26th August 2008. It seems that I'm in better company than I thought. According to the Economist 230808 P71, Daniel Barenboim has published a book entitled "Everything is Connected: The Power of Music" in which the main thrust is just that.
31st July 2008. The international problems and possibly the national ones relate to power, whether the power is generated by elections, by beliefs, by religions or by force. Presumably the underlying cause is shortage of resources eg water, food, energy or just plain greed, "We want what's yours"
Last night I watched the Three Tenors, Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo in their famous charity event in Rome. Last week I watched the film "Mamma Mia." Two weeks ago by accident I found that one of the music players on my computer emits the sound via my headphones rather than the speaker system. Each is absolutely phenomenal and beautiful and together they are wonderful for the soul.
I wonder if all the 'would-be' power-mongers should be sentenced to monthly visits to see "Mamma Mia." Anything to prevent them becoming the next Radovan Karadvic, Robert Mugabe, Archbishop of Canterbury, European Bureaucrats etc.
15th July 2008. Well, they listened. Noon Walk rather than Moon Walk. Oct 5th is the date set. Apparently enough men mouthed off about sexual equality and we should be allowed to participate in the 'Moon Walk' that they (The Marlets Hospice) thought up this idea. It's got nothing to do with men and women participating together, just a ... I don't what. Anyway, I've said I'll do it. 13 miles starting at the County Cricket Ground over to Saltdean and back along the Undercliff walk.
It's not a race, it's just a walk, so I need somewhere to get a gluten free meal, somewhere about the halfway point that is near Saltdean Lido. If anyone has any ideas, please comment or phone me on 0207 0434217 as that also connects through to my mobile.
1st July 2008. What is up with all the planners, architects and builders? Here we are struggling with the level of energy consumption, when nearly thirty years ago we learned that 37% of all the heat loss is through the floor, so, as it was a new build, we paid extra for a 2" layer of expanded polystyrene to be placed under the concrete floor. All ot £200 in 1978 on a house value £39,000. Peanuts.
There were two measurable results:
1. On the Nairn covered concrete floore, without carpets, we could pad around in bare feet even in the winter
2. With comparison with our neighbours, in a similar house, our energy bills were HALF their's.
Need I say more. It's not rocket science. I think we got pay-back in at most two years and the 50% savings have carried on for another thirty years.
22 May 2006. This is of course a quote from The Hitch-hiker's guide to the Galaxy.
The answer calulated by some hugely powerful computer to the question 'Life the universe and everything' is 'forty two'.
One must admit it's a very nice number; it has a clean wholesome ring to it; it's divisible by two, three, six and seven;
The purpose of this section is to be a holding place for all the odd bits of views and comments I might want to make, a general pot pourri, sweet smelling and enjoyable.