This blog is not closing down and will return to normal output shortly.
The heart problem that put me into hospital after New Year was “paroxysmal atrial fibrillation”. This seems likely to have been the cause of the lack of energy I had complained was afflicting me towards the end of last year. It can be controlled by drugs and I was in hospital for six days while they got it controlled.
On discharge I was ordered to rest awhile, but had three speaking engagements I was determined to honour. On 23 January was the Sam Adams Award at the Oxford Union, including a live videolink with Julian Assange, and a debate there the next day on “The American Dream”. In the daytimes I researched Burnes documents in Worcester College Library. Then the next day I flew overnight to Accra, arrived the morning of the 26 January and that night did the Immortal Memory at the Burns Night for Accra Caledonian Society.
I had picked up a sore throat in Oxford which I put down to too much public speaking. But by Sunday morning in Accra I felt absolutely terrible, and have been in bed the last four days with a flu, quite possibly swine flu (certainly the nastiest flu I can ever recall). For someone recently out of hospital with heart problems, that has been a bit scarey.
This morning I feel human again. I have quite a lot of work I simply must do in Accra, as I have no other way to feed my family, and funds are very low. But I intend to be home again on the 5th, as I have an echocardiogram appointment on the 6th.
I do intend to have the blog fully functional again as soon as I can, and stop these bloody health bulletins. I apologise for giving so much personal detail but I feel a need to explain why the blog has been cold.
Fred, I know, and I object strongly to both. I’m amazed to be arguing with N_, who apparently thinks that climate change is just propaganda, and also wants to limit, and indeed regress, human technology. What? Why not limit the extractions of fossil fuels? Get rid of the Internet, and yet extract and burn as much ancient sludge as possible? How can this make sense?
Clark; Have you heard of Nemesis?
The iridium in earth’s crust suggest it may be bombarded with asteroids, small and large on a regular basis (by cosmic time standards) hurled from gravitational pull of brown dwarf. The Yucatan monster draws attention, but the theory revolves around not just single events from a monster, but a volley over some period of time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemesis_(hypothetical_star)
Ben Franklin, no, I hadn’t. Thanks.
“Fred, I know, and I object strongly to both. I’m amazed to be arguing with N_, who apparently thinks that climate change is just propaganda, and also wants to limit, and indeed regress, human technology. What? Why not limit the extractions of fossil fuels? Get rid of the Internet, and yet extract and burn as much ancient sludge as possible? How can this make sense?”
I think the internet is developing it’s own religions, cults even. I can say “Craig Murray, I agree with him on a lot of things but others he has completely wrong”.
You try telling them Alex Jones got anything wrong, they go ballistic.