Got on the scales this morning and got a nasty shock. Yes, they were live.
No, that tightening of the shirt collar has a perfectly rational explanation - getting fatter.
What's surprising is the explanation. It's not that portion of french fried onions from the really good chipper run by the Derry woman in Falcarragh (probably the best fish and chips in the North West), the daily '99', the crisps or the occasional treat from the Journal vending machine.
Which? (aren't they a busy crew these days)has the explanation today -
Supermarket salads get a dressing down
If you think salad is always a healthy option, think again, says Which? as it found a salad sold at a supermarket containing more calories than a Big Mac and fries.
The consumer organisation bought a selection of 20 pre-packed salads on the high street.* It found Smedleys Atlantic Prawn Marie Rose Salad, £1.49 (300g), which was on sale at Morrisons, contained 855 calories and 66.3g fat, which is more than a McDonald’s Big Mac and medium fries and 70% of the fat a man should eat in a day.
Another unhealthy option was Asda Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad, £2 (297g), which contained 43g of fat, nearly as much as six Cadbury’s Creme eggs. Almost a quarter of the salad is made up of high-calorie dressing (13% mayonnaise, 10% Caesar dressing).
Mayonnaise or creamy sauces were often the reason many of the salads were so surprisingly high in calories and fat. Mayonnaise dressing was the second highest ingredient (27%) in an M&S Pasta with Tomato & Basil Chicken salad, £3.20 (380g), which had 760 calories and 46g fat.
Sainsbury’s Tomato & Basil Chicken salad, £2.95 (350g), was also comparatively high in fat. The label specified that it had no mayo but the ingredients list revealed that it contained egg yolk, oil and white wine vinegar - the same ingredients as mayonnaise.
Another potentially confusing label was on a Tesco Tuna Layered Salad. At a glance, it seems the salad contains 275 calories and 20.5g fat - but this is for half the pack. If you eat the whole 350g pack (a reasonable amount for one person), you would consume 550 calories and 41g fat.
Which? wants food companies to adopt one label so that shoppers can see at a glance levels of fat, sugar and salt. Definitive research by the Food Standards Agency shows that a combined label including traffic light colours, guideline daily amounts, grams of nutrients per portion and the words ‘high’, ‘medium’ and ‘low’ works best for consumers.
It’s not all bad news for salad lovers, though, as salads can contribute to their ‘five-a-day’. Sainsbury’s Rainbow Salad, £2.20 (215g), contains lots of vegetables and has soya beans and lentils, which are low in fat and a good source of protein. The dressing is on the side, so you can add as much or as little as you want. Another healthy option is Sainsbury’s Thai Chicken Noodle, £2.95 (260g), which also has the dressing in a separate container and is low in fat, salt and sat fat.
How to be good
Which? says -
Look for a salad with lots of different colours as it’s likely to have one or two of your ‘five a day’.
Look for salads that contain separate containers of dressing, as they allow you to add as much or as little as you want.
Salads that have a lot of cheese are often high in fat. Vegetarians looking for a lower fat option, go for something with pulses or beans.
And then have as many fish suppers and pints of Guinness as you like.
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Every parent's worst nightmare
It's one of life's great mottos - Be prepared. And not one for that time-honoured Irish response - Observe in the breach.
How ready are you to deal with something untoward happening to your child? New research from Elastoplast (who else?) suggests that 1 in 4 parents in the north have been in an emergency situation when they did not know how to help their child.
And answer this question - is it necessary to cover a small cut with a plaster?
I would have said 'no', having a vague notion that it's 'good to let the air at it'. Around 69% of parents have the same idea, but it seems the advice from St John's Ambulance is always to cover a cut to help prevent infection.
Another fact from the Elastoplast research - More than 87% of parents have taken their young child to A & E or had to call an ambulance - another record figure for Northern Ireland.
Elastoplast has made availabe a first aid for children resource at www.elastoplast.co.uk
Good for them.
Might be an idea to do another first aid course . .
How ready are you to deal with something untoward happening to your child? New research from Elastoplast (who else?) suggests that 1 in 4 parents in the north have been in an emergency situation when they did not know how to help their child.
And answer this question - is it necessary to cover a small cut with a plaster?
I would have said 'no', having a vague notion that it's 'good to let the air at it'. Around 69% of parents have the same idea, but it seems the advice from St John's Ambulance is always to cover a cut to help prevent infection.
Another fact from the Elastoplast research - More than 87% of parents have taken their young child to A & E or had to call an ambulance - another record figure for Northern Ireland.
Elastoplast has made availabe a first aid for children resource at www.elastoplast.co.uk
Good for them.
Might be an idea to do another first aid course . .
Now - perfect hair on the move
How did we ever survive without email? Just in -
Gripeze®… the hot new summer travel essential for 2009!
The summer season has arrived and you want to look good as you jet set off on holiday or socialise with work colleagues after a hard day in the office. Gripeze - the essential hot hair tools travel accessory allows you to straighten or curl wherever you go.
Gripeze is a heat resistant, non-slip silicone glitter mat. The mat allows you to straighten or curl your hair, then wrap the hair tool in the heat resistant mat, tie it with the band provided and put it straight into your bag or suitcase. You’ve no need to worry about causing heat damage to other items in the bag – perfect for travelling and when you’re on the go.
"People often ask me - how is your hair always so perfect despite your hectic lifestyle??" Mat yesterday
Gripeze®… the hot new summer travel essential for 2009!
The summer season has arrived and you want to look good as you jet set off on holiday or socialise with work colleagues after a hard day in the office. Gripeze - the essential hot hair tools travel accessory allows you to straighten or curl wherever you go.
Gripeze is a heat resistant, non-slip silicone glitter mat. The mat allows you to straighten or curl your hair, then wrap the hair tool in the heat resistant mat, tie it with the band provided and put it straight into your bag or suitcase. You’ve no need to worry about causing heat damage to other items in the bag – perfect for travelling and when you’re on the go.
"People often ask me - how is your hair always so perfect despite your hectic lifestyle??" Mat yesterday
You could be a victim of ID fraud
Yes, it's out there. Someone got hold of a neighbour's card details and PIN number somehow (perhaps through using a machine in exotic Buncrana) and she only found out about it when she discovered withdrawals in Poland on her statement. And she seemed to be having a fairly good time in Poland . .
She was out quite a bit of money for a few weeks, and then got it back from her bank. But be careful out there. Personally I always shield the banklink keyboard with a 500 euro note to help make their day.
Always found Which? magazine really good value in terms of pointing you in the right direction for goods and services, but somehow it's gone off my radar in recent times. Seems to be getting more pro-active now in terms of news releases, like this one from Tuesday -
One in five ID fraud victims not reimbursed
Most victims of identity fraud get their money back, but new research from Which? has found that one in five victims has not got the full amount back and in some cases their bank has refused to reimburse them at all.
According to the Which? survey, one in four people in Britain has been a target of identity fraud. People who have their identity stolen should get their money back unless their bank can prove they acted fraudulently or without reasonable care**.
When Which? member Iain Richardson had more than £2,000 stolen within 20 minutes of having his debit card stolen, Natwest turned down his fraud claim because his Pin was used to withdraw the cash. It said he must have been negligent, and when he appealed to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) it also turned down his case***.
Chip and Pin is the most secure method of payment, but Which? says that a fraudster can discover and use someone’s Pin by looking over their shoulder at a cashpoint before stealing the card, and is calling on the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to provide more detailed guidance on the evidence banks have to give in card fraud cases****.
Earlier this month, a judge ruled against a Halifax customer who wanted compensation for money taken from his account, because his Pin number had been used.
Card fraud at cash machines increased by 31% between 2007 and 2008, and around £609.9m was lost through card fraud last year.
Martyn Hocking, Editor, Which?, says:
“Identity fraud is inconvenient and stressful, and can also be costly if you’re unable to recover your losses. Fraudsters can be extremely clever and may need just a few details to access your accounts, but you can significantly reduce the risk of fraud if you’re vigilant. Most of us know that we shouldn’t write down our Pin, but we should also shred bank statements, be cautious about the passwords we use and think twice before posting personal details online.”
Tips and a video guide to beating ID fraud are at www.which.co.uk/identityfraud.
----------
* Which? surveyed 1,038 members of the public, representative of the GB population, online in May 2009.
** Under clause 12.12 of the Banking Code. Not taking reasonable care might include writing down or disclosing your personal identification number (Pin).
*** People should make a formal complaint to their bank in the first instance. If they’re not happy with the bank’s response they can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)free of charge. If FOS rejects the complaint, they can take the matter to court but they may have to pay for this course of action so should seek advice first.
**** When the Financial Services Authority (FSA) takes over retail banking regulation this November, Which? expects it to provide more detailed guidance on the evidence that should be provided by banks in card fraud cases. Which? will be making representations to the FSA as it develops its new role in the coming months, ensuring that the process is both fair and fully transparent for consumers.
www.which.co.uk
A Witch? yesterday
She was out quite a bit of money for a few weeks, and then got it back from her bank. But be careful out there. Personally I always shield the banklink keyboard with a 500 euro note to help make their day.
Always found Which? magazine really good value in terms of pointing you in the right direction for goods and services, but somehow it's gone off my radar in recent times. Seems to be getting more pro-active now in terms of news releases, like this one from Tuesday -
One in five ID fraud victims not reimbursed
Most victims of identity fraud get their money back, but new research from Which? has found that one in five victims has not got the full amount back and in some cases their bank has refused to reimburse them at all.
According to the Which? survey, one in four people in Britain has been a target of identity fraud. People who have their identity stolen should get their money back unless their bank can prove they acted fraudulently or without reasonable care**.
When Which? member Iain Richardson had more than £2,000 stolen within 20 minutes of having his debit card stolen, Natwest turned down his fraud claim because his Pin was used to withdraw the cash. It said he must have been negligent, and when he appealed to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) it also turned down his case***.
Chip and Pin is the most secure method of payment, but Which? says that a fraudster can discover and use someone’s Pin by looking over their shoulder at a cashpoint before stealing the card, and is calling on the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to provide more detailed guidance on the evidence banks have to give in card fraud cases****.
Earlier this month, a judge ruled against a Halifax customer who wanted compensation for money taken from his account, because his Pin number had been used.
Card fraud at cash machines increased by 31% between 2007 and 2008, and around £609.9m was lost through card fraud last year.
Martyn Hocking, Editor, Which?, says:
“Identity fraud is inconvenient and stressful, and can also be costly if you’re unable to recover your losses. Fraudsters can be extremely clever and may need just a few details to access your accounts, but you can significantly reduce the risk of fraud if you’re vigilant. Most of us know that we shouldn’t write down our Pin, but we should also shred bank statements, be cautious about the passwords we use and think twice before posting personal details online.”
Tips and a video guide to beating ID fraud are at www.which.co.uk/identityfraud.
----------
* Which? surveyed 1,038 members of the public, representative of the GB population, online in May 2009.
** Under clause 12.12 of the Banking Code. Not taking reasonable care might include writing down or disclosing your personal identification number (Pin).
*** People should make a formal complaint to their bank in the first instance. If they’re not happy with the bank’s response they can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)free of charge. If FOS rejects the complaint, they can take the matter to court but they may have to pay for this course of action so should seek advice first.
**** When the Financial Services Authority (FSA) takes over retail banking regulation this November, Which? expects it to provide more detailed guidance on the evidence that should be provided by banks in card fraud cases. Which? will be making representations to the FSA as it develops its new role in the coming months, ensuring that the process is both fair and fully transparent for consumers.
www.which.co.uk
A Witch? yesterday
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Butter knife blues
Mark Mearns was obviously off helping an old lady across the road the day they did table manners at school. Here's how he handles his butter knife -
Unfortunately it isn't his own head, according to the ITV report on Yahoo this afternoon -
Polish national Michal Ciesla, 28, was stabbed last August in Aberdeen by Mark Mearns, 35, when attempting to retrieve his money back from the latter's prostitute girlfriend after she refused to have sex with him.
At the High Court in Edinburgh, the judge, Lord Uist, gave Mearns - who has 140 convictions - a minimum sentence of three years and three months and a lifetime restriction order - meaning he will be supervised after his release.
Mearns had admitted assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and the danger of life.
His solicitor advocate, Iain Paterson, claimed his client wanted to stop his girlfriend selling her body to feed her heroin addiction.
But Lord Uist said Mearns had "contributed nothing to society" and was a "burden" for most of his life.
Unfortunately it isn't his own head, according to the ITV report on Yahoo this afternoon -
Polish national Michal Ciesla, 28, was stabbed last August in Aberdeen by Mark Mearns, 35, when attempting to retrieve his money back from the latter's prostitute girlfriend after she refused to have sex with him.
At the High Court in Edinburgh, the judge, Lord Uist, gave Mearns - who has 140 convictions - a minimum sentence of three years and three months and a lifetime restriction order - meaning he will be supervised after his release.
Mearns had admitted assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and the danger of life.
His solicitor advocate, Iain Paterson, claimed his client wanted to stop his girlfriend selling her body to feed her heroin addiction.
But Lord Uist said Mearns had "contributed nothing to society" and was a "burden" for most of his life.
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Trivial Pursuits
Have to admit I'm one of those people who don't watch the soaps, which is just as well as when I recently caught ten minutes of some Australian one in George and Bernie's house, I was almost hooked. Then another time recently there was a bit of drama going on as one surgeon was working on someone's brain, and his ex-partner was dealing with a baby at the other end - riveting . .
This all comes to mind because of a rather worrying development in today's emails. Georgina Jaggs (a name to die for in PR) writes to me personally (can't recall the occasion, but I feel sure I would have remembered) -
Dear Martin,
We are publishing ‘The Reality Television Quiz Book’.
Please see below 100 sample questions from the book.
I was wondering if you would provide a short comment on the book to be printed on the back cover, e.g. ‘A must for any TV fan, etc, etc. The deadline for comments will be the end of September 2009, but the sooner the better.
Eh?! So write the review - without even getting a free book? What's the world coming to . . .
Georgina pictured later this week in Helmand province
This all comes to mind because of a rather worrying development in today's emails. Georgina Jaggs (a name to die for in PR) writes to me personally (can't recall the occasion, but I feel sure I would have remembered) -
Dear Martin,
We are publishing ‘The Reality Television Quiz Book’.
Please see below 100 sample questions from the book.
I was wondering if you would provide a short comment on the book to be printed on the back cover, e.g. ‘A must for any TV fan, etc, etc. The deadline for comments will be the end of September 2009, but the sooner the better.
Eh?! So write the review - without even getting a free book? What's the world coming to . . .
Georgina pictured later this week in Helmand province
At last!
Hello sunshine – and a safer tan!
Hurray the sun is out – but before you prepare to soak up the rays, why not consider a safer tanning alternative with Velvotan™?
Velvotan™ is an ingenious self-tanning mitt which ensures you avoid those tell tale fake tanning signs of streaky skin and orange stained hands.
The mitt has a velvety smooth applicator and lotion-proof barrier to protect the hands and can be used with any self tan cream, lotion, mousse, spray or tinted moisturiser.
And, when you have finished, just pop it in the washing machine ready for your next safe tanning experience.
Velvotan™ applicator mitt is £2.99 and available from Superdrug and Tesco.
Ends
For more information contact Rachel Meagher or Pippa Clark at Target Public Relations on 01242 633100 or rachel.meagher@targetgroup.co.uk
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Blunkett attacked . . .
Not the most unusual headline for a politician, but this time the former Home Secretary was at the receiving end of the attentions of a large cow. It was attracted by his guide dog and ended up falling on his side, breaking a rib.
He told the 'Independent' - "I know that the public are furious with politicians but I didn't realise that anger has spread to Britain's cow population too. A few more inches and Labour would have been facing another unwelcome by-election in my Sheffield constituency."
Following on from Gordon Brown's remark about his wife's absence from an event in East London - "Don't worry she hasn't resigned" - Labour seems to have decided that humour could be the secret weapon to get them out of the hole ("Recession? We're on the session!!")
Out of it all, we have to thank Kevin Rawlinson at the Indo for unearthing the strange fact that cows are actually more dangerous than bulls - "Over the past eight years, 18 people have been killed and 481 injured by cows compared with 17 deaths by bulls and 123 injuries."
So if mad cow disease doesn't get you (or even swine flu), an actual mad cow might . . .
'So children remember - always take your sharpened knitting needle with you if you may encounter a cow'
He told the 'Independent' - "I know that the public are furious with politicians but I didn't realise that anger has spread to Britain's cow population too. A few more inches and Labour would have been facing another unwelcome by-election in my Sheffield constituency."
Following on from Gordon Brown's remark about his wife's absence from an event in East London - "Don't worry she hasn't resigned" - Labour seems to have decided that humour could be the secret weapon to get them out of the hole ("Recession? We're on the session!!")
Out of it all, we have to thank Kevin Rawlinson at the Indo for unearthing the strange fact that cows are actually more dangerous than bulls - "Over the past eight years, 18 people have been killed and 481 injured by cows compared with 17 deaths by bulls and 123 injuries."
So if mad cow disease doesn't get you (or even swine flu), an actual mad cow might . . .
'So children remember - always take your sharpened knitting needle with you if you may encounter a cow'
Friday, 5 June 2009
The Wow! factor
Another PR department pulling out all the stops in an email this morning -
RTÉ Television to keep viewers entertained throughout the summer
RTÉ Television to keep viewers entertained throughout the summer
Thursday, 4 June 2009
Alchemy - turning digression into an artform
It's time to get worried when it doesn't matter where in the world it happens, it has something to do with Derry or Donegal. Or both. This phenomenon is known as local journalism.
For instance, the US painter James Fitzgerald, not particularly well-known but worthy of note, and the writer John Steinbeck used to meet up in Ed Rickett's wooden house in Monterey. Both were part of the famous circle of friends and characters used as a basis for Steinbeck's book 'Cannery Row'. (I think the character of Henri the painter may have been based partly on James but can't remember for sure.)
So what's that got to do with the price of ointment? Well, we recently carried an article in the Journal about John Steinbeck's visit to the Derry area and his family roots in Eglinton. These links seem to have been pretty special for him.(Was reminded of the comments of Jim McLaughlin, Moville geographer, in his excellent introduction to his anthology 'Donegal - The Making of a Northern County' - "Even today people and places in Donegal often acquire the characteristics of urban myths. They are talked about, often by outsiders, city-dwellers and 'compulsive weekenders', in terms than render them infinitely more magical, and attractive, than the county's 'real places' and 'real people' could ever possibly be." Sort of like the alternative society that Steinbeck creates through Mack and the boys in 'Cannery Row'. Of course, before leaving the subject, we all know just how special Donegal and Derry people really are . . )
Meantime the art of James Fitzgerald has been the subject of an exhibition at the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny, and the Irish premiere of a documentary of his life was screened there on Sunday week in the presence of its director Frederick Lewis (thanks to the man himself, John Cunningham). And while it doesn't seem that James Fitzgerald had family connections with the North West, it did have a certain significance for him - he died of a heart attack on a visit to Arranmore Island in 1971. (He might have enjoyed the job description on the death cert - 'retired amateur artist'.) His expedition to Donegal may have come about through his friendship with the painter, traveller and writer Rockwell Kent, who loved his time staying in Glenlough near Glencolumbkille (then again, he managed to survive the experience).
So far, so local. But since there is a certain amount of time available, why not surf around the connection? And before long, you could be discussing the significance of the Tibetan Book of the Dead ("Of course we had the Dalai Lama here last year . .") in the life of the US mythologist Joseph Campbell.
First let's look briefly at a remarkable man who welcomed a remarkable set of individuals into that wooden house between two canneries on Ocean View Avenue (since renamed Cannery Row) in Monterey. He is now regarded as an eminent marine biologist, and in a book review online (http://www.americanscientist.org/bookshelf/pub/mavericks-on-cannery-row)
Bruce H. Robison, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, California, writes -
From http://www.amazon.com/Renaissance-Man-Cannery-Row-Ricketts/dp/0817311726 is the following -
From http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1252560 -
Moving on, this is famously how Steinbeck started 'Cannery Row' -
At http://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=6096
Michael J. Meyer, DePaul University Chicago, has this to say, and refers to a philosophical approach shared by Steinbeck and Ricketts (and which has a certain attractiveness) -
The character Doc is certainly something of a philosopher, and some of his observations may ring true to those who've been puzzled during discussions on business ethics -
Joseph Campbell, one of the Cannery Row circle, was a fascinating man. For those philosophically or mythically inclined, his entry in Wikipedia seems a good starting point. Which eventually brings us to Bardo Thodol, tonight's bedtime reading . . .
And we haven't even got on to Martha Graham, Henry Miller or John Cage yet. Begin there with an interesting little article by Dave Brubeck (had no idea he is so old - the 'Take Five' man was born in 1920) - http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/archives/2006/2006-Sep-14/Article.cover_story_
Yes, back in the old days they used to talk about the microcosm of the macrocosm, or maybe it was the macrocosm of the microcosm. With Google, it all starts to make sense. The world is getting smaller, everything is local, and you don't have to be Benedict Kiely to summon up Kavanagh in an instant -
Epic
I have lived in important places, times
When great events were decided, who owned
That half a rood of rock, a no-man's land
Surrounded by our pitchfork-armed claims.
I heard the Duffys shouting "Damn your soul!"
And old McCabe stripped to the waist, seen
Step the plot defying blue cast-steel -
"Here is the march along these iron stones."
That was the year of the Munich bother. Which
Was more important? I inclined
To lose my faith in Ballyrush and Gortin
Till Homer's ghost came whispering to my mind.
He said: I made the Iliad from such
A local row. Gods make their own importance.
Patrick Kavanagh
The moral - Google is dangerous . . . and like so many things, in a beautiful sort of a way . . .
For instance, the US painter James Fitzgerald, not particularly well-known but worthy of note, and the writer John Steinbeck used to meet up in Ed Rickett's wooden house in Monterey. Both were part of the famous circle of friends and characters used as a basis for Steinbeck's book 'Cannery Row'. (I think the character of Henri the painter may have been based partly on James but can't remember for sure.)
So what's that got to do with the price of ointment? Well, we recently carried an article in the Journal about John Steinbeck's visit to the Derry area and his family roots in Eglinton. These links seem to have been pretty special for him.(Was reminded of the comments of Jim McLaughlin, Moville geographer, in his excellent introduction to his anthology 'Donegal - The Making of a Northern County' - "Even today people and places in Donegal often acquire the characteristics of urban myths. They are talked about, often by outsiders, city-dwellers and 'compulsive weekenders', in terms than render them infinitely more magical, and attractive, than the county's 'real places' and 'real people' could ever possibly be." Sort of like the alternative society that Steinbeck creates through Mack and the boys in 'Cannery Row'. Of course, before leaving the subject, we all know just how special Donegal and Derry people really are . . )
Meantime the art of James Fitzgerald has been the subject of an exhibition at the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny, and the Irish premiere of a documentary of his life was screened there on Sunday week in the presence of its director Frederick Lewis (thanks to the man himself, John Cunningham). And while it doesn't seem that James Fitzgerald had family connections with the North West, it did have a certain significance for him - he died of a heart attack on a visit to Arranmore Island in 1971. (He might have enjoyed the job description on the death cert - 'retired amateur artist'.) His expedition to Donegal may have come about through his friendship with the painter, traveller and writer Rockwell Kent, who loved his time staying in Glenlough near Glencolumbkille (then again, he managed to survive the experience).
So far, so local. But since there is a certain amount of time available, why not surf around the connection? And before long, you could be discussing the significance of the Tibetan Book of the Dead ("Of course we had the Dalai Lama here last year . .") in the life of the US mythologist Joseph Campbell.
First let's look briefly at a remarkable man who welcomed a remarkable set of individuals into that wooden house between two canneries on Ocean View Avenue (since renamed Cannery Row) in Monterey. He is now regarded as an eminent marine biologist, and in a book review online (http://www.americanscientist.org/bookshelf/pub/mavericks-on-cannery-row)
Bruce H. Robison, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, California, writes -
Ricketts's lab on Cannery Row was a magnet for scientists, writers, prostitutes, musicians, artists, academics and bums. Gatherings there included discussions of the interplay of philosophy, science and art, and often evolved into raucous, happy parties that went on for days.
From http://www.amazon.com/Renaissance-Man-Cannery-Row-Ricketts/dp/0817311726 is the following -
Renaissance Man of Cannery Row: The Life and Letters of Edward F. Ricketts (Hardcover)
Marine biologist Edward F. Ricketts is perhaps best known as the inspiration for John Steinbeck's most empathic literary characters - "Doc" in Cannery Row, "Slim" in Of Mice and Men, Jim Casy in The Grapes of Wrath, and Lee in East of Eden. The correspondence of this accomplished scientist, writer, and philosopher reveals the influential exchange of ideas he shared with such prominent thinkers and artists as Henry Miller, Joseph Campbell, Ellwood Graham, and James Fitzgerald, in addition to Steinbeck - all of whom were drawn to Ricketts's Monterey Bay laboratory, a haven of intellectual discourse and Bohemian culture in the 1930s and 1940s.
Marine biologist Edward F. Ricketts is perhaps best known as the inspiration for John Steinbeck's most empathic literary characters - "Doc" in Cannery Row, "Slim" in Of Mice and Men, Jim Casy in The Grapes of Wrath, and Lee in East of Eden. The correspondence of this accomplished scientist, writer, and philosopher reveals the influential exchange of ideas he shared with such prominent thinkers and artists as Henry Miller, Joseph Campbell, Ellwood Graham, and James Fitzgerald, in addition to Steinbeck - all of whom were drawn to Ricketts's Monterey Bay laboratory, a haven of intellectual discourse and Bohemian culture in the 1930s and 1940s.
From http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1252560 -
Some of the most vivid fodder for the novel [Cannery Row] came from Ed Ricketts and his biology lab. In the weathered wooden building, squeezed between two enormous canneries, Ricketts stored the specimens he sold to school labs -- frogs and cats and the tiny marine creatures he collected during hours spent in the tide pools off Monterey.
"By the time John Steinbeck met him in 1930, Ricketts was more or less living in his lab and in the company of caged snakes. To the sounds of Leadbelly, or a Gregorian chant, one could enjoy jug wine, arty women, and -- most of all -- marathon sessions of philosophizing," Montagne says.
[ . . .] Rodger [Montagne] says it wasn't just John Steinbeck who appreciated Ricketts' mind. Those who partied and swapped ideas at the lab included the young composer John Cage, the budding mythologist Joseph Campbell and the writer Henry Miller.
"By the time John Steinbeck met him in 1930, Ricketts was more or less living in his lab and in the company of caged snakes. To the sounds of Leadbelly, or a Gregorian chant, one could enjoy jug wine, arty women, and -- most of all -- marathon sessions of philosophizing," Montagne says.
[ . . .] Rodger [Montagne] says it wasn't just John Steinbeck who appreciated Ricketts' mind. Those who partied and swapped ideas at the lab included the young composer John Cage, the budding mythologist Joseph Campbell and the writer Henry Miller.
Moving on, this is famously how Steinbeck started 'Cannery Row' -
Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream. Cannery Row is the gathered and scattered, tin and iron and rust and splintered wood, chipped pavement and weedy lots and junk heaps, sardine canneries of corrugated iron, honky tonks, restaurants and whore houses, and little crowded groceries, and laboratories and flophouses. Its inhabitants are, as the man once said, "whores, pimps, gamblers, and sons of bitches," by which he meant Everybody. Had the man looked through another peephole he might have said, "Saints and angels and martyrs and holy men," and he would have meant the same thing.
At http://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=6096
Michael J. Meyer, DePaul University Chicago, has this to say, and refers to a philosophical approach shared by Steinbeck and Ricketts (and which has a certain attractiveness) -
In typical Steinbeck experimentation, the text of Cannery Row mixes Biblical language with the language of heroic myth (a return to the Arthurian imagery of Tortilla Flat), while also using the non-teleological principles that Steinbeck and Ricketts had speculated on during the voyage and that they believed were the essential tenets of universal existence.
Non-teleology or lack of causation was a philosophical theory which suggested that the questions of why and how a situation occurred were not really important, and that, as an observer of so-called “facts”, the user must be careful not to impose any value systems other than what “is”. In other words, Steinbeck and Ricketts espoused a philosophy according to which whatever “is” is right, thus hoping to eliminate the human guilt or regret.
Non-teleology or lack of causation was a philosophical theory which suggested that the questions of why and how a situation occurred were not really important, and that, as an observer of so-called “facts”, the user must be careful not to impose any value systems other than what “is”. In other words, Steinbeck and Ricketts espoused a philosophy according to which whatever “is” is right, thus hoping to eliminate the human guilt or regret.
The character Doc is certainly something of a philosopher, and some of his observations may ring true to those who've been puzzled during discussions on business ethics -
"It has always seemed strange to me," said Doc. "The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second."
Joseph Campbell, one of the Cannery Row circle, was a fascinating man. For those philosophically or mythically inclined, his entry in Wikipedia seems a good starting point. Which eventually brings us to Bardo Thodol, tonight's bedtime reading . . .
And we haven't even got on to Martha Graham, Henry Miller or John Cage yet. Begin there with an interesting little article by Dave Brubeck (had no idea he is so old - the 'Take Five' man was born in 1920) - http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/archives/2006/2006-Sep-14/Article.cover_story_
Yes, back in the old days they used to talk about the microcosm of the macrocosm, or maybe it was the macrocosm of the microcosm. With Google, it all starts to make sense. The world is getting smaller, everything is local, and you don't have to be Benedict Kiely to summon up Kavanagh in an instant -
Epic
I have lived in important places, times
When great events were decided, who owned
That half a rood of rock, a no-man's land
Surrounded by our pitchfork-armed claims.
I heard the Duffys shouting "Damn your soul!"
And old McCabe stripped to the waist, seen
Step the plot defying blue cast-steel -
"Here is the march along these iron stones."
That was the year of the Munich bother. Which
Was more important? I inclined
To lose my faith in Ballyrush and Gortin
Till Homer's ghost came whispering to my mind.
He said: I made the Iliad from such
A local row. Gods make their own importance.
Patrick Kavanagh
The moral - Google is dangerous . . . and like so many things, in a beautiful sort of a way . . .
Move over Mr Perez
From our 'Weird World' column in the paper tomorrow -
Mayor calls for Freddie Mercury comeback gig
The Mayor of Zagreb has called for Freddie Mercury to make a comeback gig in the Croatian capital. Speaking on national television about his musical preferences, Milan Bandic said he wanted to attract rock legends to the city.
"I would like to see David Bowie play in Zagreb. And Freddie Mercury could come, too," he said.
Mayor Bandic reportedly seemed shocked to be told that the Queen frontman had died 18 years ago.
The mistake caused shock among many Croatians but Bandic himself shrugged off the gaffe.His prospects in the second round of local elections to be held this Sunday seem to have been unharmed with political pundits expecting him to get a new mandate.
Zagreb resident Mirjana Popovic said: "It might seem he is a little bit out of touch when he says things like this but he is the right man for Mayor."
Also -
Mayor calls for Freddie Mercury comeback gig
The Mayor of Zagreb has called for Freddie Mercury to make a comeback gig in the Croatian capital. Speaking on national television about his musical preferences, Milan Bandic said he wanted to attract rock legends to the city.
"I would like to see David Bowie play in Zagreb. And Freddie Mercury could come, too," he said.
Mayor Bandic reportedly seemed shocked to be told that the Queen frontman had died 18 years ago.
The mistake caused shock among many Croatians but Bandic himself shrugged off the gaffe.His prospects in the second round of local elections to be held this Sunday seem to have been unharmed with political pundits expecting him to get a new mandate.
Zagreb resident Mirjana Popovic said: "It might seem he is a little bit out of touch when he says things like this but he is the right man for Mayor."
Also -
- A Chinese man lost his hand when it was ripped off at the wrist during a tug-of-war contest.
- A Yorkshire cricket star hurled a ball towards his wicketkeeper - and killed an unlucky pigeon.
And now Derry gets swine flu . . .
Derry schools confirm H1N1
By Julie Hussjhuss@derrynews.com
DERRY — Several cases of H1N1 flu have been confirmed in the Derry school district and also at Pinkerton Academy.
Notices were sent home to parents about the flu cases, including three confirmed at Barka Elementary, one at West Running Brook Middle School, and two cases at Pinkerton Academy.
In Pinkerton's message, Headmaster Mary Anderson and head nurse Anna Davis stressed the school's policy remained the same as in any strain of influenza, with good hygiene and health practices in effect.
"The 'take home message' remains the same: the current situation calls for concern, good self care and prevention practices, and common sense — not panic!" the Pinkerton notice said.
http://www.derrynews.com/local/local_story_154145941.html
By Julie Hussjhuss@derrynews.com
DERRY — Several cases of H1N1 flu have been confirmed in the Derry school district and also at Pinkerton Academy.
Notices were sent home to parents about the flu cases, including three confirmed at Barka Elementary, one at West Running Brook Middle School, and two cases at Pinkerton Academy.
In Pinkerton's message, Headmaster Mary Anderson and head nurse Anna Davis stressed the school's policy remained the same as in any strain of influenza, with good hygiene and health practices in effect.
"The 'take home message' remains the same: the current situation calls for concern, good self care and prevention practices, and common sense — not panic!" the Pinkerton notice said.
http://www.derrynews.com/local/local_story_154145941.html
Spot the difference
Derry reviews economic development plans
By Eric Parry
eparry@eagletribune.com
DERRY — Town councilors last night considered two projects to bring new business to town, but failed to take any action to spark economic development. [ . . .]
Of course, the difference is that that's Derry, New Hampshire . . . over here we've got work about to start on the new bridge, what's happening at Ebrington, Fort George sort of getting there, the Telehouse (ahem - did you see where Hibernia executives were at the Coleraine business awards ceremony last weekend?), a bit of concern about Magee but hoping for the best in terms of expansion, the new Strategy Board etc etc
First Councillor (sorry, Councilor) mentioned in the Eagle Tribune report is called Kevin Coyle - http://www.eagletribune.com/punewsnh/local_story_154023104.html?keyword=topstory
By Eric Parry
eparry@eagletribune.com
DERRY — Town councilors last night considered two projects to bring new business to town, but failed to take any action to spark economic development. [ . . .]
Of course, the difference is that that's Derry, New Hampshire . . . over here we've got work about to start on the new bridge, what's happening at Ebrington, Fort George sort of getting there, the Telehouse (ahem - did you see where Hibernia executives were at the Coleraine business awards ceremony last weekend?), a bit of concern about Magee but hoping for the best in terms of expansion, the new Strategy Board etc etc
First Councillor (sorry, Councilor) mentioned in the Eagle Tribune report is called Kevin Coyle - http://www.eagletribune.com/punewsnh/local_story_154023104.html?keyword=topstory
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
At last, City of Derry - the video!
The Google alert for Derry throws up what one commentator describes as "A great video compilation about city of Derry Airport, UK". But is it all what it seems . . .??
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9fxy1_city-of-derry-airport_travel
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9fxy1_city-of-derry-airport_travel
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