When retiring to bed at 2am, there is a certain amount of disgruntlement at being awoken at 6am by an invading wasp in the bedroom, especially as this appeared to be a repeat visit from the previous day. Presumably this was a Vespula species queen, looking for a place to nest. I am afraid that this visit was third time unlucky for the wasp which is now a sample awaiting microscopy.
The cover of Mr McArthur's book required urgent editing, a task conducted in conversation over the internet, sharing screens to ensure that we had agreement on the final alignment. Technology also facilitated the upload of the edited image file and the provision of the link to the printers. For posterity it should b stated that this will still be a printed, paper book. I say this as the most recent statistics show a dramatic rise in electronic books and a 25% decline in US printed book sales. The argument goes that printed books will ultimately go the way of film photography. I remain sceptical, though as a small publisher, i will be embracing digital book technologies.
The Huntingdonshire Business Network's Committee meeting was briefly interrupted by Ms Helen Drake, the photographer from the Hunts Post Newspaper. Ms Drake was here to take a picture of Mr Mervyn Foster, who was supporting the newspaper's action on behalf of service men and women. Ms Drake escaped with only a short introduction to QR codes and the required pictures of Mr Foster, featuring the HBN banner.
Mr Ben Strangeways took the opportunity to practice his presentation skills before the HBN attendees at the regular meeting. His 15 minute discourse was on the architectural services that he provides and he was ably supported by his illustrations and slides. He demonstrated his professional expertise and also impressed upon us the depth of knowledge required to keep on top of the innumerable regulations. We also enjoyed a brief play with his digital laser measuring device, which had additional functionality such as measuring angles and heights.
As I write, the poll that I had initiated through Linkedin, on the relationship between different colours and the association with quality food products, has gained 26 plus respondents, making it statistically valid. Interesting result as two colour combinations battle it out for the lead. I will not mention which to prevent bias. Do have a go on the poll if you read this in April 2011 - go to http://linkd.in/fp9fZq
Wasp now steeped in 10% sodium hydroxide to begin cleaning for microscopy.
Friday, 15 April 2011
Thursday, 14 April 2011
Life in the Aquarium and immigration furore
The mundane tasks of the day involved correspondence regarding past company visits, the initiation of marketing material design for another German client, collating material and organisation of Mr McArthur's book with the printers.
After a quick luncheon of pineapple slice topped with cheddar grilled on toast, it was off to Stansted Airport to collect Master T, returning from Bonn for Easter.
Upon my return, my curiosity about my small aquarium reached a critical point. Set up on Saturday with sea water and sand from Hunstanton, the initially turbid waters had cleared within a day. A small 2mm rod like crustacean had been in evidence on Sunday and Monday but not seen since. My concern was that the incident heat on the sunny days might have caused a tank sterilisation.
Lateral illumination into the tank did reveal the occasional microscopic motile mote, but was there more there? I arranged the tank under the stereoscopic microscope, the water depth in the aquarium being such that the focus could reach right down to the sand layer.
Looking through at the bryozoan skeletons planted in the tank, I was astonished to see at least two sub-millimeter bivalves in the branches. Their long tube-like feet were actively extruded and questing the surrounding environment and the molluscs were actually climbing around the branches! The rod like crustacean also made a brief appearance befor going back into hiding. I was reassured!
The news today reported the apparent disagreement between Mr Cameron, the Prime Minister and Mr Cable, Business Secretary, on the issue of immigration. The comments sent in and made by listeners to Mr Harper's Radio Show, were predominantly anti-immigrant, with accusations of taking jobs and benefits from the resident UK population.
Being more comfortable with facts, I conducted a search for more reliable information on the effects of immigration and found three interesting references:
The harsh current economic climate has sharpened the more xenophobic feelings towards new immigrants within the general population, portraying the immigrants as job and benefit snatchers. Unfortunately, the solution, which is a better educated UK workforce able to take up available job vacancies, is too remote to impact on these views.
After a quick luncheon of pineapple slice topped with cheddar grilled on toast, it was off to Stansted Airport to collect Master T, returning from Bonn for Easter.
Upon my return, my curiosity about my small aquarium reached a critical point. Set up on Saturday with sea water and sand from Hunstanton, the initially turbid waters had cleared within a day. A small 2mm rod like crustacean had been in evidence on Sunday and Monday but not seen since. My concern was that the incident heat on the sunny days might have caused a tank sterilisation.
Lateral illumination into the tank did reveal the occasional microscopic motile mote, but was there more there? I arranged the tank under the stereoscopic microscope, the water depth in the aquarium being such that the focus could reach right down to the sand layer.
Looking through at the bryozoan skeletons planted in the tank, I was astonished to see at least two sub-millimeter bivalves in the branches. Their long tube-like feet were actively extruded and questing the surrounding environment and the molluscs were actually climbing around the branches! The rod like crustacean also made a brief appearance befor going back into hiding. I was reassured!
The news today reported the apparent disagreement between Mr Cameron, the Prime Minister and Mr Cable, Business Secretary, on the issue of immigration. The comments sent in and made by listeners to Mr Harper's Radio Show, were predominantly anti-immigrant, with accusations of taking jobs and benefits from the resident UK population.
Being more comfortable with facts, I conducted a search for more reliable information on the effects of immigration and found three interesting references:
- There was no immediate net benefit to immigration according to the House of Lords Select Committee report at http://goo.gl/EjDaw. Benefits would accrue with time due to the overall expansion of the economy, but without affecting the wealth of the average individual
- Employment & wages for newly arrived ethnic minorities were dramatically lower than for UK and non-UK white individuals, as reported in Home Office Online Report 05/03 http://goo.gl/ZY9k4
- Four times as many non-UK born individuals gained employment that UK-born in last quarter of 2010. Labour Market Statistics http://goo.gl/LH8QE
The harsh current economic climate has sharpened the more xenophobic feelings towards new immigrants within the general population, portraying the immigrants as job and benefit snatchers. Unfortunately, the solution, which is a better educated UK workforce able to take up available job vacancies, is too remote to impact on these views.
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Broadband, Philippino help centre and spider duty
Completed the three interconnected blog articles for the Miltoncontact blog, on the visits by Mrs Kabitzch of Von Blythen and the Mrs Regentin-Hassenstein of Der Pommeraner to London last month.
Thence to Mrs Hales-Tooke, the lady whose request for help with her autobiography initiated my entry into publishing for local authors. We were trying to ascertain the most effective way of continuing our mobile broadband use.
The internet help pages of the provider being singularly unhelpful, we availed ourselves of the telephone assistance. We were guided through the labyrinthine process to achieve our goal by a very helpful lady. She actually resided in the Philippines, which meant that she was working well into her night (around 11pm) whilst we were still in the middle of the afternoon.
What impressed me most was her patience and continued positive nature during what must have been nearly half an hour to achieve our goal. I made a point of thanking her as excellent service is still not as prevalent as it should be.
The onset of Spring has re-awakened the onerous duty of Spider Catching. The past week has seen my being called to action thrice to remove the offending arachnid. Currently, these are not the long legged Tegenaria species that scuttle across the living room floor in a mad dash from one shelter to the next.
The current three offenders (or is it one persistent returnee?) are all of a short legged variety and prefer a nocturnal excursion upon our bedroom ceiling. The closest type that I can identify so far is to assign them as possible Salticidae. Perhaps, I need to retain a specimen for future examination under the microscope.
Arachnophobia, according to Wikipedia, appears to be a gender biased phenomenon, with up to 55% of women affected, in contrast to 18% of men. The strange element of arachnophobia is that it is in disproportionate response to the actual threat by such small creatures and therefore difficult to explain evolutionarily. It may well be a socially conditioned response.
Just seen the pound-euro currency rate at a depressing Euro 1.27 per £1. However, should any client payments in Euros come through, this will be in my favour. Thus, life equilibrates the positives and negatives.
Thence to Mrs Hales-Tooke, the lady whose request for help with her autobiography initiated my entry into publishing for local authors. We were trying to ascertain the most effective way of continuing our mobile broadband use.
The internet help pages of the provider being singularly unhelpful, we availed ourselves of the telephone assistance. We were guided through the labyrinthine process to achieve our goal by a very helpful lady. She actually resided in the Philippines, which meant that she was working well into her night (around 11pm) whilst we were still in the middle of the afternoon.
What impressed me most was her patience and continued positive nature during what must have been nearly half an hour to achieve our goal. I made a point of thanking her as excellent service is still not as prevalent as it should be.
The onset of Spring has re-awakened the onerous duty of Spider Catching. The past week has seen my being called to action thrice to remove the offending arachnid. Currently, these are not the long legged Tegenaria species that scuttle across the living room floor in a mad dash from one shelter to the next.
The current three offenders (or is it one persistent returnee?) are all of a short legged variety and prefer a nocturnal excursion upon our bedroom ceiling. The closest type that I can identify so far is to assign them as possible Salticidae. Perhaps, I need to retain a specimen for future examination under the microscope.
Arachnophobia, according to Wikipedia, appears to be a gender biased phenomenon, with up to 55% of women affected, in contrast to 18% of men. The strange element of arachnophobia is that it is in disproportionate response to the actual threat by such small creatures and therefore difficult to explain evolutionarily. It may well be a socially conditioned response.
Just seen the pound-euro currency rate at a depressing Euro 1.27 per £1. However, should any client payments in Euros come through, this will be in my favour. Thus, life equilibrates the positives and negatives.
Monday, 11 April 2011
The niqab and social normalisation
The media are currently obsessing on today's enforcement of a ban on covering the face (with exceptions) in France, seen as a veiled attack on the wearing of the niqab, the Muslim face covering, by women.
The arguments raging backwards and forwards cover contrary views, from religious expression, male suppression of women to political symbol. Convoluted philosophical, religious and legal arguments are thrown into the fray.
I take a much more simplistic view, that this issue is the result of the normative pressure of a local majority. Ever since the first caveman donned a fur, there was a judgement, an interpretation of what that particular throw said about him or her. Because of the external values working on the individual within any society, there is a strong pressure to conform, generating a signature uniformity within a particular social grouping.
For example, in the event that I had a sudden urge to wear a koteka, or penis sheath, as traditionally used by some highland New Guinea tribes, and decided to take the Citi2 bus into Cambridge thus attired, there would be a dual reaction.
The first would be within my own mind, becoming excruciatingly aware of the inappropriateness of the dress. This would occur even in the absence of any other human being nearby, before I stepped across the threshold.
The second would be a temporally delayed response, from the first sighting to the rapid arrival of The Gentleman in Blue and subsequent arrest for indecent exposure!
The niqab of course is the total opposite, a covering of the face, apart from the eyes. Combined with a burqa, the all enveloping cloak, it also contrasts very starkly with the European norm and national sub-norms prevalent in the majority culture of the population. All that is needed is then a rationalisation for the instinctive social/cultural unease to justify enforcement, by law if deemed necessary.
Much is made of the niqab having no place in western society, by reason of it being an instrument of patriarchal suppression.
But spare a conscious thought for the woman who wears the niqab whilst wandering out in our society; feeling the intense external societal pressure brought to bear upon her, through the glances and other subconscious "tells" of those she encounters, as she goes about her business in town, shopping, travelling.
What courage it must take to even cross the threshold, wearing a niqab!
The arguments raging backwards and forwards cover contrary views, from religious expression, male suppression of women to political symbol. Convoluted philosophical, religious and legal arguments are thrown into the fray.
I take a much more simplistic view, that this issue is the result of the normative pressure of a local majority. Ever since the first caveman donned a fur, there was a judgement, an interpretation of what that particular throw said about him or her. Because of the external values working on the individual within any society, there is a strong pressure to conform, generating a signature uniformity within a particular social grouping.
For example, in the event that I had a sudden urge to wear a koteka, or penis sheath, as traditionally used by some highland New Guinea tribes, and decided to take the Citi2 bus into Cambridge thus attired, there would be a dual reaction.
The first would be within my own mind, becoming excruciatingly aware of the inappropriateness of the dress. This would occur even in the absence of any other human being nearby, before I stepped across the threshold.
The second would be a temporally delayed response, from the first sighting to the rapid arrival of The Gentleman in Blue and subsequent arrest for indecent exposure!
The niqab of course is the total opposite, a covering of the face, apart from the eyes. Combined with a burqa, the all enveloping cloak, it also contrasts very starkly with the European norm and national sub-norms prevalent in the majority culture of the population. All that is needed is then a rationalisation for the instinctive social/cultural unease to justify enforcement, by law if deemed necessary.
Much is made of the niqab having no place in western society, by reason of it being an instrument of patriarchal suppression.
But spare a conscious thought for the woman who wears the niqab whilst wandering out in our society; feeling the intense external societal pressure brought to bear upon her, through the glances and other subconscious "tells" of those she encounters, as she goes about her business in town, shopping, travelling.
What courage it must take to even cross the threshold, wearing a niqab!
Sunday, 10 April 2011
Apple blossom syrup and pond dipping
Ms Kabitsch's "Bluetenmenues" (Flower menus) continue to fascinate and the tedium of mowing the back garden lawn brought the first flowering apple tree to my notice.
Whilst MS Kabitsch recommends harvesting flowers shortly after the morning's dew has evaporated (by a young virgin in a diaphanous gown as an optional extra), my weekends tend to start somewhat later. In order to preserve the floriferous splendour of the tree, I harvested only one flower per flower head, yet still accumulated a good bowl full.
The petals were stripped from the flowers, placed in a jar and then had 60%w/w boiling sugar solution poured over them. They were left to perfuse in the sealed jar for a couple of days. A quick taste in the evening already detected a subtle flavour, though not quite the apple fruit expected.
Later the in the afternoon, we accepted the invitation of Ms Fletcher and Mr Snoswell for some pond dipping in their garden. It was a most fecund water feature, with a profusion of water plants and frog spawn, rams horn snails and dragonfly nymphs. Smooth newts slithered across and feasted on the frogspawn like miniature antediluvian monsters.
What intrigued Ms Flemming however, was a colony of 2 to 4mm white rods that slowly migrated up and down with the light but were to small to identify by eye. I had brought along my microscope for precisely this purpose. At 80x magnification, the organisms were revealed to be elongated motile ciliated beings.
The Herren Stebler and Krauter's identification guide "Das Leben im Wassertropfen" pointed to a likely candidate, a giant single celled ciliate Spirostomum ambiguum. This could be confused with planarians but for one vital feature, S. ambiguum could swim forwards AND backward, a feature frequently displayed in Ms Flemings specimens.
Ms Ann Bishop FRS wrote an extensive article on S. ambiguum, its culture and physiology in 1923, in the Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science 1923 s2-67: 391-434, "Some Observations Upon Spirostomum ambiguum (Ehrenberg)".
You can find an excellent picture of S. ambiguum on Dr Ralf Wagner's page of ciliates.
Whilst MS Kabitsch recommends harvesting flowers shortly after the morning's dew has evaporated (by a young virgin in a diaphanous gown as an optional extra), my weekends tend to start somewhat later. In order to preserve the floriferous splendour of the tree, I harvested only one flower per flower head, yet still accumulated a good bowl full.
The petals were stripped from the flowers, placed in a jar and then had 60%w/w boiling sugar solution poured over them. They were left to perfuse in the sealed jar for a couple of days. A quick taste in the evening already detected a subtle flavour, though not quite the apple fruit expected.
Later the in the afternoon, we accepted the invitation of Ms Fletcher and Mr Snoswell for some pond dipping in their garden. It was a most fecund water feature, with a profusion of water plants and frog spawn, rams horn snails and dragonfly nymphs. Smooth newts slithered across and feasted on the frogspawn like miniature antediluvian monsters.
What intrigued Ms Flemming however, was a colony of 2 to 4mm white rods that slowly migrated up and down with the light but were to small to identify by eye. I had brought along my microscope for precisely this purpose. At 80x magnification, the organisms were revealed to be elongated motile ciliated beings.
The Herren Stebler and Krauter's identification guide "Das Leben im Wassertropfen" pointed to a likely candidate, a giant single celled ciliate Spirostomum ambiguum. This could be confused with planarians but for one vital feature, S. ambiguum could swim forwards AND backward, a feature frequently displayed in Ms Flemings specimens.
Ms Ann Bishop FRS wrote an extensive article on S. ambiguum, its culture and physiology in 1923, in the Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science 1923 s2-67: 391-434, "Some Observations Upon Spirostomum ambiguum (Ehrenberg)".
You can find an excellent picture of S. ambiguum on Dr Ralf Wagner's page of ciliates.
Natural history on the North Beach of Hunstanton
It being a glorious day, Mrs T and I assayed to the coastal town of Hunstanton on Saturday, in particular, to the North Beach. (Pictures here at https://picasaweb.google.com/miltoncontact/HunstantonApr11#)
For the first time in several decades of visits to this coast, we walked northwards along Peddars Way, in part to escape the chill wind burning our ears, despite the brilliant sunshine.
The first part of the walk was along the rows of gaily painted beach huts, some in use for the day. Beyond, the route wound its way through the dunes.
Sea Buckthorn grew in profusion on the dunes on either side of the path and many of the plants were decorated with silk nets protecting hatched Brown-tail moth caterpillars. These are increasingly regarded as pests, in particular as the caterpillar's numerous bristles break off easily and can be airborne irritants and allergens.
As is my natural inclination, natural history continued to be a preoccupation on the far more agreeable walk back with the wind behind us. Reaching the sea at the moment of low tide, I collected water and sand to take home for the small aquarium.
For the first time, I saw a live starfish on the sand, Asterias rubens, the common star fish.
Movement at the water's edge revealed an arthropod with the form of a foreshortened centipede, with long antennae, but friendlier in a appearance, to anthropomorphise. I later tentatively identified it as Idotea linearis, an isopod (relative to the wood louse).
There were also small balls of jelly, tinted algal green, scattered here and there along the beach. They could have been a type of jellyfish or a gelatinous egg sac, unfortunately I cannot find further information on them.
Before going home, the older 3m long HBN banner was put to use for a photo-story, enlisting the help of three young ladies on the beach. Back at home, the photos were linked to text in the style of a small childrens's book - you can view the conceit here on issuu.com: http://issuu.com/miltoncontact/docs/ms-banner.
For the first time in several decades of visits to this coast, we walked northwards along Peddars Way, in part to escape the chill wind burning our ears, despite the brilliant sunshine.
The first part of the walk was along the rows of gaily painted beach huts, some in use for the day. Beyond, the route wound its way through the dunes.
Sea Buckthorn grew in profusion on the dunes on either side of the path and many of the plants were decorated with silk nets protecting hatched Brown-tail moth caterpillars. These are increasingly regarded as pests, in particular as the caterpillar's numerous bristles break off easily and can be airborne irritants and allergens.
As is my natural inclination, natural history continued to be a preoccupation on the far more agreeable walk back with the wind behind us. Reaching the sea at the moment of low tide, I collected water and sand to take home for the small aquarium.
For the first time, I saw a live starfish on the sand, Asterias rubens, the common star fish.
Movement at the water's edge revealed an arthropod with the form of a foreshortened centipede, with long antennae, but friendlier in a appearance, to anthropomorphise. I later tentatively identified it as Idotea linearis, an isopod (relative to the wood louse).
There were also small balls of jelly, tinted algal green, scattered here and there along the beach. They could have been a type of jellyfish or a gelatinous egg sac, unfortunately I cannot find further information on them.
Before going home, the older 3m long HBN banner was put to use for a photo-story, enlisting the help of three young ladies on the beach. Back at home, the photos were linked to text in the style of a small childrens's book - you can view the conceit here on issuu.com: http://issuu.com/miltoncontact/docs/ms-banner.
Friday, 8 April 2011
HBN QR codes, promoting solutions not services and Road traffic limits
Todays HBN meeting was a relaxed affair with many attending also having been at the Wood Green Business Fair yesterday. The latte was deemed a great success in terms of the interest and impact that we had there. I had uploaded the photos of the stand to https://picasaweb.google.com/HBNPhotoManager/WoodGreenFair2011#.
In particular, we were the only organisation with members sporting and promoting the use of QR codes. Member Martin Straus, whilst manning his own stand, was also using his QR code prolifically on banners and bottle labels.
The debate then shifted to the perennial problem of all businesses that provided services or advice to other companies. The better approach in theory is to offer solutions to client problems. Our discussions swirled around how this could be achieved in practice for experts in diverse areas from inheritance to logistics.
Back on the A14 road travelling south towards Cambridge, traffic numbers were coursing through my mind as these are a real issue on this stretch. A surprising fact that I had picked up, was that irrespective of speed, the average distance between cars in free flowing traffic is about 2 seconds. This effectively means that the carrying capacity of a single traffic lane is about 1800 vehicles per hour, or 3600 vehicles on two lanes in the same direction.
The frequent chaos and queues on the A14 at peak rush hours then become eminently understandable. Just north of Cambridge, the M11 joins the A14 Northwards with a possible conjunction of traffic from four lanes (2 from the A14 from the East and 2 from the M11 from the South) - this means that potentially up to 7200 cars per hour converge on a stretch of road with a capacity of only 3600 vehicles per hour in one direction.
The increased traffic load can be accommodated by reducing the traffic speed, as the carrying capacity per mile is doubled if the vehicle speed is halved, say from 60mph to 30mph. Traffic does not however flow in a truly laminar manner, especially at high traffic densities; slight changes in vehicular speed can result in waves of stasis being generated, causing an overall slowing of traffic flow even further.
Back home tonight, I wrote two blog texts in addition to this one, one still in draft form and the other published as "The continuing evolution of QR code design".
In particular, we were the only organisation with members sporting and promoting the use of QR codes. Member Martin Straus, whilst manning his own stand, was also using his QR code prolifically on banners and bottle labels.
The debate then shifted to the perennial problem of all businesses that provided services or advice to other companies. The better approach in theory is to offer solutions to client problems. Our discussions swirled around how this could be achieved in practice for experts in diverse areas from inheritance to logistics.
Back on the A14 road travelling south towards Cambridge, traffic numbers were coursing through my mind as these are a real issue on this stretch. A surprising fact that I had picked up, was that irrespective of speed, the average distance between cars in free flowing traffic is about 2 seconds. This effectively means that the carrying capacity of a single traffic lane is about 1800 vehicles per hour, or 3600 vehicles on two lanes in the same direction.
The frequent chaos and queues on the A14 at peak rush hours then become eminently understandable. Just north of Cambridge, the M11 joins the A14 Northwards with a possible conjunction of traffic from four lanes (2 from the A14 from the East and 2 from the M11 from the South) - this means that potentially up to 7200 cars per hour converge on a stretch of road with a capacity of only 3600 vehicles per hour in one direction.
The increased traffic load can be accommodated by reducing the traffic speed, as the carrying capacity per mile is doubled if the vehicle speed is halved, say from 60mph to 30mph. Traffic does not however flow in a truly laminar manner, especially at high traffic densities; slight changes in vehicular speed can result in waves of stasis being generated, causing an overall slowing of traffic flow even further.
Back home tonight, I wrote two blog texts in addition to this one, one still in draft form and the other published as "The continuing evolution of QR code design".
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