Nomad

Done but not quite dusted

2011-10-28T19:00:00.001Z

It's been a while. Last post I complained a lot about the thesis, but shortly afterward I submitted it (August 26th to be exact) and twiddled my thumbs... for a couple of weeks before getting a job. A proper(ish) job. A plant-related job with more than a modicum of respectability. Only I had to leave town in quite a rush to start the new job.

Nowadays I get to re-learn all the stuff that got me so excited about plants and drew me into a profession where I could study them all day. Yeah, I'm a lecturer and I have the task of making people enjoy learning about photosynthesis and soil micro-organisms. I never thought I would hear the words 'photosynthesis' and 'NADPH' in a rap song... check this out

There's more. So much more, and it's great fun. Just how to get the students to 'be' plant cell organelles...?

The 'not quite dusted' bit means I have yet to get through the viva and publish my research, so I'm not quite ready to change the salutation on my credit card to 'Dr.' Watch this space.

I hate my thesis

2011-08-12T17:14:00.001Z

I have a crap introduction. I really hate my thesis and just want to get rid of it (think 'ring of power and Frodo Baggins on the side of Mount Doom'). Less than 3 weeks and lots of corrections to work on, but no motivation or interest. I can't remember anything about the papers I've cited, even though I've read them so many times I should be able to quote the best parts of each one in my sleep... and I feel like a complete fraud. It's been such a long time since I did any regular exercise, but all I want to do is eat chocolate and stare out of the window.

I keep hearing about PhD graduates who immediately join the priesthood after completing their theses, and I can totally empathise, but that would involve more study and right now, it's the last thing I need.

Perhaps when all this is over, and I'm pumping iron in the gym, I'll look back with fondness on my student days... or shudder and thank the merciful Lord that it's all over as I return to my parish duties.

Women's ordination - an alternative perspective

2011-03-13T16:28:00.000Z

Whilst pondering the issues of ordination, I came to the realization that it's something I've been involved in professionally, for long time. In fact I have an ordination of my very own:

For the uninitiated, this is known as a Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), and is a common method of analyzing ecological datasets. And it's mine, all mine. My ordination! And, as the name would suggest, it's 'canonical'. I'm also a woman.

It isn't the only one I have either... mwah hah hah!

Still causing a stir after all these years: women and their role in the church

2011-03-09T00:35:00.000Z

Also known as Women's Ordination (WO for short). A lot of people feel very strongly about this one - just do a quick internet search and you'll see what I mean.

For the uninitiated, most Christian groups do not like the idea of women taking on leadership positions or being ordained for professional ministry because of a few texts in the Bible:

1 Corinthians 11:3
1 Corinthians 11:7-9
1 Timothy 2:11-15
1 Corinthians 14:34-35

So, to summarize. Women are:

Not to speak in church
More prone to deception than men
Not to have authority over a male in any capacity

Why, then, are the majority of children in church groups taught by women?

Is it acceptable for children to potentially be deceived by the teaching of women?

At what age does a woman teaching males become inappropriate? Who decides? What criteria are applied to assess this?

If women are not to speak in church, why have them teaching anyone, including other women?

When are the men going to assert their authority and take over teaching the children?

It isn't difficult - the Plymouth Brethren have been doing it for years.

'Eve was the one deceived' appears to be sufficient basis to ban all women from leadership. However Adam was not deceived - he knew full well what he was doing in light of the command given by God. Therefore he was wilfully disobedient, rash, and one could argue, impetuous enough to ignore God's instructions. To top it all off, Paul, in Romans, puts the blame for the curse of humanity squarely on Adam.

Are these manly traits desirable for leadership? No, no and no. However, I am well aware there are plenty of men who are not like that at all - quite the opposite - but Adam's wilful disobedience is not sufficient to prevent any man from leadership; Eve being deceived certainly appears to be more than enough to keep women in the kitchen serving up the potluck and mopping the floor. In silence.

Some consistency in the application of scripture would be nice.

Oh, and yes, the 'eleven' mentioned in Mark 16:15 were all men. They were also Jews from Palestine, so all non-Jewish men in church leadership need to step down or head to the mikveh.

Pakistan - Minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti assassinated

2011-03-02T17:22:00.000Z

India Reloaded TV report and interview.

Quote from Mr Bhatti: "As a Christian, I believe Jesus is my strength. He has given me a power and wisdom and motivation to serve suffering humanity. I follow the principles of my conscience, and I am ready to die and sacrifice my life for the principles I believe."

A sad day, not only for Pakistan, but for the world.

Something constructive

2011-03-02T15:51:00.000Z

Finishing a PhD programme (or beginning to finish via writing the thesis) can be a multi-level roller coaster ride. If working 'like stink' for three years in a range of challenging field and lab situations isn't enough, sitting down at the end and trying to put it all into the context of a thesis to be examined on, is enough to make grown men weep in a corner (and the rest of us).

Procrastination is the bane of finishing for most people. What I want to know is: why is this so? Surely if you want to be free, 'get your life back', as it were, why not just get the thing written and get rid of it? To use a cliche, it's a lot easier said than done.

If anyone out there is reading this post, I recommend 'Advising the Struggling Dissertation Student' - it's a helpful article written by a graduate supervisor, Leonard Cassuto, who really has a 'bead' on thesis issues. He's obviously very experienced in working through the various problems that can manifest in the life of a graduate dissertation.
Particularly enlightening is the comments sections; comment 24 really hit home:

'I coach ABD students to finish their dissertations, and the most common challenge they face is that 1> they are trained as sprinters, to write 20 page papers in a weekend, where a dissertation is a marathon; 2> making progress in an unfamiliar process proves difficult; 3> they feel fear and/or shame as a result of their self-perceived "failure" and turn to procrastination to manage these difficult feelings, which exacerbates the problems.

Thre are two solutions to this: 1> learn new skills and habits that work for you, like time management, pacing, planning, and creating a work schedule and environment that feels right; and 2> accept that you feel fear and/or shame, fight the temptation to procrastinate or read one more article, and start writing. Can be hard at first, but seeing progress creates momentum that keeps you going.'

These first three points raised certainly hit home for me, and I know for many of my peers who are in the same situation. Of the solutions, point 2 is definitely the best advice I've heard in a long time. Ultimately I hope this is some kind of consolation, and motivation, to anyone out there struggling with a PhD thesis.

A publication in the works

2011-02-25T14:06:00.000Z

Exciting news for today: one of the supervisors has suggested contributing a paper for an upcoming special issue of Proceedings of the Royal Society B, which will be dealing with the topic of community genetics.

It means a bit more work to deal with, alongside the thesis, but it should pay dividends in the future (unless I give up altogether and fill supermarket shelves for a living). Nevertheless, it's something to go onto the CV.

What's killing 'the Church'?: addendum

2011-02-24T14:04:00.000Z

Following on from the previous post, I discovered more information from a survey carried out by Tearfund in 2007.
Results of the survey are summarized in a rather aesthetically pleasing way here (lots of pretty charts and graphs), and a full report from Tearfund is available as a .pdf file.

Their conclusion: poor, young, Christian men are least likely to regularly attend church in the UK.

What's killing 'the Church'?

2011-02-23T13:34:00.001Z

When I say 'the Church', I mean the visible church institution(s). The National Centre for Social Research published findings of the 26th British Social Attitudes survey conducted approximately one year ago (link).

'There has been a sharp decline in religious faith in Britain', so sayeth the opening line of the section 'Religion in Britain and the United States'. However a report on survey findings from the Office of National Statistics from Times Online (30 January 2009) indicates a decline in numbers of people who self-identify as Christian, while the Muslim population grew 10 times faster than the rest of society from 2004-2008. So the 'religious faith' mentioned may not be speaking of Islam, and possibly other religions as well (i.e., Hinduism, Buddhism).

So what's the deal with Christianity? Some would blame fundamentalism - taken to extremes, this is not attractive in any section of society; others would blame liberal theology and doctrinal pluralism that embraces a smorgasbord of beliefs. Dr Rod Rosenbladt of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod believes that too many people have been hurt and damaged by the church.

A recent piece by Donald Miller puts the blame squarely on the shoulders of good, old-fashioned infighting. Yes. 'We' Christians just can't get along. 'We' just don't like other groups of Christians who do things differently; who have different theological positions; who like to worship to bells and smells, or drums and electric guitars; whose clergy wear bright vestments, or no vestments but prefer a suit, or (shock, horror) t-shirt and jeans; some even have no clergy, and so on, and so forth. Ad infinitum, ad nauseum.

'We' just don't like other Christians because they don't see things the way 'we' do, and if 'we' can't indoctrinate them to 'our' way of thinking, then they're obviously not as Christian as 'we' are. And the squabbles continue with the rest of the world watching on. Could it be that our collective bickering is, to some degree, diminishing our witness in the world and putting people off? It probably isn't the whole story, but it wouldn't hurt to put down the deeply-cherished opinions from time to time, and learn to disagree without being disagreeable.

Update: Dr. Michael Horton, professor of apologetics and systematic theology at Westminster Seminary California, puts a different slant on the discussion here.

PhD Blues again

2011-02-16T22:22:00.000Z

Not so much the blues, more like a bubbling frustration. Some days the brain just doesn't want to co-operate; it's not as though I don't have anything interesting to say in the thesis - I have plenty of things - but the woolly nebulae of ideas refuse to be coaxed into something more solid (i.e., words, sentences, paragraphs and the all-too-elusive chapters).

So many papers to read, stats to finish (start!), results to summarize... et cetera, et cetera. Bah! I'm off to bed!

Anglicans defecting to Roman Catholicism for Lent

2011-02-12T15:19:00.000Z

According to a recent report on Fox News, the Church of England may lose approximately 1,000 of its 13,000 parishes. These congregations, and an estimated 50 priests are planning to enter full communion with the Roman Catholic Church in time for Lent.

Conservative Anglicans are discouraged over the ordination of women and homosexual/ bisexual/ transgendered people; the Vatican has established a special Ordinariate for these congregations who wish to retain aspects of their Anglican heritage without having to be ministered to by individuals who weren't born male and heterosexual.

This new church-within-a-church is called, 'The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham'.

Married priests will learn Roman Catholic rites and undergo ordination, therefore allowing them to continue to function in the priesthood. Married bishops will not be able to retain their episcopacy.
It appears that close association with a pair of ovaries is likely to be a barrier to professional ministry in many Christian circles.

Some of these Anglicans are dismayed that they 'won't be in full communion' with members of their families after they convert. I believe that Christ pulled down barriers of separation and walls of partition between all people, so why do we feel compelled to erect more?

A reflection on these issues, with a hint of sadness (in my opinion), by an Anglican priest can be read here.

Eschatological views of the Millennium

2011-02-05T16:42:00.002Z

Out of interest, I'm reading up on different beliefs about millennial eschatology (presented below). The theological basis for each view can be quite complex, and far more than I can cover in a short post; so I present just an overview. I am not a theologian, just a humble scientist with an interest in Biblical studies; I make mistakes, so if I have misunderstood or misrepresented a theological position, do say so :)

Three millennial positions:

Amillenial: A distinctively Reformed doctrine of eschatology. In the book of Revelation a time period of a thousand years is mentioned in Chapter 20, verses 1-7. Satan is bound for "a thousand years" (vv. 1, 2); therefore Satan cannot deceive the nations for "a thousand years" (v.3). John sees the saints living and reigning with Christ "a thousand years" (vv. 4, 6). The unrighteous dead do not live until the end of the "thousand years" (v. 5). When the "thousand years" expire, Satan is loosed, the unrighteous dead are resurrected and deceived by Satan to make war against the saints (vv. 7-9). At this point, God will send fire from heaven to destroy Satan and the unrighteous dead. Even though Christ will appear physically to rescue the saints, the resurrection will not be physical, but spiritual.
Postmillenial: In other Reformed and some Presbyterian groups, the belief is that, over time, the world will become Christian. True Christians will take control of all aspects of life creating a wholly Christian culture and society. All will obey God’s Law and there will be peace and prosperity worldwide: no poverty, little to no crime, and limited scope for disease. This will lead to a "Golden Age" that exists for at least a thousand years, or more; Christ will get an earthly victory in history, and this earthly victory will be the "Messianic kingdom" in its full splendour. At some point, Satan and those who have only converted outwardly to Christianity will instigate a rebellion against the Messianic age and bring great tribulation upon the earth. Christ will return to the earth, destroy Satan, crush the rebellion and restore peace. Genuine believers will be glorified and live happily ever after in God’s new earth. The 1000 years of Revelation 20 may, or may not, be taken literally.
Premillenial There are two main prevailing views within the premillenial belief of eschatology:

Historic (post-tribulation): Christ returns at the end of the tribulation before the beginning of the millennium. The millennium of Revelation 20 is a literal 1000-year reign of Christ in heaven with the saints who have been resurrected/ translated. Satan will be bound for 1000 years and all who have rejected Christ will be killed by the brightness of His coming. After 1000 years Satan will be loosed and the unrighteous dead resurrected. The New Jerusalem will descend from heaven but Satan and his people will try to attack it, at which point they will all be thrown into the lake of fire. The earth will be purged and made new in preparation for God’s new earthly kingdom. There are differing viewpoints on the role of physical Israel, but the general consensus is that those who accept Jesus as God’s Messiah will receive the promises made to them through the Old Covenant, along with Gentile believers and will make up God’s church.

Dispensational (incorporating pre-tibulation and mid-tribulation): is a belief that God will bring about a literal, earthly kingdom in which Christ will reign over all the world through the agency of Israel. The Second Coming will appear in two stages: a ‘rapture’ of believers (translation of the righteous living, resurrection of the righteous dead) either before or halfway through the seven years of tribulation (based on the 70 week prophecy of Daniel, with the final week being separated from the rest of the prophetic time); at the end of the seven-year period, Christ will return again to save those who have converted during the tribulation and sit upon the throne of the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. The Jewish nature of the kingdom is seen in the fact that God is dealing with Israel in a national sense, apart from the church; which by means of the rapture has been removed from the earthly scene. Even the Old Testament sacrifices are seen as being reinstituted, but instead of being utilized for the forgiveness of sin, the sacrifices are instead a memorial to what Christ has already done on the Cross. This theological position tends to ignore the rite of the Lord’s Supper, instituted by Christ Himself as a memorial to His death and resurrection.

Punxsutawney Phil

2011-02-03T15:27:00.003Z

So yesterday, as on every Feb 2nd, Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his hole. After 'some time' poking around outside at Gobbler's Knob, it was declared that Phil did not see his shadow and therefore winter will not continue for another six weeks.

Not being American, or having much experience of Groundhog Day lore, I have a few questions:

1. Does Phil know it's Feb 2nd? If so, how? Does he have an alarm clock in his burrow/ hole/ den?

2. How long can a groundhog remain in the role of Phil before retiring? Can the current Phil abdicate in favour of another groundhog?

3. How is successor chosen? Is it hereditary, like a monarchy, or is it more like Apostolic succession with the laying on of paws (no offense to Apostolic churches - seriously. I have a lot of respect for your beliefs)?

4. How can we be sure that Phil really didn't see his shadow? Perhaps he took a sneak peek while nobody was looking.

This might seem like a jokey post, but it isn't (honest!). I'm a naturally curious person and need to know certain things; watching the news footage of this event yesterday really sparked my inquisitive nature.

Edit: 5. How will Phil see his shadow if there's no sun?

Anne Rice quits Christianity

2010-08-02T10:37:00.003Z

Having been a fan of Ms Rice's Vampire Chronicles for many years, I was privileged to share in her spiritual progression from atheism into a faith relationship with God; she was raised in the Catholic faith and 'dropped out' as a young adult.

Recently on Facebook she expressed great dismay at the hate-fuelled campaigns by various groups within the Christian faith who seek to exclude, undermine or promote the destruction of certain other groups of people. Her observations are not restricted to Christianity, of course, but as a Christian person it is logical that her focus will be on the activities of Christian people.

After a decade of attempting to live a fulfilling life within the Christian community as a believer, her decision to renounce the Christianity in the name of Jesus Christ has provoked a great many responses from a broad section of her fan-base and the wider community - some very supportive and understanding, some condemnatory, and some apathetic.

After receiving an email from a friend about Ms Rice's decision, my initial response was: 'I've been following her thoughts for some time and agree with the general point, and respect her position, but I'm a big advocate of setting precedents within a system. There are bad apples everywhere - a little yeast can leaven an entire lump - but dropping out of a group or community does nothing to positively influence it.

I'm not sure how change can be affected by taking this route, particularly within the tenets of the Christian faith which is metaphorically referred to as 'the body of Christ', with Jesus as the head. What does her self-amputation do for the body? I don't know.
My perception of the Christian faith is that 95% of professed believers don't know the Gospel, have no idea how to relate to it and take on the name of Christian as just a name and nothing more.'

The problem with my initial thought is that I would love to do what Anne Rice has done, but I am not a famous personality and therefore my decision may have no impact whatsoever. Another problem I have encountered is the need for people to ferociously defend their beliefs, paying no mind to reason or logic - both of which I believe to be God-given faculties.
As a questioning person with an inquiring mind, I like to read around theological issues and beliefs and desire open discussion. It is never my intention to undermine the beliefs or attitudes of another, but to keep an open mind and an open channel of communication. Until recently I never realized exactly how difficult this is. Questions about doctrines and beliefs tend to incite a defensive aggression and the desire to re-indoctrinate the questioner, or cast them off as a heretic.

I feel for Anne, and for the many other people within Christianity who are looking for something rich and fulfilling that is not characterized by hate and animosity toward those people who do not conform to what we believe they should be. I feel jaded too. Worn down and eroded by inflexibility, harsh fundamentalism, bigotry, racism, sexism and entirely un-Christlike attitudes that appear to be the majority, but probably are not. Someone much wiser than I once said, 'those who know the least say the most, and those who know the most say the least'.
My heart aches for all those believers who feel the same as Anne and desire something deeply compassionate and purposeful in their faith community, but have become disillusioned.

Perhaps her renunciation of Christianity in the name of Jesus is the most Christian thing she has done, and sets an example for us all. We are called to renounce evil, to seek justice and righteousness, to live compassionately with a deep and enduring love for one another. By putting the hateful actions of certain Christian groups into the limelight and publicly denouncing it, those of us who are also frustrated and disheartened will understand that we are not alone, that there is a true Christian community 'out there'. There is a church that exists not made by hands and composed of bricks and mortar; not defined by numerous 'fundamental beliefs' or creeds; not energized by beating down on denominations, non-denominations, or anyone else who doesn't fit our standards (as low as they often are). This church is a community of believers without boundaries and walls of partition that seeks God's face and reveals His love for the world in selfless acts of compassion, mercy, goodness, kindness and justice.

God likes yeast

2008-08-26T14:37:00.002Z

Indeed. Why shouldn't he? In fact, He likes yeast so much that when He made yeast He gave it six copies of each chromosome, providing enough genetic diversity to survive any disaster that might happen. Not only yeast, but many other organisms too.

Think like Arnie!

2008-08-14T12:52:00.003Z

Following on the heels of my last post, I found an excellent article about motivation for weight lifting.
Maybe it doesn't take a whole lot to get me inspired, but reading this really got me excited. It's geared towards American men (probably) who want to have ripped muscles, but I think the message can be applied to every area of life, to anybody of any age.

Be like Arnie!

2008-07-28T12:03:00.002Z

Today I came across a fantastic article about weight-lifting that puts into words what I try to tell people over and over again, but the author does it so much better. Women in particular need to read this, because most women tend to react quite strongly (read "negatively") when I suggest weight-lifting as part of a long-term weight control effort. They think they're going to turn into Arnold Schwarzeneggar overnight! I should be so lucky... well, I probably wouldn't want to get THAT big, but he is a physically impressive guy and still has incredibly intense workouts that would make many gym-bunnies weep and cower in a corner for days.

Considering that modern lifestyles are generally sedentary and peppered with junk food, weight-lifting for both sexes, or at least some type of regular weight-bearing exercise, seems an essential way to stay healthy. The body-builders diet is strictly controlled and full of healthy fats, essential proteins and balanced with complex carbohydrates, and has long-lasting benefits.

Almost two weeks ago I began intensive training again, following the Body for Life exercise and eating regime (modified for a vegetarian diet) and have already received compliments from people telling me I look very fit and healthy. It works!! I don't spend half as much time slaving away in the gym as I used to, but my workouts are energetic, challenging, fun, and already showing benefits.

With any change in lifestyle, it all begins in the mind. You really HAVE to want it. Go on! Give it a try - you might like it...

The A9

2008-07-26T20:44:00.002Z

This stretch of road is one of the most dangerous and appalling in the UK. I travel along this road on many occasions for work purposes, and I have to honestly thank God for keeping me safe as I've travelled. The reason I write this is because over the past few weeks, there have been several fatal accidents at various points.
The road in itself is not dangerous. The people who use it are maniacs. Despite having a speed limit of 60mph, I regularly get tailgated or overtaken when I am driving at, or close to, 60mph. At night there is very little lighting at certain points so I tend to slow down to 50, probably frustrating the queues of drivers itching to speed off into the night. Being in the Highlands, there tends to be foul weather from time to time, so again I slow down, and again frustrate the maniacs behind who desperately value speed over safety.
Occasionally I pull over to take a rest from the horrors of the A9.

Today, more people have died on the A9 in what was a terrible crash. MPs have recommended the road be upgraded to a dual carriageway. Why spend a fortune on building extra roads when the speed limits are not enforced? I'm not a fan of speed cameras and other devices to slow people down; I think speed cameras on motorways are silly, but on long, dark, and dangerous stratches of roads like the A9, a few speed cameras and police patrols would generate MILLIONS from the nutcases who frequent its tarmac, and the money could go towards medical care for people involved in such accidents, and the emergency services who spend precious hours trying to save lives.

Rant over...

Places with unusual names

2008-07-22T13:21:00.002Z

Let's begin with Moron, Cuba. Apparently, Hotel Moron is one of the friendliest places in Cuba, largely because the staff are training to work in tourism in other areas of the country. Even local people are reputed to be even friendlier than in other places. Who knew?

Love INC (a helpful devotional)

2008-07-22T12:06:00.002Z

Our Daily Bread has a devotional about love in the name of Christ and it made me think of an article in the "Onion" regarding God and his rule about not killing. Ok, so it' s a work of fiction in parts but (hopefully) gets the point across.

PhD blues

2008-06-30T19:04:00.002Z

It's the realisation that there's so much to do, not enough time, a consistent lack of results and perpetually incorrectly calibrated machinery skewing my data that I ultimately have to unskew manually.
Combined with working anything from 50 hours a week (more like 65-75), and I'm ready for a holiday.

I guess being stuck in Aberdeen for the past few weeks doesn't help.

I need a holiday, some good food, a bit of sunshine, and a regular working day: probably too much to ask at this point. Help!!

"She turned me into a newt...!!"

2008-05-28T11:45:00.002Z

It's been a while, October last year, to be precise. Many things have happened, most recently fieldwork in the Highlands of Scotland on an RSPB nature reserve. Yes, it was wonderful, and I learned a lot about birds, insects, wetlands, and, most importantly, lichens.

I have pictures and will post eventually (especially dragonflies, 'cos they rock!!).

It's strange seeing how things change (or not) after having spent time away. I'd quite like to go back where I just came from and continue to enjoy peace and solitude atop a windy hillock. However, in a few days I shall be heading northwards again to work in Aberdeen for a while...

Cleaning a Macbook

2007-10-29T12:18:00.000Z

Having recently purchased a 13" Macbook, I was slightly dismayed to discover faint grubby marks on the wristrests and similar little nasties on the trackpad. I realise that white things discolour, so I don't purchase white clothing or shoes, but the white Macbook is a joy to behold.

But how to keep it clean, or remove dirty marks that appear?

Well firstly, I've discovered that a plastic eraser works beautifully, removing grubby marks and restoring the lovely matte finish (not on the display, I might add - for this I use a microfibre cloth).
Secondly, I think I'm going to invest in silicon covers to protect the keyboard, wristrests and trackpad, and avoid having to erase my Macbook into oblivion!

Be part of a miracle

2007-09-01T11:24:00.000Z

Global poverty prayer week, from 12th-18th November 2007.

Biofuel confusion

2007-08-28T11:33:00.000Z

Recently I purchased a car, which is around 10 years old. After a few initial problems, the car is now "on the road". So far, so good. However, I have something nagging at my conscience. Being all in favour of green issues, I'm concerned about adding to the pollution in the environment every time I start my engine. This morning I devoted a few hours to investigating the possibilities of engine conversion to LPG, or using biodiesel. Both are expensive, but caring for the environment can often mean stepping outside one's own comfort zone for the benefit of others.

I've read so much that I now feel confused over the best course of action. You see, some environmentalists argue that increased use of biofuels can mean less land for food crops, and therefore higher levels of starvation for the masses, increased use of chemicals for crop production, and ultimately more pollution than before. I have an answer to this which isn't easy for the masses to live by as it would require a huge change in lifestyle; comfort zones are so difficult to leave.

Anyway, if anyone has thoughts or suggestions about biofuels, I'd be interested to know.

Evan Almighty

2007-08-27T10:19:00.000Z

Last night I watched this film, not entirely sure what to expect. The first hour was full of overplayed hysteria and random screaming by the main character, Evan Baxter (Steve Carell), who is visited by God (Morgan Freeman) and told to build an Ark, as in the Bible story of Noah. I like Morgan Freeman as God, and I liked the messages the film delivered, all screaming aside. Not to give too much away, but there was a point in the film where Evan's wife was finding his boat-building aspirations a load to much to contend with. Having recently switched career, from news anchor to politician, Evan takes his family to a new (large and expensive) house on a recently developed patch of land.

On their first night in the new house, they each pray for different things: the wife and children for a closer family unit; Evan for the opportunity to change the world. God answers their prayers, but in typical God-fashion, not in the way the Baxter family expect.

There's a very thought-provoking piece of dialogue between God and Mrs Baxter. Not knowing she is speaking to God, she explains that all she wanted was the family to be closer. God replies that when we ask for something such as courage, patience, or family unity, He doesn't give us exactly what we ask for, but the opportunity to practice for those things. Such as building a boat.

The overall message that struck me, inlight of recent experiences, was the notion of "getting on with it". Once Evan had accepted what God wanted him to do, he went and did it, without waiting for anyone to assist or give instructions. His notion of how to change the world was different from God's plan, though he was told it all begins with one Act of Random Kindness (ARK). Even at the last minute people laughed, and refused to accept his "mission", but he did it anyway and learned a great lesson.

I still think Morgan Freeman should run for President.

Oh my gosh...

2007-08-23T11:30:00.001Z

What a tedious week! I've made several pointless journeys this week, two were outside of Edinburgh, costing a small fortune in fuel (in addition to not helping Britain's carbon targets). I'm also getting annoyed with people at church. Very annoyed! There is a prevailing sense of expectancy amongst most folks, which is in no way matched by any level of personal responsibility and commitment. If anything needs doing, it's always "somebody" who has to do it (I'd love to know who this poor old "somebody" is (I have my suspicions) because I'd tell them to take a holiday. It's bad enough to have a heap of responsibility for your own issues, without having people dump a load more on top). "Somebody" is exceptionally busy. I think it would be very helpful if those who volunteer "somebody" take a bit of initiative and volunteer themselves.

It's becoming more difficult (read impossible) to elicit any kind of help for projects, events, or programmes - even ones involving fundraising.

Recently some of us were contacted by a person from overseas, asking for help finding a place to stay for 3-4 days while they looked for a room for the coming academic year. One church member, who has additional space in their home, sent an email around demanding that "somebody" help; this member later confessed to me that they really couldn't be bothered. COULDN'T BE BOTHERED???!! What kind of Christianity is that?? For most folks of faith (any faith), it's enough to simply believe. I disagree. Belief is useless if it isn't put into action for the benefit of others. "Can't be bothered" or "I'm too tired" are weak excuses that I've had enough of hearing; dealing with people like this is like swimming against the tide of a treacle sea.

GRRRRR.....

Peru

2007-08-17T15:44:00.000Z

Recent earthquakes in Peru have left loads of people dead and injured, as is usually the case when such a thing happens. I've been especially worried about this one as I have some friends currently working over there... and it just so happened they were only 30km from the epicentre, and narrowly missed being washed away by a huge tidal wave. Fortunately I have heard from them within the past few hours, so they are safe and well for the moment, and looking forward to leaving the country and returning to our miserable summer; I'd rather have a miserable summer any time!

(Not so) random purchases

2007-08-17T15:35:00.000Z

I've invested in a tin (or brass) whistle in a bid to improve my musical repertoire... this goes with the assumption that I have a repertoire to begin with. I don't, other than a huge music collection. Anyway, I decided on a whistle because I've heard it is fairly easy to learn, doesn't take a huge amount of effort to sound good, and doesn't cost much; this final point is worth emphasising, especially as I'm still waiting to be paid for work I'm currently doing (that's a whole other story). I also thought it would be useful to have an instrument that could be used for live ceilidhs at church... a few other musicians would be nice to play along with, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

So far I'm doing pretty well. I have several books and pieces of music for practicing with no obvious signs of getting fed up. Maybe when I get more confident I could begin learning the bodhran.... now THERE'S a challenge....

My other purchase has been a car. Bought from a friend a few days ago, so far I've had a few problems. The MOT failed, with a number of faults, and some "umming and aahing" later, it appears the problems can be fixed for a mere £300. I'll take two, thank you! Now I need to find the man who owes me money so I can get this car on the road.

A brief update

2007-07-30T18:50:00.000Z

Well it's been almost two months since my last posting, and things have been quite busy. First of all there's work: I've been extracting DNA from a variety of plants and editing / aligning sequences, all in an effort to get my name in a peer-reviewed journal. I guess it'll come in handy for the upcoming PhD, and the fundraising I'll probably need to do for a future career in research.

Secondly, there have been a shedload of birthdays recently, with mine tomorrow. I'm planning to go to butterfly world here in Edinburgh, with my boyf, to have a look at all manner of things that creep and flutter. How exciting!

So far, no more travels are on the horizon - my last trip was Orkney, and what a rare old time that was! A great place with lots of natural wonders, and very friendly to boot. Definitely a place I'd visit again.
Things continue in much the same way as they did before, though with a renewed sense of purpose. I'm on the brink of being sucked back into youth leadership, though I still have reservations. There's a prevailing sense that I'm not a leader in any sense of the word: it's something I've never desired, and would certainly never see myself as such. Perhaps I could just grow vegetables in the church garden and feed the clamouring masses each week....

Check this

2007-05-31T16:07:00.000Z

More photies of China and Japan - this is the lot, so enjoy. More pics in the next few days (of other things).

Almost back in action

2007-05-25T22:03:00.000Z

So I haven't been away for a long time, my computer got a virus, and it's taken until now to fix the problem.

Anyway, I'm back in action, and various things have happened:

1. I got a boyf

2. I quit as Youth Leader

3. Recently I was offered a PhD project, to start in Sept this year

4. I lost another friend in a car accident

5. Some other friends went to South America for a few months to do fieldwork

6. A friend came back from Venezuela to pick up her life here again

There are probably more things, but I can't think of them just now...

Ta ta

Edinburgh YDoF 2007 - Photies!

2007-04-04T14:26:00.001Z

Pics from the YDoF are now available here.

A new word - oh my!

2007-04-04T14:20:00.000Z

Alarmingly, the weather is so good just now, but I've been sat at home working on botanical things of various descriptions (having a day off tomorrow to take a friend and her parents around the Highlands).

In my quest for botanical perfection (ahem!) I came across a new word: fugacious (pronounced fyu-gey-shuhs), meaning something fleeting or fading quickly. It originated around 1625-1635, from the Latin fugaci, meaning "to flee", which is a derivative of fugere. I guess this is where the term "fugitive" stems from.

Veeeery interestink!

Edinburgh YDoF 2007

2007-03-25T10:54:00.000Z

My church had its annual Youth Day of Fellowship yesterday, and what a fab day. It was nice to be able to sit back and let the group get on with the activities, except in the afternoon when our MC mysteriously disappeared without a trace (how rude!).

Nevertheless, what fun!

Photies to follow (on my Bebo page).

Youth Week of Prayer

2007-03-23T12:27:00.000Z

This started on Saturday 17th March, and is due to end this coming Saturday (24th March, which also happens to be Edinburgh's SDA Youth Day of Fellowship).

What an amazing week! Prayer really works - I know it might sound weird to those who never tried it (and maybe a few who have), but DEWD!!!! Awesome...

Holiday pics

2007-03-23T12:24:00.000Z

As promised, I've posted pics of my recent holiday to China and Japan.
It's just easier to post a load on Bebo, with comments, than it is on here. 'nuff said.

There's more to come, so keep checking.

AYYYYEEEEEE!!!! said Ali-G stylee

2007-03-23T12:08:00.000Z

I recently bought a digital camera, and have spent just a small amount of time seeing what it can do...

This is my eyeball, people!! Who knew??!!??!?

JAPAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!

2007-03-11T13:43:00.000Z

I've been trying to post pictures but this b****y blog is not helpful, so it'll have to wait... until I recover some patience!

Post holiday reality check

2007-02-27T00:44:00.000Z

My holiday in China / Japan is now over, but I had a blast and will hopefully find time to post some pictures and write about some of my adventures.

Tis all for now...

On the subject of face pulling..

2007-01-26T23:16:00.000Z

Check out this guy - he's awesome!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7jU2BNcKUk&NR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJNORLhN22g&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPx266rGw3E&NR

International Gurning Championships - and the winner is....

2007-01-26T23:11:00.000Z

Moi!

Of all the faces I pull (it happens to be a hobby of mine), this is surely a work of art. Bet you can't guess which one is me...

"...and God bless us, everyone..."

2006-12-25T19:32:00.000Z

Yeah I know it's a bit overdone and tacky, but I like this time of year, whether it's the sight of Christmas trees and bright sparkly lights, or the Menorah candles glowing cheerily on window ledges and mantlepieces. It should be such a hopeful, cheerful time of year, particularly when the darkness seems neverending.

I spent a very privileged day with good people - an opportunity some will not have had, which makes me appreciate it all the more.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and God bless us, everyone!

The Blessed Hope

2006-12-13T21:35:00.000Z

Two weeks ago this evening, a most special friend was taken away from this world. Her name was Karoline, and she was not just good, but excellent. A rose amongst many thorns. In future posts I'll share some of her goodness to inspire those who may read to be more than circumstances may dictate. For now, I'd like to dedicate this old hymn to her memory, and to those left behind.

"I Saw One Weary."
Annie R. Smith, 1852

Verse 1.
I saw one weary, sad, and torn, With eager steps press on the way,
Who long the hallowed cross had borne, Still looking for the promised day;
While many a line of grief and care, Upon his brow was furrowed there;
I asked what buoyed his spirits up "O, this!" said he - "the Blessed Hope."

Verse 2.
And one I saw, with sword and shield, Who boldly braved the world's cold frown,
And fought, unyielding, on the field, To win an everlasting crown.
Though worn with toil, oppressed by foes, No murmur from his heart arose;
I asked what buoyed his spirits up "O, this!" said he - "the Blessed Hope"

Verse 3.
And there was one who left behind The cherished friends of early years,
And honor, pleasure, wealth resigned, To tread the path bedewed with tears.
Through trials deep and conflicts sore Yet still a smile of joy he wore;
I asked what buoyed his spirits up "O, this!" said he - "the Blessed Hope"

Verse 4.
While pilgrims here we journey on In this dark vale of sin and gloom,
Through tribulation, hate, and scorn, Or through the portals of the tomb,
Till our returning King shall come To take his exile captives home,
O! What can buoy the spirits up? 'Tis this alone - the Blessed Hope.

Sleep well, Karoline with a "K", and rest until His return.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-26T16:47:00.000Z

To all those celebrating over the past few days: have a good one (ok it's a bit late, and I'm not American, but who cares?).

Megaday

2006-11-17T17:44:00.000Z

I realised it's been such a while since I had a good rant, and I'm running out of friends to rant to (or maybe their numbers are dwindling due to my moaning..?), so here I am with another gripe.

The store where I work has almost finished it's "megaweek" sales pitch; one of many in the run up to Christmas. We've actually stayed open until midnight so that people could shop without having to make panic purchases. There was also a special promotion of up to 25% discount on most of the merchandise. I have to explain I work in a department store, which isn't huge (not as big as the last one I worked in, which was part of the same company but much bigger), but there are... departments! We actually had one woman who continued to browse at 12.20am, while the staff were all stood waiting to cash up (we have to wait until the shop is cleared of customers).

My main gripe is about women. Despite being of the female persuasion myself, I just don't see the appeal of shopping endlessly for hours and buying things I don't need with money that belongs to a bank or credit company, and then moaning about how tired I feel. That's kind of a mini-whinge... the main thing that really gets up my nose is the mess they leave in their wake. Seriously! Women bang on about how untidy men can be, but they obviously don't know the meaning of putting things back how they were found. The worst thing is when I try to tidy the area I work in, and I end up (almost) fighting with women who make a mess, drop things on the floor, and then look at me and giggle before walking away. How rude! IF YOU CAN'T PUT IT BACK, DON'T GET IT OUT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU SEE SOMEONE TRYING TO TIDY IT UP! Ahem.

The same principle applies to refunds - if it didn't fit you when you tried it on in the shop, it won't look any better when you get home, SO DON'T WASTE MY TIME BRINGING IT BACK FOR A REFUND!

There's more:
Wearing something, and then trying to get a refund on it because someone spilt wine on you is rude and cheeky. Don't even bother.

I think the most hilarious thing is when there is a massive queue of people wanting to pay for things (usually on a bank holiday, i.e., Boxing Day or whatever), and they moan because they have to wait so long. Well listen up, sweetheart: I HAVE TO BE HERE, YOU DON'T, SO HAUD YER WHEESHT OR LEAVE! The last place I want to be when a public holiday comes up is shopping in a department store, and do they really believe they'll be the only person in the city who actually thought of doing that on a holiday??? Get real. Better still, get a life!

As a parting comment, I'd like to point out to those who might think "but the customer is always right" should understand one thing: not on my shift!

Guess it's not really the job for me..

Almost but not quite

2006-11-03T12:24:00.000Z

Yesterday I saw a man about a project and felt excited about the possibility of studying for the first time in a while (more than a year). Well I'm not about to rush headfirst into a PhD, but at least I'm actually thinking about it in a positive way, as opposed to recoiling in fear and loathing. Maybe a few more days holiday (from study, not work!) will do the trick.

My first ballet

2006-11-03T12:16:00.000Z

On Wednesday afternoon I went to see the ballet of Romeo and Juliet at the local playhouse. I had never seen a traditional ballet before, and it seemed a little odd that a piece traditionally written with dialogue could be performed through dance. Such is the nature of art.

The performance was a good one, though it didn't "move" me in the way other theatrical performances can, I rather enjoyed it. Even for those who weren't familiar with the story it was so well performed that it would be impossible not to understand what was happening.

Audience etiquette was lacking. Some people couldn't shut up, and one woman even started a conversation on her mobile phone!! Put the phone down and step away! Ok, I have a mobile phone, but I don't live every waking moment around the possibility that it might ring. It's there for convenience, but every now and then I "forget" to carry it with me... or turn it on.
We managed our lives perfectly well without them in the past.

A fitting farewell

2006-11-03T12:07:00.000Z

The funeral yesterday afternoon surprised me by its briefness. I guess I had forgotten how quick these things can be. Michael's daughter stood up to give a eulogy for her dad, and even though I only knew him for a short time, it's exactly the impression I had of him. A quiet man of fierce intellect and outstanding talent, combined with a dose of unpredictable eccentricity and strong sense of justice.

The small chapel was full of people, which only bears testimony to the impact he had on those around him. One thing that struck me was the quality of music and singing, but with the majority being deeply involved in music in all its wondrous forms, what can one expect?

http://www.bibank.com/portal/story.asp?idstr=99695938

A great man

2006-10-27T16:45:00.000Z

A great man died last night. My landlord was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas several months ago, and it finally took him just before midnight yesterday. Over the months of seeing the weight virtually drop away from his body, morphine dull his senses, and his energy drift slowly away like vanishing smoke, I've been inspired by a remarkable human being. Never did he moan, complain, or criticise. Never a harsh word, or a grumble. Instead he continued making jokes, chatting to all who passed into his room, and wrotes notes of consolation to visiting friends. Occasionally he cried, but not tears of remorse or regret, but of gratitude and happiness for having lived a good life with excellent people around him. His last words to me were practical, compassionate and encouraging, just like the man himself.

His incredible good nature was matched by his musical skills - he taught music to countless students and spent endless hours performing for charitable events; he mastered the piano and harpsichord and used those gifts for the benefit of others. Not boastfully, or proudly, but with a strong sense of humility.
He is survived by his wife and only daughter, who have also shown incredible concern and compassion for others despite having to endure the pain of helplessly seeing a loved one fade away. Their openness, dignity and warmth are an inspiration and an example.

May he rest in peace.

'Snot fair

2006-10-02T18:29:00.000Z

My FFVII game doesn't work anymore.. and just as I was about to rescue Aeris too!!! Dagnammit!! :(

A mycologist musing

2006-10-02T17:36:00.000Z

I had a chat with the chief mycologist (a bod who studies fungi) this afternoon. For a while I've suspected that he's not an average, run-of-the-mill scientist, and now I think it's been confirmed: he's a Christian. On various occasions he'd mentioned things about most scientific "proof" these days is the philosophical shoe-horning of ideas down the throats of others by egotistical scientists. He went on to say that around 5% of what we call science really is science. I have to say I agree with him. It's possible to prove just about anything, and having seen the methods used, and the way results are sifted to discard "anomalous" evidence, I can hardly say that science is what it's cracked up to be.

Sometimes head knowledge isn't enough. You have to really know something before you can... well, really know it. Maybe what they call life experience. I've always been a bit skeptical about "scientific evidence", especially when it comes from media science, or has certain famous names attached to it. But science really does seem to be a bit like the emperor's new clothes.

It's no longer enough to have an enquiring mind, or to want to explore the world as we know it. Wanting to find new things, and name and describe them just doesn't attract the support it once did. These days you have to be better than someone else. You have to be able to convince an audience that your research is more glamourous than the next person, that your ideas are somehow sexier (go figure). It's something that exists in pratically every sphere of life: always look for something better than you already have. The most obvious arenas to see this at work are with consumer goods and relationships, with people looking to science to provide answers for everything. Well science doesn't have the answers for everything, and the answers it does give I take with a pinch of salt.

I don't want to be better than someone else; I don't want to have a car that gets replaced every year for a newer model, or a mobile phone that does everything except wash the dishes (if it did that would be a jolly good investment!!). I don't want to have a relationship knowing that I can walk away any minute and replace or be replaced without a passing thought. Call me a boring old toad, but I like things to last. I like things I can put my faith in.

The upshot of the conversation I had with this mycologist was that he declared we don't need to look for something better, because there is something perfect - someone perfect. Jesus. The perfect man. My career may be floating precariously up the proverbial creek without a paddle, but I can put my faith in Jesus, and I don't need to look for something better because I found it a long time ago.
Science has not given me answers, a changed life, a reason to carry on each day, a sense of value and worth, or even a job. God has. And will continue to do so for a long time to come.

After a pretty verbose posting I think I need to go and eat...

A bit mysterious

2006-09-24T18:42:00.000Z

Before finishing the masters degree I was looking forward to having a bit of free time to hang around and get a life, but instead I'm just as busy as I was before. How on earth did that happen? Maybe I had a valid excuse to get out of doing things before, or maybe I'm one of those people who thrives on activity and subconciously creates nice little jobs to prevent boredom from setting in.

Maybe I should pencil in a few hours of thumb-twiddling and staring at the ceiling...?

I passed

2006-09-13T15:45:00.000Z

Yeah, we all did. Dissertation mark was a bit rubbish, so I'm wondering if they really took the absence of supervision into consideration. Anyway, there it is.

It's the simple things

2006-09-13T09:57:00.000Z

It's been a bit quiet on the home front over the past few days. The MSc course is now almost over, with the results released in an hour from now.
Fifteen random people from various continents have been thrust into each others faces for the past 12 months, and it's remarkable how well we've all got on. We jokingly refer to ourselves as "the amoeba" because we move as one large organism instead of 15 separate ones. Even at tea times we have to rearrange the furniture in the canteen to make sure that we can all sit together - a source of amusement for the staff at the botanics, who've confessed they never found this with previous MSc groups.

Doing a course of this nature, which is so intensive, and especially the field course to Belize where we were practically in each others faces 24/7, could have had us hating each others guts. Instead it drew us closer together - shared struggles, triumphs, disappointments, frustrations, aspirations and many other things. Relationships have been made and broken, babies born, jobs lost and gained. During the final stage of the course, the only people I could really share my own problems with were my colleagues, who really understood (and vice versa).

Very soon I'll be saying farewell to friends that I may actually never see again. I'll miss these people; the memories I take with me are good ones.

At least now I can get stuck into playing Final Fantasy 7.

Achy breaky

2006-09-05T22:44:00.000Z

Well here I am again... after the incessant whingeing of the past few days I have decided to cheer up. One such reason for this currently out-of-character spasm of happiness is the realisation that for the time being, I don't have to wade through stacks of tedious manuscripts (hurrah!).

Additionally, I can now get my body back. "Where has it been?" you may be thinking. No, it was not snatched by little green men, it was lulled into becoming a lump of sogginess after five years of sitting at a desk and a lot less time in the gym. Well I can now cut the comfort eating, hit the weights and get myself back to how I was before I started this education lark again, ie., lean, healthy, and a darn sight heavier than I am now. Yes folks, I used to be 9 and a half stone, 11% body fat, and incredibly fit. I may have even been able to run a marathon... nevertheless yesterday was my first real weight-lifting session in a while, and boy am I sore today??? I've been walking around at work like John Wayne after 6 months in the saddle. Standing up is agonizing... But it feels soooo GOOD.

Heigh ho for more!!

Just enough...

2006-08-30T22:39:00.000Z

Here's my moan: things haven't been going too well recently. In a couple of weeks I finish a masters degree in botany, and was hoping to start a PhD, but I keep coming "a close second" in interviews, which isn't very reassuring. Fortunately I have a job... selling clothes in a department store part-time, which is better than a kick in the gob (just!). I really have no idea what I'm supposed to do next (I know what I want to do, but just can't get my foot in the door)... plus I maffed up my masters thesis; my main supervisor had millions of other things to do, so I pretty much did it all alone. Oh and I just found out today that I forgot to include a chapter, heh heh. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse! I suppose they could though :)
Well anyway, I need guidance. And a bit of reassurance wouldn't go amiss. Opportunities would help... If God would poke His head through the clouds and give step-by-step instructions, that would be grand!

Whoever reads this, just ask for God to give me enough.

Suffering from insanity? No - I enjoy mine!

2006-08-26T20:50:00.000Z

You're gonna love this: I jut did a search on Google images for insanity, and this is what I found:

http://www.ringworld.org/~tlee/insanity.gif

sheesh

Sorry Baba-chan..

2006-08-26T20:43:00.000Z

..but after careful investigation and thorough weighing of the evidence, I have reached only one
conclusion about the man Gackt: he rocks!!!

Here's proof

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAa7mELaUc4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqZ7XF3WmIM

Ger Arg

2006-08-25T16:24:00.000Z

No it isn't an abbreviation of two World Cup football teams, it's a hint at how the MSc students are feeling just now. It's only the tip of the iceberg... I know I have a long weekend ahead, but I just can't write. What I'd really like to do is run away screaming, but that just isn't practical due to a deadline for Monday. I am not alone.

How odd

2006-08-24T21:29:00.000Z

Strange that nobody seems to be reporting on the Lebanon situation anymore, which is far from resolved. Most stories seem to have been relegated to small print, with items of lesser importance seeming to take priority. Is this a case of Israel getting away with murder? Not to mention the massive environmental damage that's been caused to the sea bed around the coast of Lebanon after Israel bombed oil supplies. Nice one Israel! First of all you build a massive wall, defragmenting already fragile habitats in the process, then you bomb the rest of the area into a massive oil slick that's going to cost more than just money to rectify (if that's possible). When will international courts try people for crimes against nature??? Surely most of us would be condemned, but when nations blatantly go out of their way to cause as much havoc and destruction as possible, they need to be made a global example of. Or is it just me being weird?

Cute pet challenge!! Another entrant!

2006-08-23T18:24:00.000Z

Protest march update

2006-08-19T09:25:00.000Z

Last Saturday afternoon I joined a protest march in support of the people of Lebanon who have largely been bombed into smithereens by the Israelis. It was a good afternoon with an ever-growing number of supporters, and lots of interesting chants. I'm very glad I went along, and would like to attend more of these things when they come about.

BBC Scotland have posted a link to a short video from the event (I'm not on it), and here's a link to the link (thousands protest against war):

http://search.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/search/results.pl?q=protest+march&uri=%2Fscotland%2F

Apparently there's also a worldwide demonstration being organised with November 4th, protesting against the dragging feet of many governments over the issue of climate change (http://www.globalclimatecampaign.org/). This comes a week ahead of the Nairobi Climate Talks. Hopefully there will be a protest march in Edinburgh (or some other public event), but I know coaches will be available to take people to London for the demonstrations there.

Jolly good stuff!

Why, oh why?!

2006-08-19T09:14:00.000Z

It's so awful it has to be seen to be believed. I never thought I'd see the day I posted something like this on my blog:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgX-hiQdfFw

Finally Switzerland

2006-08-17T23:03:00.000Z

At last, some pics as promised... there may be more to follow.

Cute pet challenge!! Continued...

2006-08-12T21:16:00.000Z

One more of Ms Floofersons... strike a pose and take your prize!

Carlsberg don't make cats' tails, but if they did, it would look something like that.

Cute pet challenge!!

2006-08-12T20:56:00.000Z

Do you have a cute pet? Does it's antics and poses make your head want to explode with the overdose it cuteness it puts on display? Can I be the one to judge, and in doing so waste time squirming with delight at images of utmost adorability, instead of writing my masters project? Here's a quick starter for ten, sent in by Matt, who should have an award for taking these pictures of his incredibly dextrous cat (aka Floofie McFloofersons).

I think we can safely say that this cat has reach a very advanced stage of cuteness. It could even be a professional...!

Welcoming Homer the tree-hugger

2006-08-11T19:38:00.000Z

No I didn't make this up, but someone else did, and they put things far more eloquently than I ever could...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5237038.stm

Finally cracked it!! (and possibly cracked as well...)

2006-08-10T19:20:00.000Z

For the past few weeks I've been wrestling with statistics - a particular type of statistical analysis known as Principal Components Analysis (PCA). If you know what it is, then I (hopefully) no longer need your help; if you don't know what it is, pray you never need to!

After working the whole of today - and that's no exaggeration - I've finally cracked it! I understand; I am in the dark nay more; the light has been switched on; I'm home free... ad infinitum...

Now all I need to do is explain it to my supervisor. In writing. I think I need to lie down.

3 Degrees

2006-08-10T18:54:00.000Z

Not the girl group either... read and weep

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,1769826,00.html

I'm not usually such a harbinger of doom - I guess my project write-up is driving me a tad potty.
But this is important.

More bad news

2006-08-10T14:27:00.000Z

Will this ever end?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4778575.stm

Apparently this came after a call from Al Qaeda to Muslims around the world to fight against those countries who support (or at least refuse to condemn) the bombing of Lebanon, and violence in other Arab nations. Thanks to these constant messages, many of my Muslim friends are afraid to walk alone in the streets for fear of retribution from local people. They don't want to be associated with Al Qaeda.

Well it may surprise Al Qaeda to know that not all inhabitants of Western countries support the Lebanese bombings - in fact many are outraged, including people intending to fly on one of the planes that may have been blown up. It's unfortunate that nations are judged by a minority of individuals who "lead" them, and that those individuals refuse to listen to the millions of voices who protest about such things.

On the subject of protests, there's a demonstration through Edinburgh this coming Saturday (starting from the Meadows area), from around 2pm. Even though I'll be in church in the morning for our youth day, I would like to attend to join those who believe that blowing up innocent people is not a display of courage, nor of strength. It's a display of extreme cowardice, disregard for life and the sign of a loser who doesn't yet know they have lost.

Hope to see lots of people there...

What about Lebanon?

2006-08-02T07:18:00.001Z

The bombings and violence in the Middle East continues. Apparently Israel is defending itself against Hizbollah guerillas, after the abduction of two Israeli soldiers, and continuous shelling of Israel's northern border, which they "appropriated" from Lebanon against international law.
The Geneva Convention, which was established to minimise the barbaric activities of war, is being blatantly ignored (sad to believe we're such a demented species that we can't resolve conflicts in any other way, so we have to have guidelines on war).

I remember living in Israel during a time of so-called "peace". Occasionally friends would call me wanting to know if something they had read / seen reported by British press was true. Without exception, the stories contained an element of truth or were even complete fabrications. Embellishment exists within the media to sell stories - that's what they do. If you can't use sex, use violence, and being a largely voyeuristic species, we buy into it (think of roadkill).

Ok, I'm not suggesting that the stories we're getting in this part of the world are lies, but I'm inclined to take reports with a large pinch of salt - along with voyeurism, bias is also a strong element in our collective nature. It's hard not to be this way.

However, I can wholly accept that people are dying - innocent civilians, with a large number of children. Most casualties exist on the Lebanese side of the border. I can also readily believe that aid and relief agenices have also been fired upon by Israeli troops, who continue to make "errors" despite allegedly having one of the best military and intelligence services in the world.
Fundamentally, what's really getting up my nose is the fact that Israel has been, and continues to be, allowed to do as it pleases in a region fraught with hostility. Their strikes were supposed to be against Hizbollah, but with an estimated 750 Lebanese civilians dead, how can this be so? Why is that number not causing the Israeli government to stop and think? Why is that number not causing governments of the world to take action and demand an instant ceasefire, or threaten to impose sanctions against those who are currently the primary aggressors? Maybe the incestuous relationship between the US and its 53rd state has something to do with it.

Any nation has the right to defend itself and its citizens against attack, but to what measure and degree? And when is the world going to stop staring out of the window and actually DO something to prevent the deaths of more innocent victims, on both sides of the border? To us they are numbers and statistics which we use to speak out against such tragedies; they no longer have voices to speak out for themselves. To others they were friends, family members, and colleagues.

Knowing that it could be any one of us searching through the remains of a bombed building, trying to reach a child / spouse / relative / friend, should be sufficient reason to take action to help those who really are living this kind of hell on earth.

I keep thinking of the poem "First They Came..." by Protestant Pastor and fervent anti-Semite, Niemöller who was actually imprisoned by the Nazis himself (hence the poem). If we are not speaking out against the current situation in the Middle East, who will speak out when it's our turn?

Empathy, people, that's all it is.

...

2006-08-01T18:49:00.000Z

I guess I should get the elbow-licking out of the way before my joints seize up any further!

Another year

2006-08-01T18:40:00.000Z

Well as of yesterday I was officially one more year older, though perhaps not another year wiser (feel free to insert whichever adjectives into the place of that last word). There are many things I have done over the past twelve months, but here are a few of the things I haven't:

Grown up
Learned to "act my age", whatever that means
"Felt" my age, unless getting up off the floor after more than five minutes of sitting
Finished my MSc
Got a job / house / car / life
Licked my elbow
Coloured my hair red

I guess that leaves a few more things for me to do over the coming twelve months before I reach the dreaded "30".... except for the first two!

Cute Overload!!!

2006-07-17T11:07:00.000Z

Check out one of the best sites on the web... needs no explanation!

http://cuteoverload.com/

Just got back

2006-07-13T23:41:00.000Z

From another trip, this time to Latvia to see friends get married. I noticed some very beautiful people over there, but oddly enough they don't seem to notice each other... lucky I was there to make up for it! Some very dishy chaps over yonder...

Yes photos will follow (and Switzerland + Portugal), just as soon as I've had time to get my act into gear and sort them out.

The wedding was fab too, but a separate post is necessary for that.

Plan B? I was supposed to have one?

2006-07-03T23:33:00.000Z

So it would seem, because Zurich isn't going to happen. After a whole day spent wallowing in self-pity, I got bored and finally cheered up about it (I'm now convinced I'm made of rubber).

The big question is: what the dickens do I do now???

Answers on a postcard, please. (A comment here will suffice!).

Moon Child

2006-07-03T23:03:00.000Z

Whoever said that singers never make good actors, and vice versa? I may have stumbled across the exception to that general rule, in the form of Gackt and his buddy, Hyde (Gackuto Kamui and Takarai Hideto - r and l respectively in pic below) . Both are very famous J-rock (pop?) stars in their own right in Japan, and possibly other parts of the world.

Co-written by Gackt (the other writer being Hyde), and starring in one of the lead roles (up-and-coming gangster in Taiwan), I though this would be no better than a steaming pile of excrement, particularly as he'd roped his best friend (Hyde) in to play opposite as a vampire. What a pleasant surprise - I was wrong (not often THAT happens!). What starts off as a jolly hockeysticks, happy-clappy martial arts / vampire / gangster buddy romp, takes an unexpected turn into utter despair and misery. And DAMN do they play it well...

I can't say I've ever heard Hyde sing, but his acting ain't half bad. Playing alongside Gackt, they both do a splendid job of ripping into your chest and pulling out raw and pulsating emotions - I was quite dreading the end, but at least they all die together. Oops... just gave the end away. There was a slight hint of cheese at the very end, but this can be forgiven as the rest of the film more than makes up for it.

It's in Japanese, Cantonese and English, and both lead actors switch effortlessly between each from time to time, as much as they change their respective hair colour / eye colour / clothes in real life.

I'm really starting to admire the artistic talents of the man Gackt...

Alternatively, it's a grand opportunity for fangirls (and boys) to eye up fit Japanese dudes.

Just can't get enough...

2006-06-25T18:58:00.000Z

Those who know me are very much aware of my "interest" in anime. I'm sure plenty has been written about the Final Fantasy series of games and films, but so what - I need to give an opinion too!

I wasn't so impressed with Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Don't get me wrong, the animation is incredible, which is just as well because the storyline is bland... or maybe the storyline just pales to inspire any kind of interest in the face of such incredible computer graphics! I couldn't concentrate on any of the goings-on because I kept thinking "wow, none of this is real - it's all computer-generated!"

Final Fantasy: Advent Children is a completely different kettle of fish. Excellent storyline, great characters, fantastic animation - I'm hooked! DAMN it's good! It follows the theme of the games quite faithfully (being a sequel to the FFVII game, I guess it would have to), and the end battle is soooo cool.... though I have to say any appearance made by Sephiroth, no matter how brief, is worth the time spent in front of the screen. I know those are hours I'll never get back, but who cares??? Watch this film!

Ah'll sithee yewf! Ad infinitum

2006-06-24T21:45:00.000Z

We all piled off to Dundee today for a Youth Day of Fellowship (as one friend commented, it sounds like something involving hobbits and elves, but it isn't. Honest).

After a very trying week trying to arrange transport for those who wanted to go, as well as being confined to a lab a lot of the time, I once again questioned my suitability for Youth Leadership. Oh the self-doubt! Don't worry, I'll spare the details!

Anyway, we had a fairly informal service in the morning, lunch at lunchtime (surprise, surprise!), and then away to a nursing home for mentally disabled people where we sang songs and had a jolly good time. The idea was to minister to them, and share God's blessings, but I actually found myself being blessed by the residents.

In the evening we had a service on unanswered prayers, which I for one really needed to hear, followed by an Agape feast (like communion but with a meal at the end). While the Pastor preached, a young guy drew a picture of somebody praying using Adobe Photoshop, and had it projected onto a big screen so that we could all see. Very talented young man, I might add. It was a very powerful service, and one that made me see that I may not have the strength or stamina for the sacrifices that youth work demands, but God does. He called me into this for a reason. Many reasons probably. I told Him a while ago that I would take whatever challenges he put my way, refusing all retreat.

There have been numerous occasions when I've felt like running away and hiding like Jonah, when I've felt despairing like Elijah, or even felt like killing someone as Moses did before he fled Egypt (I haven't.... yet!).
But there have been at least as many occasions when I've felt how Mary Magdalene must have felt when she heard Jesus call her name in the garden after the crucifixion; the leper cured of a debilitating sickness; like Peter after denying Christ three times, and then being given a second chance to serve God.
How often we wash our hands of each other, but God still hangs in there for us, refusing to give up and walk away.

I'm not a natural leader. There are some situations that I don't handle at all well (and God knows them better than me!), such as engaging large crowds of people. There are many things I have yet to learn, many things that I don't know. What I DO know is what God has done with my life over the past 11 years, and the person that I am today - I may not be where I should be, but I'm not where I once was, and it's all because God made the effort to reach me and to accept me where I was, as I was.

Even if I'm rubbish at everything else (and I'm not saying that I am), then the least I can do is give the same to others as God gave (and continues to give) to me.

The cracks are widening...

2006-06-24T21:40:00.000Z

I let an American friend borrow "Team America - World Police" quite recently. I sent a quick email to ask what he thought of it, and this is the response:

"Team America! Probably no need to say more. I was looking at my life. It was all so familiar, snap shots of my family, the reassuring voices from my youth. It was all there. I've been woken up, and how timely. All this North Korea nuclear stuff gets my rockets going. My time is now! Forget those tiny, weightless lichens, I'm destined to repel the infidels. It's a midsummer nights scream I hear (I think, hearing is so tricky). Puppets schmuppets, we are men!
And so on.
M.
ps. I hope you don't mind, I gave the dvd to L today and told her it was over due. So it should be back to you soon. If this is not acceptable, I'll kill her, and anyone she has talked to."

I can't decide whether this response is due to him A: being American; B: studying lichens after 6 months of brain-frying lectures on an MSc course; or C: both. Either way, I laughed until I couldn't breathe...

I was a bit bored this afternoon

2006-06-19T17:12:00.000Z

So I started browsing online, and found these:

http://www.rahoi.com/2006/03/may-i-take-your-order.php
http://community.livejournal.com/engrish/164141.html

Which are almost as good as these:

http://winterson.com/2005/06/episode-iii-backstroke-of-west.html
http://users3.ev1.net/~eekfrenzy/captionspage/badfotrcaptionsx.html
http://public.www.planetmirror.com/pub/engrish/ttt_captions/
http://homepage.mac.com/slothpancreas/engrish.html

Tee hee

You don't have to be crazy to work in science etc.

2006-06-19T15:59:00.000Z

I have spent most of yesterday and all of today solidly analysing data for my Masters project. In an act of bored desperation, I sent this email to my mates on the MSc course:

"So I've been sat here all day doing data analyses, and I'm going stir crazy. Amazing that I haven't watched every single gigabyte of anime on my computer! Anyone else feeling like this? Please don't let me be alone (misery loves company!)..."

and one of the responses was so good, I had to include it here:

"yep, i have been there for a week or two now, excel eyes, my brain now organises everything in .xls format except for inputs which are .txt format and initial outputs which are, of course, in .csv format. .pdf and .doc files are for those barely informative clusters of characters called 'words'. very tricky getting statistical significance out of those buggers" (courtesy of Paddy Home Robertson)

Now for some proper thinking

2006-06-15T13:15:00.000Z

I was talking with friend a couple of evenings ago, and we got onto the subject of SDA's not being enthusiastic about their faith, unlike many other Christian groups who exhibit a great deal of excitement over their Christianity. I believe it has something to do with our emphasis on "future Jesus" - the one who will return to the earth to redeem it - not the "present Jesus" who is wanting a relationship here and now. There are so many promises of Christ-oriented abundant life in the Bible, that somehow we have overlooked it in our desperation to be somewhere in the future.

As I walked home from this meeting, I listened to my "theme song" (see "what's your theme?" post), and the combined effect of aforementioned conversation and said song, made me realise that even though I may think I place as much importance on "present Jesus" as I do "future Jesus", sometimes the former is overlooked. Prayertime is when it happens the most. Many times I ask for things that deal only with the future - "help me with this future thing / idea / plan / ambition etc" - whilst forgetting present issues.

Considering the impact of past events on present situations and feelings, surely we should place as much emphasis on praying for enough in the present as we do on praying for future things to come to pass.

If that makes sense.

How groovy is that??!!?!?!

2006-06-12T00:06:00.000Z

Last week the "Yewf" Dept of the SDA church in Scotland released a magazine produced for and by us (the young folks), named "The AYE". It's all jolly splendid, and I'm really pleased that the majority of contributions came from the Edinburgh church, including the layout and design of the magazine.

Gosh, we really are a jolly fine bunch!!

Here's a link:
http://www.sdascotland.com/the_aye/theaye.pdf

I made it!!! Part 2

2006-06-12T00:03:00.000Z

Yes I made it back to the UK with no major mishaps, only a roaring cold and an ever greater sleep defecit. No surprises there.

Portugal was jolly splendid, it's just a shame I didn't really take time to relax and enjoy being in the country, but then it was never supposed to be a holiday.

Photo's to follow (after the Swiss ones).

What's your theme?

2006-06-11T23:58:00.000Z

At the youth leadership training this weekend we discussed the inportance of music in the lives of young people, and how many perceive music as "providing the theme to their life". My mind wandered off onto its own little tangent for a while, and I pondered what song I would have as a theme... I came up with this one:

Here I Go Again - Whitesnake
(http://www.lyrics007.com/Whitesnake%20Lyrics/Here%20I%20Go%20Again%20Lyrics.html)

A dark side to the World Cup 2006

2006-06-01T19:11:00.000Z

Continuing on the theme of our German brethren and their intriguing social habits, I came across the following article outlining a sinister side to the land of proper beer and purple cows:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/germany/article/0,,1785750,00.html

Unusual occupation - further ponderings

2006-06-01T16:28:00.000Z

I checked out some other Lonely Planet phrasebooks to see if "Drag Queen" is to be found as a suggested response in other languages, which it isn't (see Unusual occupation post). Rather less interesting responses include "student", "bus driver", "teacher" and so on.

Another amusing phrase in the relationships section of the German book was a translation for "Before we go any further, I must be upfront. I am an accountant".

Clearly accounting is not a desirable occupation for a romantic partner where our Teutonic counterparts are concerned, though cross-dressing obviously is.

The mind boggles.

I made it!!!

2006-06-01T16:08:00.000Z

Well I arrived in Portugal, made my way from the airport in Lisbon to the Herbarium in the Jardim Botanico at the University of Coimbra (NE of Lisbon, about 2 hours by train), and didn't get lost once. Oh yeah, without a map, guidebook or mountain rescue team. It kind of helped that practically everybody here speaks perfect English, whilst I have to hang my head and admit that I don't speak a word of Portuguese. Or I didn't before I arrived... now I know about 3 words!

I can get by in a variety of languages, just not Portuguese. I thought that speaking Spanish to the locals may be a tad insulting, considering past tensions between the two countries, but most young Portuguese are very proud that they can understand Spanish with little or no instruction, though the same cannot be said of the opposite.

Well I have actually been working since arriving, despite the general opinion of most people who heard I was going to be here for just over a week. Yes the weather is lovely, yes the city of Coimbra is beautiful (and very old), and yes the food is fab (espresso is only 50 cents!) but there is work to be done. I'll be heading off to Portugal's highest mountain tomorrow - Serra de Estrela, a modest 1993m above sea level - to return on Wednesday for a bit of R&R before heading back to Edinburgh on Friday.

Alas I won't be able to visit church, but I'll be out wandering about in the sticks over the weekend, so I guess that will be fair compensation.

Pictures to follow (I haven't forgotten about the Swiss ones, I just didn't have time to fetch them before I left Scotland).

Oh, and the chaps are rather dishy here as well!

Yet another jolly

2006-05-30T08:59:00.000Z

This time it's Portugal. I'm off collecting specimens as part of my Master's project.
(<----- this is what I'm after)

Such a hard life us botanists have. No seriously. It's very challenging to go out to warm Southern European countries wandering about the mountains looking at the native vegetation... pictures to follow!

Not just the chocolate

2006-05-24T22:06:00.000Z

A recent advertising campaign by the Swiss Tourist Office, aimed at German football widows (pending commencement of World Cup), shows a variety of hunky Swiss dudes engaging in a variety of "traditional Swiss occupations", with a rather interesting voice-over. Check out the link:

http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/travel/detail/Football_widows_give_Swiss_hunks_thumbs_up.html?siteSect=411&sid=6668198&cKey=1146301503000

Having said that, Switzerland has recently qualified for the World Cup, which may render Swiss men as unavailable as their German counterparts. In lieu of a hunky chap to while away the hours, ladies may have to resort to a more reliable form of indulgence: chocolate. The men are incredibly dishy (to which I can attest), but NOTHING beats the chocolate!

Cuckoo clocks are not Swiss...

2006-05-22T19:36:00.000Z

As I discovered, though they are a lot more expensive to buy there than in their homeland of Germany.

Most things are not as expensive as I have been led to believe, though living in the UK this doesn't really surprise me. Eating out, going to the cinema, and shopping are expensive in comparison, but generally the cost of living is the same or cheaper. The standard of living is much better, with excellent public transport and very clean streets - typical Germanic country.

The beer wasn't so good, but with Germany only a stone's throw away, who cares?
And I didn't come across any drag queens, though a reliable (German) source thinks Cologne is the place to go.

Pictures to follow shortly (of Zurich, not the drag queens).

Unusual occupation

2006-05-15T11:06:00.000Z

So yesterday I went to WHSmith to buy a travel guide to Switzerland (see earlier post), and whilst out I thought it a good idea to purchase a German phrasebook. Loney Planet was my brand of choice, as I've used them before, and found them to be full of useful and intriguing phrases.

As with most other phrase books it contained such things as "where is the post office?", "how much does that cost?", and "I don't understand". The hobbies and interests section gave the fairly standard conversation starter of "what is your occupation?", with the less-than standard suggested response of "I am a Drag Queen". Or maybe this IS the standard response in German-speaking regions...?

Hard life, being a botanist...

2006-05-14T23:26:00.000Z

On Wednesday I'm heading off to Switzerland for a few days to see a man about a PhD - not just any PhD, but one that I've been dreaming of (and working my butt off for) for the past five or so years.

It's at the Institute for Systematic Botany in Zurich, and will focus on a genus of South African plants, which will mean spending time on the Cape of South Africa. How awful... ;)
Seriously, these kinds of projects don't fall out of the sky every few minutes.

The only downside if I get this PhD, is that I'll be leaving Edinburgh, my church, and the youth that I've been attempting to "lead" for the past few months. I can't say I'm looking forward to that day, should it arrive, which it must sooner or later. So far, suitable PhD projects have failed to materialise in Edinburgh. Oddly, I also feel that I need to leave in order to return. All sounds a bit wierd, doesn't it?

I've prayed about this, and I guess that if it comes off, it's part of God's plan for my life (which is the way I have chosen to live). Living according to His will brings great blessings, but also many sacrifices. The time has come for me to settle into a church for real and make a proper committment. It's been so long since I payed tithe, and made substantial offerings etc. There is so much that I want to do in the church, but the transitory nature of my life over the past few years has made this difficult.

Wherever I find myself, I know that God hasn't finished with me yet... and if Switzerland DOES happen for me, I may end up writing this in Swiss-German!

Nice weather for it...!

2006-05-14T23:20:00.000Z

After the service at church on Saturday, the young folk of t' kirk went to the nearby botanic garden for a wander, and to "ooh" and "ahh" at the plants. As it's my place of study, and very close to the heart of my cockles, I love taking people there. Especially the youth. They enjoyed it too.

Afterwards we played a few games in the park across the way, and eventually retired to someone's house for closing Sabbath, pizza, and DVD's (Kung Fu Hustle - hilarious; Legend of Zorro - watchable and fun). Dirty stop-out that I am, I eventually got home and crawled into bed at 3.30am. Time well spent, in my humble opinion.

Belizean creepy-crawlies

2006-05-12T20:36:00.000Z

Ickle green shpider

"I was lookin' at you... you were lookin' at me..."

Scaly McScalerson gives us the eye

Darn, if that ain't the biggest... one of them!

Just bend your head to the right a bit...

Around Belize

2006-05-12T20:21:00.000Z

A very charming river

Leguminosae (but which one...?)

Part of the Mayan ruins at Caracol

A rather cute little lizard (the forest was full of them)

I took this swinging from the treetops (if you believe that...!)

Ah'll sithee, yewf! Part 2

2006-05-10T15:29:00.000Z

Our Youth Day of Fellowship at the weekend went well - not without a hitch, but relatively smoothly. I spent most of the time running around like a headless chicken, and didn't really relax until the afternoon; fortunately I had some very calm people around me, who were able to sooth my worried state. Time and experience will make a difference, I'm sure.

The youth who presented items were exceptional! My vision of how things would go was different to how they went, but they went... and as I've learned from past experiences, God answers prayers in a variety of ways - many times preferring His own method of delivery and execution (execution in the figurative sense). It was great to see everyone "doing their bit", and made all the stress, heartaches and emotional rollercoaster ride all worth it. I may just carry on being a youth leader a little while longer...

There and back - a botanist's tale

2006-05-07T17:51:00.000Z

As part of the MSc I'm studying for, we were taken to Belize for two weeks of rice, beans and plant collecting (see earlier post for gurkhas). Needless to say, it was intense - working from sunrise to long after sunset, with only a couple of afternoons off for resting (or catching up with other work).

Central American tropical forests are an entomologists dream, some benign, some with a license to suck your blood until you shrivel, AND leave oozing pustules of itchy nastiness in their wake. The ticks were the most fun - never underestimate the bonds that can be formed by performing "tick checks" on your colleagues...
The plants were pretty good too.