Shout out to the f-list

This is a shout out to anyone who is familiar with current thinking on the "Daughters of Eve" and "Lucy" hypotheses. What's the current cutting edge thinking on the validity of mtDNA based analysis? I think I've seen heard/stuff that suggests that uncontaminated mtDNA is virtually impossible to find and that therefore the whole ball of wax needs to be treated with some scepticism but I might have been imagining it. Opinions and pointers to recent papers on the subject most appreciated.

Book pimpage

OK this one is for those of you within striking distance of Birmingham. I just got the following info in an email from Martyn Ould at Old School Press:

An exhibition of six UK fine presses is now underway at The Royal Birmingham Society of Arts and we're delighted to be one of them. This sort of event is relatively unusual in the UK so it's good to have this opportunity of reaching a potential new audience. Also exhibiting are Tern Press, Old Stile Press, Inky Parrot Press, Fleece Press, Gwasg Gregynog, and a number of book artists from the University of the West of England.

There is an Open Day on Saturday 6 May from 1030am to 1700, and there are demonstrations and workshops running between 1100 and 1300 and between 1400 and 1600.

I've bought books from Tern, Old Stile and Old School before now and very fine they are. If you love books and want to see just how good the work of some of Britain's smaller presses are go see this exhibition. I wish I could.

A modest proposal

So Tony Blair has laid out the latest steps in his campaign to take the "law" bit out of "law and order". I suggest he doesn't go nearly far enough. I would suggest, as a minimum, that those suspected of trafficking in peerages, for example, should be banned from certain places, maybe the House of Commons, and should have their assets seized. After all, as we know the police just don't prosecute the people guilty (or presumed guilty) of these crimes because the namby pamby civil rights lobby insists on them being given a fair trial. I would also create a new class of Anti-Socialist Bastard Order which would make it an imprisonable offence for Labour cabinet ministers to talk out of therir rectal orificies and another category of Avaricious Spouse Banishment Order that would ban Cabinet ministers from forming domestic partnerships with anyone who makes more than twice the average industrial wage.

Five questions again

From unblinkered

1. I must admit to being slightly confused by your family status: as far as I can tell, you are an Englishman cohabiting with lemur_catta and a plethora of cats in Canada, have a daughter living elsewhere and a son (I think)? Please clarify!
I realise this is a very personal question, and you don't have to answer it if you don't feel comfortable doing so.

That's about right. I was married to an Australian but we ended up getting divorced. I have a son and a daughter from that marriage who live with their mother in Canberra. The lemur, the cats and myself all live in a downtown Toronto condo.

2. I didn't know you had an interest in book arts! How did you get into that?

Walter Strachan taught at my school though he was pretty much retired by the time I was there. Still, it was Walter and his amazing collection. knowledge and enthusiasm that got me started.

3. Where should I travel if I want to experience the ultimate culinary experience?

Can there possibly be a single answer to that? Paris probably has more good food per m^2 than just about anywhere else (at a price!). Thailand was amazing (and cheap). People say great things about Hong Kong but I've never been.

4. I don't "get" physics or chemistry, but was fairly good at maths in school and enjoy doing the calculations that crop up at work. In your opinion, is this a major gap in my education and should I attempt to rectify it? If so, how?

I think it is worth trying to get a grip on modern physics and cosmology. It's just so weird that it's fun. Lisa Randall's Warped Passages is highly speculative but it's up-to-date, very accessible and she does know her stuff.

5. I always love checking out your "current music". What is the furthest (distance/money/general hassle) you have ever gone for a concert?

I'm not sure. I know that the most momentous concert decision I ever made was to go see Dick Gaughan at a pub in London c. 1979. I had to be in lowestoft first thing next day and would normally have taken the train and stayed obvernight. Instead I decided to drive up early in the morning. Unfortunately that trip ended with me in Ipswich General getting two dozen stitches in my face.

Channelling my inner hippo

It's been cold and wet the last couple of days here and today I played my third game of the season in a persistent, cold, light rain. William Hesketh Lever would have thoroughly approved of the ball handling conditions.

I played 2/3 of the game at no. 8 and 1/3 in the second row so at least i was back in the comfort zone. I also set up one of our three tries and scored another so that feels pretty good, albeit that the try was probably the easiest I've ever scored.

No major injuries though I think I've tweaked a calf muscle. I doubt it's anything much though.