Holy Millinery and other Musings!

I have often wondered what the reason could be for adherents of many of the world’s religions to wear such a variety of headgear? The shape, colour configuration or construction method all seem to play a significant role. Amongst the plethora of fez’s, turbans, berets, skullcaps, cowls, homburgs, hijabs, mitres and many others there is no discernable similarity amongst them. What then exactly is the objective?

Is it a visible demonstration of their piety to their particular God that by so doing enhance their standing with him/her/it? Does God have a favorite hat? All would agree that deities in general are expected to possess the omnipotence, wisdom and insight to see inside each individual’s mind and soul. Therefore, since nothing can be hidden and every thought like an open book, on this basis, the choice of headgear seems redundant. The only logical reason must be a desire to advertize or flaunt their specific faith set to each other. This exacerbates existing schisms between them, each holding the fervent belief that the millinery mandate of each religion is (-like their faith) the only one acceptable to the Almighty. 

The origins of some are equally puzzling. In the case of Orthodox Jews, what could possibly be the connection between their large brimmed black fedoras and Abraham or Moses? Their hair ringlets pose the same enigma. The conventions of the Anglican Church in which I was immersed at an early age decreed, with a novel example of sexism, that whilst women are required to wear hats in church, men must take theirs off! The notion that God would be sensitive to the relative merits and configurations of various pieces cloth headgear seems ludicrous. 

This argument can be extended to other items of attire. The range of sartorial elegance across the faith groups is also varied but -and here is an element of logic. In many cases it is not practical whilst in formal religious attire to fulfill the multifarious job commitments of today’s modern society and hence the wearing of hats provides a visual if superficial identification of each group.        

To honestly confront their Maker in a state of pure humility and supplication, surely the sole configuration would be to appear as God made us -“au natural” or completely naked, thus removing any inequalities in social status or relative affluence. However, for various reasons of culture, convention, tradition or to be subjected to sex-obsessed moralizing, this is clearly a non-starter. Some compromise would be required.

Ideally, a simple, loose but all-embracing garment similar to those worn by those visiting Mecca for the Hajj would be a step in the right direction. In addition to satisfying the moral imperatives of the non-nudists, it would also camouflage the effects on many who have over the years indulged in abundant living, hence becoming progressively less (-more likely more!) than God had made them! It could be argued that now, apart from variations in skin tone and bone structure it would introduce an sizeable element of uncertainty in identification of religious or racial background. The general acceptance of this “uniform” garment would perhaps help to reduce the exercising of much of the cross-cultural prejudices and intolerant attitudes of one national or religious group over another.

Raleigh 20 Number 2 - finished at last!

Finally, after several delays I have finally finished Raleigh #2 to my satisfaction. It is now shod with Schwalbe Maratthon 1.75"'s mounted on Alex DM24 rims. It now proudly possesses a Brooks B17 saddle with matching honey brown bag. I have also removed the mudguards and added a waterbottle cage to the headtube. Total weight saved on the conversion 2.75kg (6 lb).

The alloy rims give a noticeable improvement in acceleration but the stopping power has not improved as much as I would have thought. I am now fiddling around with various brake levers. So far however, the originals seem as good as any. 

Overall the bike is more sprightly and handles very well with the new "Marathons". 

 It is now quite suitable for longer rides although its performance will not equal my lighter and much more sporty Dawes Kingpin. However the ride should be a little more relaxed and  plush!

How Much?

          Growing up in England I was fully immersed in or (or perplexed by) the subtleties and complexities of the Imperial Units of Measurement. Many of these had had their origins in the myriad trades and professions most of which had been in existence for centuries. This was fine for those directly involved in these arcane pursuits, but for others, without considerable mental dexterity these relationships of Distance, Area, Volume and Mass (-or Weight) remained cloaked in mystery. For distances or length we continued happily along with inches, feet, yards, chains, furlongs, miles and rods (also referred to as poles or perches). For maritime applications; fathoms, cables and nautical miles were added for good measure(?). To discover the size or area of something we added square perches, roods and acres to the mix. Volumes were determined by multiples of fluid ounces, gills, pints, quarts and gallons.

            For Mass and Weight we come to the piece de resistances. Here there were no fewer than three systems: Troy, Avoirdupois and Apothecaries Weights. These introduced us to grains, drachms, scruples, ounces, pounds, stones, quarters, hundredweights and tons.  

            Nevertheless, despite all the incomprehension and bewilderment, there was peace in the land. Maybe things were as they were intended to be. After all, it could be argued that if the Good Lord had intended us to be fully conversant with these unitary conundrums, we would probably all have been born with a pocket calculator dangling from an earlobe.

            Nevertheless, as the end of the Twentieth Century approached, things began to unravel.  With the development of closer ties between Britain and the foreign devils in the rest of Europe, the Imperial System came under increasing pressure. The inscrutability and obscurity that had been its main endearing feature became increasingly threatened by the profane Metric System. With this arrangement, distances and areas would simply be expressed as multiples of metres or hectares respectively, volumes by litres and weights by multiples of Grams. Little or no consideration was given to the poor Apothecary. It fact it might be said that he had no scruples!

            My own introduction to this heretical system was sudden, rapid and without any option. As indicated by the image at the head of these meanderings, I was a member of the development team of the Concorde supersonic airliner. Right at the outset it was decreed that all measurements and dimensions would exclusively use the Metric System. After some initial frustration and confusion, to my amazement I progressively discovered how straightforward it all was. By forcing myself to think metric without instinctively converting to Imperial to get some sense of familiarity, the metric units were much simpler and far easier to use. Everything was standardized. To even consider the inanities of four gills to an ounce, sixteen ounces to the pound, fourteen pound to a stone, one hundred and sixty stones to a ton and so on were quite ludicrous.

            Despite all this simplicity, in the world at large, old habits have been slow to die. Although by 2011, all countries have formally adopted the system, its implementation has varied from country to country. The USA, although being in the forefront of technological development, has, (certainly as far as the general rank and file is concerned) been reluctant to embrace it and still stubbornly clings to its own (slightly different in places) version of the Imperial System. Although not exclusive to the USA, such is the insistence in the “dumbing down” of anything requiring a modicum of thought, that a new system has been developed that everyone can relate to even though it is imprecise. Within this marvel of ambiguity, distances and sometimes areas are related typically to multiples of “football pitches” without specifying whether or not they include the end zone or indeed even the code of football. Heights are related to “stories” with no indication of a datum story height. 8 – 12 feet probably brackets a likely range. Volumes are on occasion related to swimming pools and weights to “numbers of loaded 747 aircraft”. There are many other regional examples of this but perhaps the most obscure is related to nutrition and food preparation. Weights and volumes are represented by a mishmash of cups, spoonfuls, sometimes fluid ounces and millilitres but with no conversion data from  weight to volume. With all these opportunities for culinary disaster it’s a marvel that any meal ever turns out right! However, these pale into significance when compared with my own personal favourite, “the serving”. What the heck is that supposed to mean and how does one item relate to another? Exactly how much is it? How does a serving of meat relate to a serving of vegetables? What meat and what vegetable? Can a serving of steak relate to a serving of chicken or a serving of broccoli to one of potato. How does a serving of fruit relate to a serving of bread? If so, upon what is the implied relationship between them based? At the end of the day how can any of the above possibly be considered preferable to the use of globally accepted precise units of measurements?

            In conclusion, the measure of temperature should be mentioned. In the grand Imperial days our good old ”British system” (-developed by the Dutch-German-Polish physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit!) was employed. Its origins are of interest. Using this scale, the zero point was determined by placing the thermometer in a just freezing mixture of brine and ammonium chloride. Somewhat higher up the scale, 32 degrees was the temperature at which fresh water froze. The hundred degree point was based on the body temperature of a horse! An additional point, 96 degrees approximated to body or “blood heat”. Finally stuck out on its own, the unlikely figure of 212 degrees defined the temperature of boiling water, 180 degrees above the freezing point of fresh water. .

            However, by the 1970’s, the common usage of brine was falling out of favour as was the ready availability of horses to bleed. The Celsius scale, which recognised the formation of freshwater ice at zero degrees on the one hand and the boiling point of water at 100 degrees* sounded the death knell of the Farenheit scale. Despite that, its universal acceptance was not immediate with again the USA dragging its feet. Apparently the greater possibility of having to use decimals to obtain an accurate temperature value has been considered too onerous.

            As for me this entire exercise has become too onerous. I’m going for a brisk bike ride for some fresh air. With a bit of effort I’m hoping to complete my ride at an average speed of 53760 furlongs per fortnight –no need for any decimals there!    

* at standard atmospheric conditions.

Afghanistan; -far too high a price!

            For some time I have been trying to come up with something that expresses my increasing concern at our ongoing involvement in Afghanistan. I accept (I think) that the main thrust as far as Canada is concerned is to aid in an evolving transition to a more democratic society. However every time I hear of yet another young soldier being killed I wonder if, even with the good intentions it’s all worth the effort. The ruined lives, the incalculable grief and loss which results, even if it had some positive effect, can never come remotely close to justifying the appalling price.  Nothing can be worse than this, yet there exists an increasing impression (-to me at any rate)  that by and large the Afghan populous fails to acknowledge the sacrifices or appreciates the efforts made.

            I have been trying to understand the mindset of the people. Why is there no apparent shortage in the supply of willing suicide bombers and why is there a perception that the Afghan effort seems half-hearted at best and duplicitous at worst?  The recent debacle where nearly 500 high risk prisoners tunneled their way to freedom under the noses of the guards is an example. Moreover, this wasn’t the first time. On a previous occasion nearly 1000 escaped.  What do they want and what’s more to the point, what do they really think?

Thankfully, I have been let off the hook. The subject has been addressed recently in a dynamic TED lecture on Empathy by sociologist Sam Richards. Given in front of an American audience at Penn State, he pulls no punches. Although he specifically aims his comments at the situation in Iraq, much of what he says can be read across to Afghanistan, where to the locals little distinction exists between any of the Western armed forces.

http://www.cmn.tv/videos/sam-richards-a-radical-experiment-in-empathy/

Polling polemics!

            Like most people I am appalled at the pre-election vandalism  involving the slashing of car tires and other damage to signs etc. However this whole debacle would be less of a factor if there were no election signs on the property of the victim(s) advertising the incumbents’ party of choice.

            During the run-up to any election, a plethora of these ugly signs suddenly blossom, defacing every neighborhood where they appear. What exactly are they supposed to achieve? Surely citizens who care about the outcome and are caring participants in the choices afforded by the democratic process, need no additional encouragement. Indeed the print and electronic media is choc-a-bloc with views, debates and associated commentary on the subject weeks before Election Day. Those whom I would refer to as “quality voters” use the foregoing to stimulate thought which will assist in shaping their views and maybe even change their political stripe.  Forests of tacky wood and cardboard signs are unlikely to have much if any effect..

            Perhaps worst of all are those who make frenetic attempts to persuade people to exercise their democratic right even though the entire subject is of little or no interest to them. Why? How much worth can be  placed on a vote made under duress merely to appease a family member or to get some political busybody off their backs. The ongoing obsession with “the size of the poll” is meaningless if a sizable chunk of the voters falls into this category. Provided that the final electorate is comprised of all voters who are genuinely involved, regardless of percentage, the ensuing government will truly represent the views of a diverse but thoughtful populous.

            Those not wishing to participate can then continue to follow their own stars; be it the Royal Wedding, Justin Beiber or the latest exploits of one Mr. Charles Sheen.   

More on the Raleigh Twenty

            I purchased the green 1973 Raleigh Twenty Folder (as shown in my post of March 3^rd ) from Africycle, a charitable organization dedicated to acquiring and transporting doner bicycles to Malawi where they are making a huge impact towards improving the lifestyle of the inhabitants. Some of the donated bicycles which are considered less than ideal for the Malawi environment are offered for sale to the Canadian public. Such was the green Raleigh Twenty.

The folding hinge. Note the dent in front mudguard!

            As can be seen in the pictures in my previous post, after the application of a considerable amount of TLC; underneath all the dust, bat shit and cobwebs emerged a remarkably nice bicycle. Indeed apart from some nasty dents in the mudguards and unsightly patches of rear wheel rim where the chrome had flaked off, it seemed that with a little more effort it would be possible to restore the bike to its original 1973 condition.

            At this time I noticed that Africycle had a second 1973 Raleigh Twenty for sale, so without further ado I returned to their premises in Uxbridge and snapped it up. It was of considerable satisfaction to me that not only had I made two sizeable contributions to their cause but that by way of receipt I had received two desirable pieces of cycling hardware.

            The second (brown) bike, although showing the results of wear and tear on its paintwork was fitted with a pair of excellent chrome mudguards and featured a rear wheel with all its chrome still in place! I therefore swapped these components with those on the green bike and hey presto -just like new! I overhauled the wheeI hubs, bottom bracket, head set, re-lubed the 3-speed hub and fitted some new tyres. At its conclusion I now had an excellent Raleigh Twenty in original 1973 configuration (apart from the tyres) which exceeded my expectations.

                                 The completed green 1973 Raleigh Twenty  







  I now turned my attention to the second bike and have begun a programme of weight saving (the original is no lightweight!). Stage One has replaced the steel stem, handlebars, and seat post with alloy units. The original Brooks saddle and heavy pedals have also been replaced with modern lightweight versions. So far this saved 1.2kg. Details of Stage Two will be forthcoming in due course. This will include alloy rims and new tyres. 

 Brown Raleigh before mods. 

Here is the link for Africycle. It's quite an impressive organisation run by a group of admirable young people.  

http://africycle.org/

All Creatures Great and Small

          Spring is upon us; the annual spring seal hunt is in progress and with it the predictable anti-seal protests. The arguments both for and against will no doubt continue; some based upon reasoned arguments and at the other extreme on sentimental, media and often pop-culture fuelled reactions to the soft-eyed cuddly appeal of the victims. Unfortunately, an increasing number of animals are drowning due to a lack of sea ice. This could well affect the situation and will serve to limit the annual quotas. Perhaps the protesters should consider supplying fleets of rescue boats to pluck the pups from an icy demise!

            My own view is one of dismay at the illogical inconsistency of the protesters who seem oblivious of more egregious examples of cruelty which exist across all sectors of the animal kingdom. The most obvious example is of course the huge animal food empire which on a continuing basis, subjects animals to a horrendous few weeks or months of cramped, shackled or restrained existence, many without seeing the light of day before being mercifully put out of their misery. Other than serious humane attempts to improve the quality of the short lives of the “crop” it’s difficult to see a change any time soon so long as we continue to eat meat and eggs (-myself included). However distressing the seal hunt might be, at least it is for the most part justified on the basis of commercial gain or economic necessity. This is particularly true in indigenous communities where hunting forms the essential (-in many cases the only) access to fresh meat and fish as well as providing income from the pelts. A similar argument can be made for farmers and others living in remote rural areas. Finally if  sadly, the argument for culling can be made in some cases.

            Apart from these exceptions, there exists an area of totally unjustified bloodletting which for some reason continues to be accepted. I refer to the activities of the hunting community which for some inexplicable reason basically continues its massacres unquestioned and above criticism. Indeed such activities are generally approved of and “blood sports” regarded as acceptable despite the fact that its sole justification appears to be merely satisfying a lust to kill or maybe just to appear machismo. The British Royal Family sets a particularly distressing example.

            Arguments to the effect that the hunting impulse forms part of the human psyche are all bogus. It is to be hoped that cultural development over the millennia would have reduced the barbarous and less civilized aspects of behavior. In the developed world we no longer need to be hunter gatherers. One assumes that the intrepid “sportsmen” no longer feel the necessity at days’ end to drag their wives by the hair into the matrimonial cave!

            I have experienced both sides of this. For the first twenty years of my life, I was fully immersed in gun culture. My father was the head gamekeeper of a large estate in rural England. I was taught gun culture at an early age and even had a .410 gauge shotgun at my disposal. Later on I graduated to the ubiquitous 12 gauge weapon.

            During the shooting season as a young lad, I found lucrative employment as a “beater”. My duties involved flushing pheasants from the undergrowth to meet their destiny at the hands of a number of wealthy members of the aristocracy who had paid handsomely to slaughter them -or anything else that moved! Since many of the feathered victims had been reared by my father specifically for the purpose, many of the unsuspecting and essentially tame birds, thinking that food was in the offing, ran towards rather than away from the beaters. They then had to be noisily encouraged to fly or run towards their executioners where they were dispatched -often at point blank range!

            At school I was a member of the cadet corps and taught to shoot Enfield .303 rifles. I was even successful enough to achieve the exalted status of “First Class Shot”. Later I became one of the very last of the RAF’s Air Gunners and my artillery education was expanded to include the aircraft-mounted Browning .5 machine gun and 20mm Hispano cannon as well as Bren and Sten machine guns. Target and skeet (clay pigeon) shooting also formed a part of ongoing training. As aircrew, a .38 Smith and Wesson revolver formed part of my equipment.

            All these pieces of machinery (the Sten excepted!) were beautifully designed and manufactured pieces of hardware. However, I could not help but reflect that they were all produced with the express intent to kill and maim. This chilling realization was something that caused me increasing discomfort. Prior to my militarization, somewhat to my father’s disappointment, I had already developed an aversion to the shooting fraternity. After returning to civilian life my distaste for guns in general and blood sports in particular escalated to one of abhorrence.

            As an alternative to hunting, target or skeet shooting require great skill -and are mainly benign. The only real difference in the target  -is life. I wonder why a clay facsimile of a bird is not an acceptable substitute for a sentient creature. To witness the beauty of any creature happily living its allotted span in its natural habitat is truly a joyful and uplifting experience. In contrast, how anyone for some form of personal gratification can willfully snuff out of the life of a deer, duck or whatever crosses their line of sight is entirely beyond my comprehension. Killing for fun is not only morally wrong; it says little for a society that accepts or is apathetic towards it.