Too much monkey business

[Mock Turtle]

Dabbling at this and that

Some years ago, I became interested in and curious about World Radio transmissions, and since I had the money, I bought a Kenwood R5000 General Coverage receiver, which with additions cost around £1000. I fixed up a long-wire aerial down to the end of our rather narrow garden at my flat, which seemed to be adequate for most use. I had many happy hours scouring all the various frequencies for any of the worldwide national radio stations and all the various other transmissions, such as shipping traffic - the French accent of one female announcer was especially appealing. I even went to the trouble of writing some software for my Amstrad 6128 computer so that the computer could control the radio, and record transmissions at any time on to my Ferrograph tape recorder via recording time settings. I would certainly recommend this radio, as it did as much as I wanted, and had quite decent sound - but for the cost so it should. It was my first such radio though so I had little to compare it with.

The Amstrad 6128 was one of the better home computers around at the time, being one of the few that used disk storage, albeit using a rather odd format, whilst the BASIC language supplied was quite functional, and also seemed to be quite versatile. I also wrote a rudimentary language learning program for the Amstrad, and although I had a few games to play, I was more interested in the more useful applications for the computer. One can only laugh now at the pitiful 128 KB of memory of the 6128, when the computer this document is written on has 8 GB.

When I was younger I used to regularly read New Scientist, Scientific American, Science Journal, Practical Wireless, Practical Mechanics, and New Statesman, along with many others. And in some of the electrical and electronic magazines there were often little projects to do - many of which I made, since I soon acquired a collection of electrical components. On Tottenham Court Road in London then, close to where I worked, there were many army surplus shops having such things, and it was fun to make something that actually worked even if it wasn't used much - like a signal generator, for example. Also, in those days, an electrical diagram for a car was rather simpler than now and easy to fault-find when necessary. Probably not so now. My minimal electrical skills did come in handy at work sometimes when we had to make some small control boxes for tests we were carrying out - and a lot cheaper than buying anything.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Brooklands, the first purpose-built race circuit, 1907, beating Indianapolis by a few years. The banking still exists in places (as high as 9m), and I have stood on it, after finding a way in via the housing estate next door - but that was a long time ago.

No doubt the racing was exciting - and the track a bit lumpy it appears from this photo.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Found this photo on the internet - a 1935 Riley Imp - and it was this particular car I photographed in the early 1960's amongst many others. I took lots of pics of this car and gave some to the owner then, for which I got a ride in the car. It apparently has been owned by a female for the last several decades - kept it well.

 

[Mock Turtle]

The big lesson in life, baby, is never be scared of anyone or anything. (Frank Sinatra)

Jordan Peterson was on our TV this morning, and having just finished reading number one of his 12 Rules for Life, I am certainly placing him up there with the likes of Steven Pinker and John Gray as being a smart cookie - he just makes so much sense. On the programme, he mentioned that courage is often the biggest problem in overcoming our problems. I tend to agree, and perhaps my attraction to so many quite dangerous outdoor pursuits was pointing to where my problems lay, in not addressing the issues that were causing my problems, and my lacking the courage to confront these. I just don't know how one would instil such courage into people though - and any abilities I gained from such activities rarely transferred into any appropriate areas.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Belief is everything

Why might some believe in any particular religion, apart from the indoctrination aspect, it making sense, or where the pressure to conform might just be the larger issue? A little historical perspective.

Asking the initial question - Is there a supreme being that created us and possibly the rest of existence? To even ask this question, we might presume that any individual would have a fair understanding of some of the things that happen in their lives and in the surrounding environment, otherwise they might be just guessing that such was the case. For example, I doubt many of us would think that a mouse could have any such thoughts. A mouse might ponder the fact that there are undoubtedly many other creatures much more powerful than itself, but I doubt they would ever place them in the role of creator, if a mouse could actually think like this, which is doubtful anyway.

In contrast, we might look at a few of the primate species, such as bonobos or gorillas (our closest relatives genetically speaking), and it might not be that fanciful to imagine that a few of these do perhaps wonder at things with more import than their immediate existence. Again, we have no evidence that bonobos do actually think at all like us, but we do know that they seem to exhibit behaviour which we would call moral behaviour, so they are not necessarily just reacting to events but most likely do contemplate what to do before acting - some of the time. Are they ever likely to concern themselves with creator issues? Again, I doubt it, since their knowledge of the world outside of their local environment will be rather limited. They have few predators, and possibly it is only when they come into contact with humans that they might witness the disparity in power between us and them. Would they even think about this if they even recognise this fact?

I think it is this notion of disparity in power that might evoke the creator thinking, and perhaps why religions tend to form in most societies when they get to a certain size and sophistication. Humans, or proto-humans, at some stage will have pondered the reality that is our sun, whether it was a different one rising each day or the same sun, and about such things as thunder and lightning, since these will have been as common long ago as they are now. Earthquakes too will have existed, along with volcanoes, hurricanes, and flooding of course. All of these things are so much more powerful in their effects than any human action. So, earlier humans will have seen and experienced much more than any other animal species probably, and will have been as powerless then as we often are today. Hence, the seeds for believing in something much more powerful than humans were in our environment, especially as we migrated to new areas to inhabit.

It does seem that our ancestors did ascribe intent or agency to some of this phenomena, so perhaps paving the way for god or gods. What did change over time was the progress made in our thinking skills, in tool use, and in finding solutions to problems, which will no doubt have affected how we thought about other issues, such as the forces of nature mentioned. Hence, our early ancestors might have attributed meaning to these things, which almost certainly accounts for the early sun-worship that some indulged in doing. The sun, as now, enables many to survive at all, so the benevolent nature of the sun will have been recognised, just as we welcome it each day still. And it would not be a huge step from here in postulating that a creator, or controlling being, was also involved in the lives of humans, even their creation and what they could or could not do. It is in our nature, as humans, to find meaning in all sorts of things, often when there isn’t any, so the previous will have been more likely even when our knowledge was so limited.

Further to this, I think it quite likely that internal processes, the hearing of voices, for example, which is still very common, and often not viewed as being particularly unusual, will have played a role too. Although most people will recognise any such voices as just being part of their own brain activity and not something to especially ponder, many do not appear to recognise this and often feel that their origins are external to themselves or coming from another part of themselves - a split personality, as in schizophrenia, for example. It might be quite obvious then that some of these internal voices could be attributed to a god or other spiritual presence, which apparently still does happen, given that many people do claim to have heard from some divine source and even held conversations with such. As a non-believer of course I view such things as preposterous, and would account for such voices purely as being misinterpretations of our own mind processes. The act of prayer here might facilitate such things happening, especially when enacted so regularly throughout the day as some religions require. Julian Jaynes book, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, might have something to say regarding the effects of our own mind processes, and even if his hypothesis is incorrect, it is a good read and full of interesting points.

So, for me, the inability to assess external processes beyond our power to control or even understand, combined with our own internal mind processes and lack of understanding concerning these, were the two things that either together or on their own caused false explanations and beliefs to thrive, which ultimately resulted in the formation of so many religions. Whatever benefits they might have had over the ages, if any, is debatable, but surely we don’t need them now, especially when we know they often cause as much friction and separation from others when without them this would be less likely. And if we accept their dubious origins then it is even less acceptable to continue believing such stuff. Surely our lives should be based on and in truth rather than in fiction.

Any intelligent person knows that those long ago, when religions were founded, had very limited knowledge compared with today, so why do they believe that what was apparently recorded then is entirely truthful? What stumps me is why any religious person would not be concerned by the sheer number of religions, when these cause so much friction, and where a creator apparently has no power to intervene. And any who think that their particular religion is the one are just beyond a joke. Where is their reasoning?

The following quote come from a book describing the wretched journey that psychiatry has made over the last few centuries, where many mistakes were made in our understanding of the human mind and human behaviour, and which of course is far from complete, but certainly has progressed: “Nobody had the slightest idea why some patients believed God was talking to them, others believed that God had abandoned them, and still others believed they were God.” So, why not just take God out of the equation - life would be a lot simpler and less prone to such mistakes if we truly believed that our lives were solely in our hands and we acted accordingly. I truly believe that religion has been the worst thing that humans have created. - as previously argued.

 

[Mock Turtle]

2017, May 22nd, Manchester

My God will repair my blown apart body,
My God will know I have fulfilled my mission,
My God will forgive my killing of the innocent,

My God! I'm an idiot! Where is everybody?

Boko Haram, ISIS, and all the other rather bloodthirsty incarnations of fundamentalist Islamic belief (apparently) seem to be doing sterling service in advertising Islam as currently the religion to avoid. Well done chaps, but such butchery has been common in the past (insert various religions here), and just as unsuccessful. Keep it up, you morons, perhaps we will be thanking you in a few decades for a fall in the popularity of your religion (bonus for me since I want to see a fall in all religions), although just laughing at such primitive beliefs might achieve the same result - in the style of - Bloody caliphates! What have they ever done for us? - or parodying them on the internet:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...g-militants-look-struggling-sing-karaoke.html

The bomb attack at the Ariana Grande concert in May 2017 typifies the lack of respect for human life that these morons seem to have, knowingly targeting young children, and no doubt convincing themselves that this is justified by deaths elsewhere. Well, we will see how far their barbarity gets them, and I can’t see them lasting long because of this one aspect. They might think that their strict interpretations (if they even do this) of the Qur'an will gain them supporters but only a fool would believe this, particularly when most people are quite reasonable and would rather live in a reasonable world, not one dictated by endless rules and strictures. What a bunch of nutters! Publishing their gruesome videos on the internet just seals their fate, since we won’t be having any claims that it was all just propaganda from their enemies. If anything has the seeds of its own destruction plainly shown for all to see it is fundamentalist Islam, since its opposition to female rights and to children having an equal education is against an unstoppable force. Perhaps those who initiated Boko Haram were thinking the sound of the name alone, a bit like the French Beaucoup Harem (many female sex slaves), would be enough to grab the attention and desires of the gullible and ill-educated - French being widely spoken in many African countries. They certainly seem to be living up to the premise. It’s a wonder there are any artifacts or religious buildings from the past still in reasonable condition, given the predilection of many militant proselytisers to destroy anything deemed of value to rival religions or factions.

Pinpricks in history are such.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/wh...ster-concert-review-ariana-grandes-show-bold/

She hosted rather than starred in this concert but everything she did radiated sensitivity and emotion. In a baggy One Love sweatshirt and shapeless leggings, she thoughtfully left the sexy costumes and cat ears behind, and showed she doesn't need them. Grande has the vocal chops of a proper soul diva while her fluid and sensuous R'n'B pop mix has a sophistication that suggests she will mature as a performer. Importantly, she was not cowed by the attack at her concert, and has responded with a fortitude and love for her fans that has been inspirational. She seemed genuinely moved to be back in Manchester, and Manchester was certainly delighted to have her. Her tremulous, intense performance of Somewhere Over The Rainbow was the perfect conclusion to a bold, audacious, heartfelt and triumphant night.

She didn't put a foot wrong, so no complaints there, even if such music is not to my taste, and very courageous of her, since the prospect of it being quite painful for her was always there. An example to all - as no doubt would be the victims - most of whom were women or children.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Seems I'm not done with my reasons to be opposed to religions (always one more ):

31. Intrinsic motivation versus extrinsic motivation: Another possible reason against religions - in the morality and behaviour arena - is where intrinsic motivation to do good and behave better towards others, because one just believes this to be better for oneself and others, seems to be more effective overall than extrinsic motivation, where this might be coming from imposed rules or codes of behaviour, and where autonomy, competence, and relationships with others probably is better when derived from such than in the latter case.

 

[Mock Turtle]

The varieties of sexual experience

Although I know that there are many different varieties of adult pornography catering for all interests available on the internet, I have not gone out of my way to seek any of these intentionally, and rarely do any of these arouse me if I stumble across them by accident. Some of the pseudo rape scenarios can be arousing, but I don’t think I have ever come across any genuine ones, and I don’t particularly wish to see them either. Violence is not something that arouses me at all, and generally sickens me. I am sometimes surprised by the numbers of people on forums admitting to having very violent sexual fantasies concerning the worst forms of rape and violence towards others, and who seem to think that their fantasies will never spill over into any actions. I doubt all can be that sure.

The innocent or victim aroused to sexual passion can be erotic, and sexually arousing, as in the film Straw Dogs (1971 - and banned for 15 years in the UK), where this was actually rape, but mostly they aren’t. This film, when first seen, prompted me to jokingly say at the time that it was a very moving rape scene, since it did inevitably cause arousal, as did the film The Lover, with an even more attractive young Jane March, just 17 when filming began apparently. I defy any male not to be aroused by this film, and it is based upon true events in the life of the author, Marguerite Duras, when she was just 15-years-old and living in Indochina. Although there was some willingness on the part of Duras to become sexually involved with an older man, many would point out that grooming and seduction were probably major factors here. I think she detailed some of this in her book The Sea Wall, besides the book L'Amant. Some extracts from the article below:

https://web.archive.org/web/20091010101934/http://www.tls.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,25341-2647842,00.html

Marguerite Duras’s life story is well known, having provided the material for so much of her fiction. She was born in 1914 in Gia Dinh, Vietnam. Both her parents were teachers; her father died in 1921. Her early years were peripatetic; her mother eventually settled with her three children, in 1925, in Cambodia, building a house on a rice plantation that was four hours away from the nearest village. Subsequent years were spent paying for this house and seeking further funds to build a dam to protect their constantly flooded paddies. Duras went to study in Saigon at the age of fifteen and two years later, in 1931, left for Paris. The “Cahiers rose marbré”, the first notebooks in the collection, provide an account of this adolescence, written like a journal entry. It is notable just how much autobiography is present in her novels, especially in Un Barrage. Like her protagonist, Suzanne, we learn of a first relationship with a rich, indigenous man. There follow the beatings at the hands of her mother and elder brother. It wasn’t an unhappy period, it was savage, and Duras retells it through simple documentation, seemingly in an attempt better to make sense of her frame of mind at the time: “I believed what they called me. I don’t any more. I suffered like I was damned . . . enduring it like it was my fate”. The young Duras seems to have been utterly alone, idolizing her unpredictable mother, indifferent to anyone else. Smiling, she explains, was unknown in their home, where the mood was either hilarity or rage. Not before the move to Saigon did Duras start to see an alternative to this.

After completing her studies in Law at the École de Sciences Politiques in Paris, Duras joined the Resistance, becoming secretary of her local cell in 1944. She sold L’Humanité and was a journalist for Libres, though by 1949 she had terminated her membership of the PCF after unceremonious allegations and internal disputes. In more oblique form, these events also appear in Cahiers de la guerre.

In these notebooks one can observe a nascent writer at work, someone compelled to write in order to make sense of her thoughts and experiences; “the words to describe my feelings seem to me non-existent ... I would like to take distance from [my memories], push back their absorbing reality”. Duras is most insightful on motherhood, both her own experience of it and her relationship with her mother. Her account of the death of her first child is retold in two forms: it appears as a short story and as a dialogue between herself and one of the (nun) nurses. We see how one literary style can trump another, as the conversation form presents an especially devastating portrait – “Here, we burn the dead babies. Now you know. Sleep” / “Why did you tell me that? You could have lied, you told me because I said earlier that you could stuff your prayers. You should never have told me that”. Written as dialogue, the experience is even more stark; all one reads is the blunt exchange between two people as the world it existed in is kept out, left as a blank to focus our attention on the horror of the experience and Duras’s cold treatment at the hands of the nuns.

One has to wonder as to the effects of such sexual scenes on TV and in film on behaviour over the years when for quite a few decades it seems that much was rather gratuitous and there to gain notoriety or to shock. But then one might be accused of plain old censorship of reality if such scenes were never shown and left to the imagination - which might make them even more erotic and effective at influencing us. The film A Clockwork Orange, with a similar amount of sex and violence was also released in 1971 and similarly banned for some time. The book upon which it was based was perhaps even more controversial, and could hardly be filmed entirely accurately at the time or ever (like Lolita), given the young age of two of the victims of Alex's drug-fuelled rape - referred to as 'young women' in the Wiki article when they were supposedly 10-years-old in the book.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Dreams (and nightmares) are made of this

As no doubt mentioned earlier, I did have plans at one time to sail around the world, either solo or with any others foolish enough to join me. A few of the sources for some of the information necessary to achieve this are given below - but possibly a bit dated now.

Bernard Moitessier (April 10, 1925 – June 16, 1994) was a sailor, most notable for his participation in the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, the first round the world yacht race. With the fastest circumnavigation time towards the end of the race, Moitessier was the likely winner for the fastest voyage, but he elected to continue on to Tahiti and not return to the start line in England, rejecting the idea of the commercialization of long distance sailing. He was a French national born and raised in Vietnam, then part of French Indochina.

Most of his books are well worth reading, as he has a unique pedigree for being the epitome of the long-distance lone yachtsman. He also was one of the few who placed his faith in steel-hulled yachts - for their ability to withstand much abuse. More than enough adventure in his life I think.
Recommended books - The Long Way, Sailing to the Reefs, A Sea Vagabond's World, and Cape Horn: The Logical Route.

Lin and Larry Pardey are sailors and writers, known for their small boat sailing. The Pardeys have sailed over 200,000 miles together, circumnavigating the world both east-about and west-about, and have published numerous books on sailing.

As sailing couples go, these probably will be the ones to go to for any knowledge concerning the cruising lifestyle - the mileage is evidence of that, and so much good advice in all their books. Most of their sailing was done in yachts around 30' in length, so quite small for long-distance sailing.
Recommended books - The Care and Feeding of Sailing Crew, The Capable Cruiser, Cost Conscious Cruiser, Storm Tactics Handbook, and Self-Sufficient Sailor.

Steve and Linda Dashew are another sailing couple who again have a wealth of experience, in boats up to 50', and again have written many useful books on yacht cruising.
Recommended books - The Circumnavigator's Handbook, The Mariner's Weather Handbook, and especially Surviving The Storm: Coastal and Offshore Tactics.

Miles and Beryl Smeeton: In 1951, the Smeetons bought the 46' Bermudan ketch Tzu Hang on a visit to England. They returned on the boat to British Columbia, learning to sail on the way. In 1955 they sold the farm and sailed on Tzu Hang for Australia. In December 1956 Miles and Beryl departed Melbourne on Tzu Hang to visit Clio at school in England, intending to follow the old clipper route. The journey would take them eastbound around Cape Horn, a voyage that at that time had very rarely been accomplished in small boats. They were accompanied on the boat by a young friend, the Englishman John Guzzwell, who had been circumnavigating the world in his self-made boat on a voyage later recounted in his book Trekka, as well as by their Siamese cat, Pwe. Approaching Cape Horn, the yacht was pitch-poled by a rogue wave. Beryl, who had been on the helm, was tossed from the boat and injured. Tzu Hang was dismasted, partially submerged, and the topsides were severely damaged, but the three sailors managed to sail the damaged vessel to Chile, where extensive repairs were undertaken. In 1957, a year later, Miles and Beryl departed again to round Cape Horn. However, in approximately the same position, beset by storms, another dismasting took place. Again, they managed to make the coast of Chile, and Tzu Hang was shipped to England for repairs. These adventures were published in their acclaimed cruising book, Once is Enough. After repairing the vessel, they made a multi-year east-about circumnavigation. In 1968, they again attempted Cape Horn, west-about, and successfully rounded.

Cape Horn for sailors perhaps has as much notoriety as some mountains do for mountaineers - the Smeetons I'm sure just love the place.
Recommended books - The Misty Islands, Sunrise to Windward, and Once Is Enough.

Eric Charles Hiscock MBE (14 March 1908 – 15 September 1986) was a British sailor and author of books on small boat sailing and ocean cruising. Together with his wife and crew Susan Oakes Hiscock MBE (née Sclater, 18 May 1913 – 12 May 1995), he authored numerous accounts of their short cruises and world circumnavigations, accomplished over several decades. His works also include several technical how-to books on sailing and ocean cruising and a film made on board Wanderer III entitled Beyond The West Horizon.

No list would be complete without a mention of Hiscock. Recommended books - Cruising Under Sail and Voyaging Under Sail (often combined).

Jimmy Cornell: An accomplished sailor and successful author, Jimmy Cornell has sailed over 200,000 miles in all oceans of the world including three circumnavigations as well as voyages to Antarctica, Patagonia, Alaska, Greenland, Arctic Canada and Spitsbergen. Thousands of sailors have fulfilled their dream of blue water cruising with the help of Jimmy Cornell’s books, among them the international bestseller World Cruising Routes. Now in its 7th edition, and with 200,000 copies sold to date, this is one of the best selling nautical publications in the world.

Perhaps has sailed to more diverse locations than many others, including three circumnavigations as mentioned.
Recommended books - World Cruising Handbook, World Cruising Survey, and World Cruising Routes.

The next four all relate the nightmare side of sailing - when things go wrong.

John Caldwell: In May 1946 John Caldwell set out to sail from Panama to Sydney to reunite with his wife who he hadn't seen for more than a year. Eager to reach his destination and unable to secure any other form of transport, he had to resort to singlehanded seamanship. After an ignominious scene in the harbor, where a tangled anchor led him to take an early dip, he spent ten days learning the rudiments of navigation and sailing from a book, before embarking on the 9,000 mile journey aboard the 20-foot Pagan. Ahead lay a mission that was to reveal in him elements not only of astounding courage and determination, but also of incredible foolhardiness. Within 500 miles of Panama John Caldwell had already been shipwrecked once and had his boat's engine and cockpit destroyed by an angry shark. Indefatigable, he decided to press on towards his goal.He endured the terrors and discomforts of life on the high seas and enjoyed the triumphs of fighting and winning against the elements. This is more than an exciting tale of sea-adventure. It is as compelling and unpredictable as a thriller. It is the story, witty and moving, of a man, motivated initially by love, and ultimately by his own fierce determination to survive.

Desperate Voyage (his recounting of the above), not a book to be missed - if one wants to avoid such things.

Steven Callahan (born 1952) is an American author, naval architect, inventor, and sailor noted for having survived for 76 days adrift on the Atlantic Ocean in a liferaft. Callahan recounted his ordeal in the best-selling book Adrift: 76 Days Lost At Sea (1986), which was on The New York Times best-seller list for more than 36 weeks.

Another tale of courage and endurance.

Dougal Robertson (and family): On 27 January 1971, Robertson departed from Falmouth, England on board the Lucette, a 43-foot wooden schooner built in 1922 which the family had purchased in Malta with their life's savings. He was accompanied by his wife Lyn, daughter Anne, son Douglas, and twin sons Neil and Sandy. Over the next year and a half, they sailed across the Atlantic, stopping at various ports of call in the Caribbean. Anne retired from the voyage in the Bahamas. During their transit of the Panama Canal, the family members took aboard an inexperienced crew member named Robin Williams, who was to accompany them on the next segment of their voyage to the Galápagos Islands and beyond to the islands of the South Pacific. On 15 June 1972, Lucette was holed by a pod of killer whales and sank approximately 200 miles west of the Galapagos Islands. The group of six people on board escaped to an inflatable life raft and a solid-hull dinghy with little in the way of tools or provisions. Using the dinghy as a towboat powered by a jury-rigged sail, the group made its way towards the doldrums, hoping to find rain there so they could collect drinking water. They did so successfully, while catching turtles, dorado, and flying fish to eat. The inflatable raft became unusable after 16 days, so the six people crowded into the three-metre long dinghy with their supplies. They then continued to use the wind and current to their advantage, moving to the northeast towards Central America. By their 38th day as castaways, they had stored dried meat and fresh water in such quantities that they intended to begin rowing that night to speed their progress. However, they were sighted and picked up that day by the Japanese fishing trawler Tokamaru II on her way to the Panama Canal. Robertson, who had been keeping a journal in case they were rescued, recounted the ordeal in the 1973 book Survive the Savage Sea, which served as the foundation for the 1991 film of the same name. The story was revisited in his son Douglas' book The Last Voyage of the Lucette.

Again, some good books relating to sea survival.

Maurice and Maralyn Bailey: The Baileys' journey began when they left Southampton, England, in their 31-foot (9.4 m) yacht Auralyn. Their intended destination was New Zealand. They passed safely through the Panama Canal in February and were on their way to the Galapagos Islands. At dawn on 4 March 1973, their yacht was struck by a whale and severely damaged. After transferring some supplies to an inflated life raft and dinghy and salvaging some food, a compass, and other supplies, the Baileys watched as Auralyn disappeared beneath the waves. To survive, they collected rainwater and when their meager food supplies ran out, began eating sea creatures such as turtles, seabirds and fish caught by hand or with safety pins fashioned into hooks. As they drifted in the open Pacific, the couple saw seven different ships, but were unable to attract these ships' attention since their signal flares failed and their emergency kit did not contain a signalling mirror. Their life raft began to disintegrate and required frequent reinflation. They read and played card games early in their ordeal, but later the Baileys suffered terribly from malnutrition and friction-induced sores, the latter worsening due to the wet conditions in the raft. They encountered sharks and dolphins and had to endure several severe storms. After traveling some 1,500 miles (2,400 km), the Baileys were rescued by the crew of the South Korean fishing boat Weolmi 306 on 30 June 1973. Sailors on the ship spotted the raft after initially passing it by. The couple was brought aboard in an emaciated state, having lost some 40 pounds (18 kg) apiece and with their legs barely able to support their weight. Weolmi 306 brought them to Honolulu, Hawaii and to a fine welcome.

Their time at sea, 117 days, was exceptional (described in the book 117 Days Adrift), but apparently not a record by a long way.

All of the above, very enjoyable to read in the comfort of one's armchair, whilst not having to do any of this.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Aspects of the nightmare

The reality of long-distance yacht cruising, unless quite lucky and/or sticking close to the shore for much of the time, might be seen in the following - rogue waves or heavy seas:

(from You've Never Seen Waves Like This Before)

No wonder so many lone sailors come to grief, what with the lack of sleep and perhaps a breakage or two, when heavy weather lasts even a few days. And some get run down by larger ships because they are invariably not seen even if they have radar reflectors.

A wonderful life though - if a bit lonely.

 

[Mock Turtle]

And more issues with such cruising ...

Ship sheds 83 containers in rough seas

Some partly submerged containers pose a threat to leisure boats and commercial shipping. "They're 40-ft containers, they sit about a foot or two off the water. Even in the best of conditions they're difficult to spot, but at night and in a swell, almost impossible," Roads and Maritime Services executive director Angus Mitchell said.

There have been quite a few cases where cruising yachts have hit such, and holed, especially as at night they would never be seen, as mentioned. Besides such, there are often tree trunks washed out to sea and waiting for any unsuspecting sailor - I believe the Amazon estuary is one such place. One reason for having a steel hull.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Well, where was I ....

Not fed up with RF, just a little inconvenience cropping up ... like two broken ankles. Thus have had no internet access for a wee while.

From my hospital bed and crappy internet connection. Regards to all .. or most.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Hell and damnation!

Like Sartre, I think many of us know where Hell lies - in other people - and we have had such on our hospital ward for over a week. An elderly gentleman who seems to sleep all day and then awaken at night to release his stream of abuse to all within listening range - which essentially means all of us - concerning his hatred of himself, all others, life, etc.The staff of course get his ire almost every time they try to feed or minister to his needs. He probably has dementia plus something else but it is difficult to be compassionate when the only way to drown out his ravings is to have my headphones on as loud as possible playing all my favourite music - rapidly becoming my not-so-favourite music. Lack of sleep really gets to me.

Life was good once.

And don't get me started on NHS bedpans Like sittng on a frying pan with all the problems associated with such. They should have given me the commode chair option a lot earlier. And even there, they could make them deeper. Cor FM!

 

[Mock Turtle]

Having had plenty of time to do some reading, I will have to revise my views on Jordan Peterson's book, 12 Rules For Life, some good and some bad. But Robert Sapolsky's book, Behave, I have only praise for so far - it is long though, and quite detailed.

Behave by Robert Sapolsky review – why do we do what we do?

 

[Mock Turtle]

Finished the Sapolsky book - well worth reading. Now starting on The Bonobo and the Atheist by Frans de Waal.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Finished the Frans de Waal book, much like Behave in the appreciation of similarities between humans and other species, and of how morality just so obviously has come from evolution rather than religion. But, like the Peterson book, too much given to religions for our supposed progress.

I'm now out of hospital, but still wheelchair-bound for another four weeks apparently. Have some nice carers looking after me, and it seems I might even cope at home. So glad to be away from that ward - and one in particular - but also met some nice chaps - one around the same age so we share a musical appreciation of things past and none for things present. Also, another chap who has sailed as much as me too, so we had something in common there. Overall, not so bad, but I really do need to catch up on my sleep.

Don't ever break two things at once, as in ankles for me or in an arm and leg for some others - makes one so very incapable of doing the most basic of things.

PS Seeing so many having very much worse difficulties than myself does tend to emphasize how lucky I have been health-wise over the years.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Road Test (more House Test) of NHS wheelchair:

Not driven any others so hardly comparative, but, a list of changes suggested. No doubt many wheelchairs are much better than this particular model - for those using them for long periods or permanently - hope I never need this:

1. Have some velcro on removable cushion base so it doesn't tend to slide about when not wanted.
2. Have the brake levers lower - too easy to knock them off when exiting chair.
3. Make the push handles collapsible (as in other wheelchairs).
4. Use smaller front wheels (as in other wheelchairs), since they get in the way far too often when manoeuvring.
5. Perhaps have a more rugged tread pattern on the tyres for carpeted houses - like mine - since the wheels tend to slip all too easily.
6. Perhaps arrange for the foot supports to swing under the chair when not required rather than removing them. It can get quite tiresome having to do this constantly due to the narrow spaces and limited turning in many rooms. The folding to the outside is just too irritating.
7. Have some basic built-in storage for items to be carried - perhaps at back.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Some reminiscing about the old days in this thread - when ladders tended to be used before SRT (Single rope technique) became the norm:

Ladders Or SRT ? - Equipment - UK Caving

Quite a few pictures bringing back memories - when I was caving.

 

[Mock Turtle]

One has to be realistic

Will religion ever disappear?

Yet decline in belief seems to be occurring across the board, including in places that are still strongly religious, such as Brazil, Jamaica and Ireland. “Very few societies are more religious today than they were 40 or 50 years ago,” Zuckerman says. “The only exception might be Iran, but that’s tricky because secular people might be hiding their beliefs.”

No kidding, and perhaps the religious police might have something to do with this, and the oppressive regime?

The US, too, is an outlier in that it is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but also has high rates of religiosity. (Still, a recent Pew survey revealed that, between 2007 and 2012, the proportion of Americans who said they are atheist rose from 1.6% to 2.4%.)

Let's face it, the USA are contrary in many ways. Too many guns, too much smacking and spanking, and too much circumcision - apart from too much religion - oh, and being too right-wing.

But even if the world’s troubles were miraculously solved and we all led peaceful lives in equity, religion would probably still be around. This is because a god-shaped hole seems to exist in our species’ neuropsychology, thanks to a quirk of our evolution. Understanding this requires a delve into “dual process theory”. This psychological staple states that we have two very basic forms of thought: System 1 and System 2. System 2 evolved relatively recently. It’s the voice in our head – the narrator who never seems to shut up – that enables us to plan and think logically. System 1, on the other hand, is intuitive, instinctual and automatic. These capabilities regularly develop in humans, regardless of where they are born. They are survival mechanisms. System 1 bestows us with an innate revulsion of rotting meat, allows us to speak our native language without thinking about it and gives babies the ability to recognise parents and distinguish between living and nonliving objects. It makes us prone to looking for patterns to better understand our world, and to seek meaning for seemingly random events like natural disasters or the death of loved ones. In addition to helping us navigate the dangers of the world and find a mate, some scholars think that System 1 also enabled religions to evolve and perpetuate. System 1, for example, makes us instinctually primed to see life forces – a phenomenon called hypersensitive agency detection – everywhere we go, regardless of whether they’re there or not. Millennia ago, that tendency probably helped us avoid concealed danger, such as lions crouched in the grass or venomous snakes concealed in the bush. But it also made us vulnerable to inferring the existence of invisible agents – whether they took the form of a benevolent god watching over us, an unappeased ancestor punishing us with a drought or a monster lurking in the shadows.

But perhaps education might fill that hole too, since those more intelligent and/or educated seem less prone to having religious beliefs.

Add to that the fact that children typically follow their parents’ lead when it comes to whether or not they become religious adults themselves, and a completely secularised world seems ever more unlikely.

Especially when most probably don't even get a choice in this. Which is why religious education/indoctrination should be banned until kids are old enough to decide for themselves - preferably at age 30. But overall I don't think most atheists would see the end of religions as being likely in the near future, or perhaps ever, just a hope that their influences would be less and hence less likely to cause any future conflicts.

One must be realistic.

 

[Mock Turtle]

As mentioned above about Iran, are these females truly choosing what to wear, or are they being coerced:

Brave Muslim woman risks JAIL by ripping off hijab after cleric tells her to cover up