Embracing your Weirdness

Photo of Earthrise courtesy of the astronauts of the Apollo Space Program and NASA

Two nights ago I had the fortune to see a total lunar eclipse. It was quite amazing. There is something about the moon, our silent neighbour on our journey round and round the sun. The moon has that magic quality to it. Since the early days it has captured the imagination of scientists and philosophers, writers and dreamers. Humans went there but have yet to go back but we are still innately curious about its origins and the adventure that its exploration presents. One of the most stunning views from the entire moon programme is the one I’ve included here. Not man walking on the moon, but man looking back at the Earth. The world is bigger than any one person, and yet from our nearest neighbour it looks so small and so far away.

But in all of creation this place is really quite special. The position of the Earth and its transit around the sun and the position of its moon are such that the Earth can on occasions block all the light that reflects off the moon. And on the converse (and more rare and less magical) the same is true when there is a total solar eclipse. That with all the distances and space involved it is possible for that to happen.

That eclipse was something special though. I was lucky enough to be up on Exmoor where the night sky is the blackest I’ve ever seen. It was a perfectly clear, completely silent and still. I’d almost forgotten what dark nights could look like – you see stars and constellations that are never visible in towns. The moon gradually waned until all that was left was a red silhouette against the blackness of the night sky floating amidst a sea of stars.

And a lone animal howled against the silence of the night.

It was quite marvellous to behold.

The dreamer in me didn’t know quite what to say.

Stocktake, originally uploaded by moonshine037.

This tickeld me when I saw it in the paper on Friday.

Ok, so I spotted this on Wikipedia, and the first thing that I noticed was the resolution number.

Thats right 1701 is…

…the registry number from the Starship Enterprise!

It actually seems quite apt that a resolution aimed at bringing an end to the hostilities in the Middle East is representitive of the Enterprise. I only hope that as the Enterprise was a ship of peace promoting unity and non-aggression, that the resolution bearing her number has the same impact on such a troubled region.

Well, here’s hoping…

Today the news has been filled with the attempted terrorist plot to detonate bombs on flights from the UK to the US. It has caused massive disruption and I’m sure you’ve heard.

What gets me, is the people who complain about the security measures that have been brought in (see this site for the measures) Yes, these measures are incredibly restrictive, and it will cause difficulties for some people, but at the end of the day, if I were traveling, I would rather have the inconvenience of using a plastic bag that getting blown up. People don’t really have perspective in these situations – they just see the immediate effect on themselves.

A few days ago this could have affected me. A lot of flights were cancelled today because of the same security alert. People were stranded all over the world as flights were delayed or cancelled. If you get to the airport, and the line is out of the door do you a) join the line, or b) cut your losses and go home, or c) find another route? What make me laugh is that people actually join the line! I suppose if you are in another country its a bit different, but if its because you’re going on your summer holiday, its already effectively been over-shadowed and most cases ruined by that point… So really, what is the point. If I’d still been in New York, I’d have headed back to Illinois – 800 miles the wrong way!

Anyway, I think that’s probably enough for now…

There is gross inefficiency in our healthcare system. Whilst in theory the NHS is a great idea, the provision of treatment for all in the age old British tradition of a queue (otherewise know as a waiting list that grows ever longer), does not always work.

My 85 year old Nan has needed a knee replacemnt for just under a year. After fiddling and faddleing around, her local hospital, with whom she had not yet had one consultation, told her she would be better off at a hospital in the neighbouring health authority. This was probably the best move that could have been made. She was seen by the consultant within three weeks of her notes arriving (although all the wasted time had meant she had picked up an infection that needed to be cleared up first).

She goes in for her knee replacemnt tomorrow. She will be in for at least a week, with around 8 – 10 weeks recovering. By the time all is said and done she will have been waiting over a year.

And the reason the NHS costs so much… so much waiting and pressure on my Nan’s good knee means that her other knee will need to be replaced too! Think how much money could be saved if the British tradition of queueing and waiting our turn were to be scrapped!

Don’t get me wrong, I think the NHS is good, but there are so many inefficiencies that it could be so much better.