at Newman's direction they were even buried in the same grave. Newman also described slavery as "a condition of life ordained by God in the same sense that other conditions of life are."
Some conspiracy theorists note that the Pope personally beatifying someone who converted from the Anglican church might be conveying a message, especially after the recent ordination of women and openly gay men as bishops is threatening to tear the Anglican communion apart. In fact, last year the Pope issued an open invitation to Anglicans to convert. But then, this is the same pope who told Muslims that Muhammad spread a message of violence, and Africans that condoms hindered the fight against AIDS.
For me, though, the most interesting thing I've learned from the Pope's visit is that last year he personally rescinded the excommunication of British Bishop Richard Williamson, who is best known for his anti-semitism and denial of the Holocaust. (The Church has forbidden Williamson from speaking out publicly about historical or political matters.)
To be fair, Pope John Paul II visited in 1982 but it was a "pastoral" visit, meaning he did not meet any state officials. (He did meet the Queen because she is the head of the Church of England.) But in 2,000 years of history -- and with 5 million Catholics in the UK -- I am shocked there had never been a Papal visit prior to that.
28 years ago, Pope John Paul II hosted a 6-day visit, with nearly 2 million attending various events. The Church funded the entire cost, and most of the events were free. There were some minor protests, but in general the Pope was warmly welcomed by both Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
By contrast, today the Pope is visiting for four days, the UK Government is footing £10 million pounds for secural events, and the Church is selling tickets for £25 to religious events (plus the sale of official souvenirs). Security will be tight, and a group called "Protest the Pope" has united secular, gay, feminist and other activist groups in a coordinated campaign. Many celebrities are openly critical of the Pope's visit, including Stephen Fry, Terry Pratchett, Philip Pullman, and Ken Follett. The final ceremony was moved from a 200,000 person venue to a 60,000 person venue; even so, thousands of tickets are reportedly unsold.
The poll numbers paint a similar picture: 11% of the population oppose the visit, and 76% indicate they will not be following it. Even among Catholics, less than half "strongly support" the Pope's visit, which is not surprising given that British Roman Catholics are very bad Catholics:
- 65% believed Catholic priests should be allowed to marry.
- Two-thirds think women should have more authority and status within the Church.
- 71% said contraception should be used more often.
- 41% say gay relationships should be celebrated.
- 44% thought abortion should be permitted under certain circumstances, and 30% said it should always be allowed.
- 52% said the sex abuse scandal had shaken their faith in the Church's leadership. (I can't imagine what it would take to shake the faith of the other 48%...)
So what was that miracle? Jack Sullivan, at the age of 60, had enrolled in a four-year ecumenical program in Boston, Massachusetts. During his second year, a vertebrae in his lower back had turned inwards and was squeezing his spinal cord, requiring surgery. The next day, lying in bed and flipping channels, he saw a program about Cardinal Newman which ended with an appeal for anyone who had received a "divine favour" after praying to Cardinal Newman to get in touch.
According to Mr. Sullivan, he prayed: "Please Cardinal Newman help me to walk so that I can return to classes and be ordained." The next day, he said, the pain had gone, allowing him to complete his third year of classes before it returned, on the final day of the academic year. Doctors say a laminectomy (the type of surgery Mr. Sullivan had) usually involves a two-day recovery period. A Vatican panel of medical experts, however, after eight years of investigation, declared Jack Sullivan's healing as miraculous.
But here is the odd thing: Under the Pope's own rules, beatification is done by the senior cardinal in the home country. (The Pope performs the canonization in Rome.) This is the first beatification the Pope has overseen in his 5 years in office. Even more interesting, Cardinal Newman was an Anglican priest who wrote several books denouncing the Roman Catholic church, then converted to Roman Catholicism and wrote two more books countering his earlier works. Newman closest relationships were with younger men, and he lived with Ambrose St John for 32 years, starting when Newman was 42 and St John was 28. Newman's diaries described their intense love for each other, and at Newman's direction they were even buried in the same grave. Newman also described slavery as "a condition of life ordained by God in the same sense that other conditions of life are."
Some conspiracy theorists note that the Pope personally beatifying someone who converted from the Anglican church might be conveying a message, especially after the recent ordination of women and openly gay men as bishops is threatening to tear the Anglican communion apart. In fact, last year the Pope issued an open invitation to Anglicans to convert. But then, this is the same pope who told Muslims that Muhammad spread a message of violence, and Africans that condoms hindered the fight against AIDS.
For me, though, the most interesting thing I've learned from the Pope's visit is that last year he personally rescinded the excommunication of British Bishop Richard Williamson, who is best known for his anti-semitism and denial of the Holocaust. (The Church has forbidden Williamson from speaking out publicly about historical or political matters.)
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Autumn is in the air
I thought we'd squeeze in another sunny week before autumn set in, but it looks like I was wrong. I don't mind, though; I've had a fabulous summer, full of travel and learning and laughing. I changed jobs, I bought a convertible, we visited Madrid, Paris, Bournemouth, Bristol, Edinburgh, I've been to the States twice (or maybe more--I lose track). Jess and I finally moved our relationship forward, and she put the ball firmly back in my court. (That was a metaphor, not a double entendre.) We had two months of glorious sunshine, with the lowest rainfall in 94 years, and I had two friends visit me in London.
Sure, we've got a bastardized government that is threatening the worst budget cuts in history, and the unions have responded with threats of strikes not seen since 1926, which could make the 'winter of discontent' look like a blustery day. (My company also does significant business with the government, so cuts would hit it hard.) Jess and I have spent three months fruitlessly searching for a house. I haven't been able to spend near enough time with my family, nor visit my friends in LA. And next Friday I have to fast for 25 hours. But hey, that's life.
Over the next three months, as temperatures fall back to single digits (Celsius!) and the days get progressively shorter (in London we lose about 4 minutes per day, more than twice as fast as Los Angeles) we will continue getting on, getting on. I've learned to love the seasons, and while fall may not be as spectacular here as in New England, it is still lovely to watch the leaves fall. We're already talking about making an offer on a particular house, but we're in no particular hurry as house prices have fallen for the last three months, and are expected to continue falling. I am making plans to go to Amsterdam next month, ostensibly to visit a friend of mine, but really to connect with a city I fell in love with 20 years ago but have not seen since. Jessica's dad will be in London in October, my birthday is in November (hint, hint), and I'm still hoping I can convince Jess to take a long Christmas vacation to visit Los Angeles...via Australia.
Sure, we've got a bastardized government that is threatening the worst budget cuts in history, and the unions have responded with threats of strikes not seen since 1926, which could make the 'winter of discontent' look like a blustery day. (My company also does significant business with the government, so cuts would hit it hard.) Jess and I have spent three months fruitlessly searching for a house. I haven't been able to spend near enough time with my family, nor visit my friends in LA. And next Friday I have to fast for 25 hours. But hey, that's life.
Over the next three months, as temperatures fall back to single digits (Celsius!) and the days get progressively shorter (in London we lose about 4 minutes per day, more than twice as fast as Los Angeles) we will continue getting on, getting on. I've learned to love the seasons, and while fall may not be as spectacular here as in New England, it is still lovely to watch the leaves fall. We're already talking about making an offer on a particular house, but we're in no particular hurry as house prices have fallen for the last three months, and are expected to continue falling. I am making plans to go to Amsterdam next month, ostensibly to visit a friend of mine, but really to connect with a city I fell in love with 20 years ago but have not seen since. Jessica's dad will be in London in October, my birthday is in November (hint, hint), and I'm still hoping I can convince Jess to take a long Christmas vacation to visit Los Angeles...via Australia.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Anthems [and apologies]
[This week, spam was sent in my name, both via email and on the blog. I assure you, I was not trying to sell Viagra, but I apologize profusely.]
England does not have a national anthem, but there are four popular contenders:
In 1804, William Blake gave England this poem, though it was little known in its time. In 1916 it was set to music to improve morale during World War I, and has been known as "Jerusalem" since:
Video clips from the last night of the proms. (If you watch the clips from Hyde Park, you have absolutely no chance of seeing Jess and me, as we were far back and off to the side.)
England does not have a national anthem, but there are four popular contenders:
In 1804, William Blake gave England this poem, though it was little known in its time. In 1916 it was set to music to improve morale during World War I, and has been known as "Jerusalem" since:
And did those feet in ancient timeIn 1901, Elgar wrote "Pomp and Circumstance," now the traditional graduation song in America. In England, however, the tune was adapted as "Land of Hope and Glory"
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark Satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold:
Bring me my arrows of desire:
Bring me my spear: O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.
Dear Land of Hope, thy hope is crowned,"God Save the Queen" was first performed in 1745, although the tune is much older, and has been appropriated by many patriotic songs, including "America the Beautiful."
God make thee mightier yet !
On Sov'ran brows, beloved, renowned,
Once more thy crown is set.
Thine equal laws, by Freedom gained,
Have ruled thee well and long ;
By Freedom gained, by Truth maintained,
Thine Empire shall be strong.
Chorus
Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free,
How shall we extol thee, who are born of thee?
Wider still and wider shall thy bounds be set;
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet,
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet.
Thy fame is ancient as the days,
As Ocean large and wide :
A pride that dares, and heeds not praise,
A stern and silent pride ;
Not that false joy that dreams content
With what our sires have won ;
The blood a hero sire hath spent
Still nerves a hero son.
Chorus
God save our gracious Queen,Even older, "Rule, Britannia!" is actually quite a silly little piece, but you wouldn't know that for all the flag-waving during the chorus:
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen:
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
God save the Queen.
O Lord, our God, arise,
Scatter her enemies,
And make them fall.
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix,
God save us all.
Thy choicest gifts in store,
On her be pleased to pour;
Long may she reign:
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice
God save the Queen.
When Britain fi-i-irst, at heaven's command,And finally, a surprise contender has to be "You'll Never Walk Alone," from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel.
Aro-o-o-o-ose from out the a-a-a-zure main,
Arose, arose from out the azure main,
This was the charter, the charter of the land,
And guardian A-a-angels sang this strain:
Rule Britannia!
Britannia rule the waves
Britons never, never, never will be slaves.
Rule Britannia!
Britannia rule the waves.
Britons never, never, never will be slaves.
Still more maje-e-estic shalt thou rise,
More dre-e-e-e-eadful from each foreign stroke,
More dreadful, dreadful from each foreign stroke,
Loud blast above us, loud blast that tears the skies
Serves but to ro-o-o-ot thy native oak.
Rule Britannia!
Britannia rule the waves.
Britons never, never, never will be slaves.
Rule Britannia!
Britannia rule the waves.
Britons never, never, never will be slaves.
Video clips from the last night of the proms. (If you watch the clips from Hyde Park, you have absolutely no chance of seeing Jess and me, as we were far back and off to the side.)
Friday, September 10, 2010
History of holidays
Before the sixteenth century people did not go on holiday. It was only people on pilgrimage who could really be described as travelling for reasons other than work, and in a very limited way provision for accommodation was made for pilgrims along the routes they travelled, and at their popular destinations. In the seventeenth century, sons of rich families would undertake a tour of Europe, known as the Grand Tour. However, in general, there were no places for visitors to go, so no one travelled; and because no one travelled there were no places for visitors to go.
The spa towns of Bath and Buxton were mentioned in the Poor Law Act of 1572 as places popular with the sick. Slowly provision was made for the amusement of patients visiting these spas. Top London acting companies started to visit Bath, games were organised, and by the late sixteenth century spas were beginning to develop into pleasure resorts. The healthy as well as the sick started to visit. In 1705, Richard "Beau" Nash turned Bath into a first class tourist resort. He improved facilities, installed street lights, improved roads and organised top quality entertainments. However, these were for adults only, and were quite exclusive.
In 1752 Dr Richard Russell suggested that sea water was beneficial to health, overcoming deeply ingrained prejudice against sea bathing which went back to Roman times. Brighton, being close to London and favoured by Dr Russell, became Britain's premier seaside resort.
In the 19th century, with the rise the Industrial Revolution, factory workers were able to afford holidays, and would often disappear for a few days after pay day. To organize this, the Bank Holiday Act of 1871 turned a number of religious festivals into secular holidays, and the 1936 Annual Holiday Bill made paid holiday a statutory right.
The word "pilgrim" actually means stranger, or foreigner. Pilgrims would belong to a faith and their pilgrimage would take them to a place central to it. Perhaps in our rather fragmented modern world, there is a desire to find somewhere that confirms a sense of belonging. National boundaries come and go, divisions between people come and go, and history shows how changeable these divisions really are. Perhaps holidays ultimately teach us that none of us are strangers.
From The History of Holidays on infobritain.co.uk
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Might as well face it
[To Robert Palmer's Addicted to Love]
The lights are on, but you're not home
your mind is not your own
your heart sweats, your body shakes
another cup is what it takes
You can't sleep, you can't eat
There's no doubt, you're in deep
Your throat is tight, you can't breathe
Another cup is all you need
chorus:
Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh Yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough,
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to tea
You see the signs, but you can't read
You're running at a different speed
Your heart beats in double time
Another cup and you'll be fine, a one-track mind
You can't be saved
Oblivion is all you crave
If there's some left for you
You don't mind if you do
[chorus]
Your lights are on, but you're not home
Your will is not your own
Your heart sweats your teeth grind
Another cup and you'll be fine
[chorus]
Might as well face it, you're addicted to tea
To be fair, all I did was replace 'love' with 'tea,' hardly a creative act, but it works for me. (You could probably even replace it with 'coffee' since the song doesn't seem to have a meter, never mind a rhyme.) The point is, I can't believe I've become addicted to tea. But there is something almost seductive about tea: it's soothing, almost a comfort food, to be enjoyed morning, noon, and night, and 3-4 times in between. I've even been known to pack tea bags on trips.
Fortunately, Jess and I have switched to decaf at home, or I'd be buzzing with the worst coffee fiends. And should I ever visit you, be sure to have plenty of the 'good stuff' (i.e. NOT Lipton) on hand, or there will be a midnight run to the local supermarket.
The lights are on, but you're not home
your mind is not your own
your heart sweats, your body shakes
another cup is what it takes
You can't sleep, you can't eat
There's no doubt, you're in deep
Your throat is tight, you can't breathe
Another cup is all you need
chorus:
Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh Yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough,
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to tea
You see the signs, but you can't read
You're running at a different speed
Your heart beats in double time
Another cup and you'll be fine, a one-track mind
You can't be saved
Oblivion is all you crave
If there's some left for you
You don't mind if you do
[chorus]
Your lights are on, but you're not home
Your will is not your own
Your heart sweats your teeth grind
Another cup and you'll be fine
[chorus]
Might as well face it, you're addicted to tea
To be fair, all I did was replace 'love' with 'tea,' hardly a creative act, but it works for me. (You could probably even replace it with 'coffee' since the song doesn't seem to have a meter, never mind a rhyme.) The point is, I can't believe I've become addicted to tea. But there is something almost seductive about tea: it's soothing, almost a comfort food, to be enjoyed morning, noon, and night, and 3-4 times in between. I've even been known to pack tea bags on trips.
Fortunately, Jess and I have switched to decaf at home, or I'd be buzzing with the worst coffee fiends. And should I ever visit you, be sure to have plenty of the 'good stuff' (i.e. NOT Lipton) on hand, or there will be a midnight run to the local supermarket.
Friday, September 3, 2010
European paper
In Europe, paper sizes are based on an aspect ratio of the square root of 2 (that is, the long side is 1.4142 times the short side). Thus, each size is exactly one half of the next larger size, and folded brochures of any size can be made by using sheets of the next larger size.
The advantages of an aspect ratio of √2 were noted in 1786, but the current system wasn't introduced until 1922, where the base format (A0) is a sheet of paper measuring 1 square meter, A1 is half that, A2 is half that again, and so forth. A4 is approx. 8.3" × 11.7". A8 (business cards) are approx 2.9" × 2".
Today the standard has been adopted by all countries in the world except the United States and Canada.
By contrast, the American Forest and Paper Association think 8.5" x 11" originates from manual paper making, where 11" is "a quarter of the average maximum stretch of an experienced vatman's arms."
The advantages of an aspect ratio of √2 were noted in 1786, but the current system wasn't introduced until 1922, where the base format (A0) is a sheet of paper measuring 1 square meter, A1 is half that, A2 is half that again, and so forth. A4 is approx. 8.3" × 11.7". A8 (business cards) are approx 2.9" × 2".
Today the standard has been adopted by all countries in the world except the United States and Canada.
By contrast, the American Forest and Paper Association think 8.5" x 11" originates from manual paper making, where 11" is "a quarter of the average maximum stretch of an experienced vatman's arms."
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Another whirlwind visit
In my company, my group gets rented out to the other divisions. Unfortunately, the project I was on wanted my time but didn't want to pay for it, leading to a bit of tug-of-war with me in the middle. The result was I had a ton of work, but was ordered not to work on it!
That was fine by me-I get paid the same regardless-and thanks to Jess I was able to make short, spur-of-the moment visits to my family. In July I gave my mom 2 days' notice before flying to California, and last week I gave my uncle 1 days' notice before flying to Atlanta.
Both trips were only 4 days, as I didn't want to take too much time off. Trying to deal with jet lag is not easy, but I cope by staying awake on the way out, and knocking myself out on the way back. Yesterday, I arrived at Heathrow at 10am, went home for a change of clothes, went into the office, then after work visited a friend in the hospital, not getting home until almost 11pm. (We'll ignore the hour I spent lost because my SatNav thought I should drive through a public park.) It was a very long day.
On the bright side, at least this time I didn't miss the flight.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Do you remember
Do you remember the Assyrians, and their god, Assur?
Do you remember the Babylonians, and their god, Marduk?
Do you remember the Akkadians, and their god, Ishtar?
Do you remember the Sumerians, and their god, An?
Do you remember the Urim, and their god, Sin?
Do you remember the Elamites, and their goddess, Kiririsha?
Do you remember the Ammonites, and their god, Molech?
Do you remember the Canaanites, and their god, Ba'al?
Do you remember the Moabites, and their god, Chemosh?
Do you remember the Hittites, and their goddess, Asherah?
Do you remember the Jebusites, and their god, Zedek?
Do you remember the Amorites, and their god, Dagon?
Do you remember the Edomites, and their god, Kaus?
Do you remember the Phoenicians, and their god, El?
Do you remember the Nabataeans, and their god, Dushara?
Do you remember the Jews, and their god, Jehovah?
In the UK there are an estimated 300,000 Jews, out of 60,000,000 people. That's one-half of one percent. Worldwide Jews make up one-fourth of one percent of the population. They were slaves, nomads, conquered by a dozen empires, and dispersed throughout the world. By all accounts, they should have been a small footnote in history, forgotten with the rest of the tribes of their time. They were not the first monotheistic religion, but they were the first to establish a personal relationship with God, and instead of being a footnote, they spawned two other religions which today encompass two-thirds of the world.
That is the power of an idea.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Fringe
Jess and I went to a couple of shows this weekend. Well, ten to be exact: Bruce Bane, So You Think You're Funny, Dylan Thomas, Truman Capote, Soweto Gospel Choir, Soap, Days of Wine and Roses, Harlekin, Delilah Dix, and Gospel at Colonus.
And the sad part is, we were really slacking. They had programs going until 5am, and starting at 8am. We wanted to see a half-dozen other shows, but they all overlapped. But that's part of the magic of the Edinburgh Fringe -- it's crazy, it's chaotic, you never know what to see, and you can never see everything you want to. I think it's celebrated now for its sheer overwhelmingness (if that's a word) as much as for its art.
Sadly, this was also the year comedy surpassed theatre -- at least in number of performances. And that's a shame because while I certainly appreciate good stand-up (and we even went to one show), it's just too easy to stick a comedian on a mike and serve drinks. It doesn't really contribute and, while it definitely has its place, I think it should be a much smaller place.
That aside, it was still a fantastic atmosphere. While the crowds were often thick to the point of annoying, it was not the drunken debauchery I imagined Scotland could be. (I googled one of the venues and inadvertently got the EdinburghPubGuide.com, which listed 75 pubs within a half-mile of my destination!) To be fair, we saw a few legless individuals, but generally it was a very uplifting atmosphere, with people of all ages and backgrounds. They even had three vegetarian restaurants, although we only had time to sample two.
The venues ranged from little black boxes that couldn't seat more than 50 (and didn't have air conditioning) to the Edinburgh Playhouse, which seats 3000 (and also doesn't have air conditioning). Most of the shows were great, especially considering most were very low-budget -- in some, the set consisted of a single chair, while others didn't even have that. Of course we had a couple of duds, but with some 80 performances a night going on, that's to be expected. The worst moment, however, was when I was picked as the 'audience participation' member at Delilah Dix. I absolutely froze under the spotlights...and Jess has the video to prove it.
We had two moments of serendipity:
- On the plane, we sat next to a woman who was visiting on her own, so we invited her to an evening jazz show. As it turned out, I had apparently screwed up and purchased three tickets to that show. (I bought the tickets several weeks ago.) Regardless, we used the third one, and the woman treated us to tea afterwards.
- One our last evening, at the Edinburgh Playhouse, we were seated well in the back, but at the interval a couple approached us and said they had to leave early, and offered us their tickets -- in the fourth row, dead center. The first half was pretty good; the second half was spectacular.
Almost all of the programs were under an hour (except the dud, which felt like an eternity) and all cost under £20, including one that was free. (Jess threw a fiver in the bucket, though.) The hotel was £50 a night, thanks to a misprint at agoda.com. (They made me pay for it, though, changing the hotel three times before agreeing to honor the price.) Jess, of course, got cheap airline tickets, and food is pretty cheap when you're a teetotalling vegetarian. So all in all, it was a grand weekend for a lot less than a grand
Oh, and a shout out to Asher Grayson, the newest member of Jessica's family. :-)
The Pleasance Courtyard had about 30 venutes, including "One," "Two,""Above," "Below,""Grand," "Hut," "Upstairs," and "Beyond."
And the sad part is, we were really slacking. They had programs going until 5am, and starting at 8am. We wanted to see a half-dozen other shows, but they all overlapped. But that's part of the magic of the Edinburgh Fringe -- it's crazy, it's chaotic, you never know what to see, and you can never see everything you want to. I think it's celebrated now for its sheer overwhelmingness (if that's a word) as much as for its art.
Sadly, this was also the year comedy surpassed theatre -- at least in number of performances. And that's a shame because while I certainly appreciate good stand-up (and we even went to one show), it's just too easy to stick a comedian on a mike and serve drinks. It doesn't really contribute and, while it definitely has its place, I think it should be a much smaller place.
That aside, it was still a fantastic atmosphere. While the crowds were often thick to the point of annoying, it was not the drunken debauchery I imagined Scotland could be. (I googled one of the venues and inadvertently got the EdinburghPubGuide.com, which listed 75 pubs within a half-mile of my destination!) To be fair, we saw a few legless individuals, but generally it was a very uplifting atmosphere, with people of all ages and backgrounds. They even had three vegetarian restaurants, although we only had time to sample two.
The venues ranged from little black boxes that couldn't seat more than 50 (and didn't have air conditioning) to the Edinburgh Playhouse, which seats 3000 (and also doesn't have air conditioning). Most of the shows were great, especially considering most were very low-budget -- in some, the set consisted of a single chair, while others didn't even have that. Of course we had a couple of duds, but with some 80 performances a night going on, that's to be expected. The worst moment, however, was when I was picked as the 'audience participation' member at Delilah Dix. I absolutely froze under the spotlights...and Jess has the video to prove it.
We had two moments of serendipity:
- On the plane, we sat next to a woman who was visiting on her own, so we invited her to an evening jazz show. As it turned out, I had apparently screwed up and purchased three tickets to that show. (I bought the tickets several weeks ago.) Regardless, we used the third one, and the woman treated us to tea afterwards.
- One our last evening, at the Edinburgh Playhouse, we were seated well in the back, but at the interval a couple approached us and said they had to leave early, and offered us their tickets -- in the fourth row, dead center. The first half was pretty good; the second half was spectacular.
Almost all of the programs were under an hour (except the dud, which felt like an eternity) and all cost under £20, including one that was free. (Jess threw a fiver in the bucket, though.) The hotel was £50 a night, thanks to a misprint at agoda.com. (They made me pay for it, though, changing the hotel three times before agreeing to honor the price.) Jess, of course, got cheap airline tickets, and food is pretty cheap when you're a teetotalling vegetarian. So all in all, it was a grand weekend for a lot less than a grand
Oh, and a shout out to Asher Grayson, the newest member of Jessica's family. :-)
The Pleasance Courtyard had about 30 venutes, including "One," "Two,"
Friday, August 20, 2010
Quality of life
Don't get me wrong, I love London, but I don't necessarily recommend it because of the quality of life.
Although hard to define, you can measure relative quality of life along both subjective and objective axes. The 'human development index' (which classifies countries as developed, developing, or underdeveloped) measures life expectancy, literacy, and gross domestic product per capita. International Living magazine ranks 194 countries factors by cost of living, culture and leisure, economy, environment, freedom, health, infrastructure, safety and risk, and climate. Mercer ranks 221 cities by housing, health services, air pollution, education, climate, natural disasters, utilities, public transport, traffic congestion, airport access, culture, sports, consumer goods, crime, censorship, and political stability. The EU simply asks people if they are happy.
But no matter how you measure it, while London is certainly a world-class city, it falls flat in terms of quality of life. In this year's Mercer report, London is 39, well below most European cties, and just above New York (#49) and Los Angeles (#55). (Honolulu and San Francisco take top honors in the US, at #31 and #32, respectively.)
International Living ranked Britain #25, behind the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Uruguay, due to its climate, crime rate, cost of living, congested roads and overcrowded cities. (US was #7.)
The EU doesn't summarize its findings, but a quick glance at its results shows London is not in the top 10 for any satisfaction ratings. (London is #2 for public transportation use...and dead last for commute time.)
While I've long derided US cities for sprawl -- promoted by the automobile, cheap land, government-subsidized roads, and lack of public transport -- I didn't appreciate the alternative until I came to London -- tiny, crowded tenements with no land, no view, and no space and a huge price tag. And while London's public transportation is extensive, it is also very expensive, with an average commute costing US $10 per day. (And yes, that's discounted.) We have national health care but the quality is low, with many people opting for private health care. The standard of living is also quite low -- salaries are lower, taxes are higher, and it doesn't go nearly as far as in the US.
So again, compared to Baghdad -- ranked last for quality of life since the US-led invasion -- London is an incredible city, but it's definitely not all it could be.
Although hard to define, you can measure relative quality of life along both subjective and objective axes. The 'human development index' (which classifies countries as developed, developing, or underdeveloped) measures life expectancy, literacy, and gross domestic product per capita. International Living magazine ranks 194 countries factors by cost of living, culture and leisure, economy, environment, freedom, health, infrastructure, safety and risk, and climate. Mercer ranks 221 cities by housing, health services, air pollution, education, climate, natural disasters, utilities, public transport, traffic congestion, airport access, culture, sports, consumer goods, crime, censorship, and political stability. The EU simply asks people if they are happy.
But no matter how you measure it, while London is certainly a world-class city, it falls flat in terms of quality of life. In this year's Mercer report, London is 39, well below most European cties, and just above New York (#49) and Los Angeles (#55). (Honolulu and San Francisco take top honors in the US, at #31 and #32, respectively.)
International Living ranked Britain #25, behind the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Uruguay, due to its climate, crime rate, cost of living, congested roads and overcrowded cities. (US was #7.)
The EU doesn't summarize its findings, but a quick glance at its results shows London is not in the top 10 for any satisfaction ratings. (London is #2 for public transportation use...and dead last for commute time.)
While I've long derided US cities for sprawl -- promoted by the automobile, cheap land, government-subsidized roads, and lack of public transport -- I didn't appreciate the alternative until I came to London -- tiny, crowded tenements with no land, no view, and no space and a huge price tag. And while London's public transportation is extensive, it is also very expensive, with an average commute costing US $10 per day. (And yes, that's discounted.) We have national health care but the quality is low, with many people opting for private health care. The standard of living is also quite low -- salaries are lower, taxes are higher, and it doesn't go nearly as far as in the US.
So again, compared to Baghdad -- ranked last for quality of life since the US-led invasion -- London is an incredible city, but it's definitely not all it could be.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Bristol
There are few things that excite me as much as hot air balloons. I don't know if it is their size, simplicity, freedom, or lack of control, but they make me feel like a kid again, and only my fear of heights keeps me from clambering aboard every time I see one.
So when I heard about the Bristol balloon fiesta -- the largest in the UK -- I immediately booked a B&B. Unfortunately, I heard about it on the last day of the event, which meant I had to wait an entire year for the next one! And when we finally arrived, the weather turned bad and Jess and I spent two days in the wet and wind watching a whole lot of nothing. We saw the balloon glow on Saturday night, which was lovely, but four of the five mass ascentions were cancelled.
The fifth was on Sunday evening, and Jess and I hadn't planned to stay -- London was a 3 hour drive, and we wanted to avoid Sunday night traffic -- but that afternoon we found ourselves on a hill overlooking the entire Bristol valley, watching the Red Arrows (the UK equivalent of the Blue Angels) putting on a spectacular display. A herd of cows were grazing nearby, the sun had come out, and we decided to wait for the balloon launch at 6pm.
At 6:30pm, gray clouds had moved in again, it had gotten cold, and we had packed up and were headed for the car when a single balloon appeared in the sky. We looked back and could see, four miles away, many balloons inflated and ready to go. For the next hour, we watched them lift off, some coming over us, most staying low and drifting along the horizon. When we got in our car and headed back to the motorway, we saw several coming down.
The final count was 31 balloons, a far cry from the 500 or so that typically go up in Albuquerque. (By the same token, only 60,000 people attended Bristol, compared to 750,000 in Albuquerque.) Unfortunately, Bristol had also chosen to turn the balloon show into a huge 'fun fair' (carnival), creating a lot of unnecessary traffic and noise -- and the reason Jess and I went up into the hills rather than the balloon field.
Still, we had a fantastic weekend, which included viewing the SS Great Britain, the first iron steamship. When launched in 1843, it was the largest vessel afloat, but the company soon ran into financial difficulties and it was sold off and used for transporting immigrants to Australia, then as a warehouse in the Falklands. In 1937, it was scuttled and lay half-submerged until 1970, when it was towed back to Bristol and put in a dry dock. They restored the interior but all they could do to the hull was to stop the rust, and they did this in a very innovative way: They created a glass "sea" at the water line, which is air tight, and dehumidifiers keep the air below at 20% humidity. Water actually flows over the top of the glass and you can walk around underneath, which is quite surreal.
Sunday was perfect--waking before dawn, walking to the balloon field in the dark, lying in the grass sipping tea while the sun rose and a few hopeful balloons inflated and then deflated and were packed away again, walking back to the B&B for a full breakfast, taking a short nap, then driving through the city, across a beautiful suspension bridge, then out into the countryside and hills, and lying in the sun for a couple of hours while jet fighters and hot air balloons entertained us. How much better does it get?
You can see photos here, and here's a short video of the balloon glow:
So when I heard about the Bristol balloon fiesta -- the largest in the UK -- I immediately booked a B&B. Unfortunately, I heard about it on the last day of the event, which meant I had to wait an entire year for the next one! And when we finally arrived, the weather turned bad and Jess and I spent two days in the wet and wind watching a whole lot of nothing. We saw the balloon glow on Saturday night, which was lovely, but four of the five mass ascentions were cancelled.
The fifth was on Sunday evening, and Jess and I hadn't planned to stay -- London was a 3 hour drive, and we wanted to avoid Sunday night traffic -- but that afternoon we found ourselves on a hill overlooking the entire Bristol valley, watching the Red Arrows (the UK equivalent of the Blue Angels) putting on a spectacular display. A herd of cows were grazing nearby, the sun had come out, and we decided to wait for the balloon launch at 6pm.
At 6:30pm, gray clouds had moved in again, it had gotten cold, and we had packed up and were headed for the car when a single balloon appeared in the sky. We looked back and could see, four miles away, many balloons inflated and ready to go. For the next hour, we watched them lift off, some coming over us, most staying low and drifting along the horizon. When we got in our car and headed back to the motorway, we saw several coming down.
The final count was 31 balloons, a far cry from the 500 or so that typically go up in Albuquerque. (By the same token, only 60,000 people attended Bristol, compared to 750,000 in Albuquerque.) Unfortunately, Bristol had also chosen to turn the balloon show into a huge 'fun fair' (carnival), creating a lot of unnecessary traffic and noise -- and the reason Jess and I went up into the hills rather than the balloon field.
Still, we had a fantastic weekend, which included viewing the SS Great Britain, the first iron steamship. When launched in 1843, it was the largest vessel afloat, but the company soon ran into financial difficulties and it was sold off and used for transporting immigrants to Australia, then as a warehouse in the Falklands. In 1937, it was scuttled and lay half-submerged until 1970, when it was towed back to Bristol and put in a dry dock. They restored the interior but all they could do to the hull was to stop the rust, and they did this in a very innovative way: They created a glass "sea" at the water line, which is air tight, and dehumidifiers keep the air below at 20% humidity. Water actually flows over the top of the glass and you can walk around underneath, which is quite surreal.
Sunday was perfect--waking before dawn, walking to the balloon field in the dark, lying in the grass sipping tea while the sun rose and a few hopeful balloons inflated and then deflated and were packed away again, walking back to the B&B for a full breakfast, taking a short nap, then driving through the city, across a beautiful suspension bridge, then out into the countryside and hills, and lying in the sun for a couple of hours while jet fighters and hot air balloons entertained us. How much better does it get?
You can see photos here, and here's a short video of the balloon glow:
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