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FORENSIC SCIENCE AND HUMAN IDENTIFICATION

I am doing a massive open online course, (mooc) with Dundee University in Scotland. It lasts for six weeks. When I first heard about it, ten thousand people had already signed up. Massive in name and massive in number.  I like to think I might have been number ten thousand and one.

 An event I went to at the Edinburgh Book Festival in August this year informed me about moocs and in particular, this one.  The course is called 'Identifying The Dead: Forensic Science and Human Identification'.  It may not be everyone's cup of tea, (if you drink tea).  I  was a week late starting and have now caught up.   We are now beginning week three and I intend to stay with the time line; you won't hear much from me while I am keeping up with it. This course has fired up the brain cells, (much needed) with new and interesting learning; a great combination!  The science of real forensic investigations is not like what we see on television programmes such as CSI, Lewis, or, Waking The Dead. It is educating me, and ten thousand others, about what the forensic science specialists actually do and how they collect and collate the provision of evidence.

At least decade ago, a director a forensic laboratory in Scotland, said that if he were seeking trainee forensic scientists, he would look for candidates who had studied a science subject, such as physics, or chemistry, in depth, because they would have the desired academic rigor.  The candidates can, he said, be trained in forensic investigation to accreditation standards once in situ. There were then, and are now,  many students taking forensic sciences courses, which the professor described as 'scientifically superficial',  and, which  are unlikely to take the students into the realms of the specialised scientific forensic work that the experts are expected to perform.  From what I have learned so far with the mooc, I can understand why that may be so. 

WHAT TO DO...THE JOYS OF GARDENING

Just as I was leaving sis-in-law, with my arms laden with a variety of seedlings, I was offered a few Livingston Daisies.  I could have had loads more of everything, but where would I put it all.  No, I had to be sensible about this and just accept limited bounty. "I could find space", I said, "for just three more little plants".  Easier said than done.  Seedlings happily sitting in pods will not be counted out that simply.

So it was that I planted out ;

• Half a dozen Holly-Hocks,  they can grow very tall given the right conditions and time;
• Double the number of Cosmos seedlings I reckoned I had suitable space for;
• Too many Livingston Daisies to count, (they were bunched up);
• Some Petunias;
• An unknown... Penstemons.  

L-base of tree trunk a Holly Hock: R-Livingston Daisies...closed

The planting advice, sun/shade etc  went by the board, these seedlings were going to have to take their chances wherever there was a space. I did try and give them the advised spacing  and some of them seem to require quite a lot.  It is very tempting to enlarge flower beds and yes, I admit it, I did create a small additional area in which I planted Cosmos, Penstemons and two of the Holly-Hocks. That's it now, no more new spaces.

More closed daisies and varieties of Primulas.

Because of rainfall, I nearly drowned some of the Livingston Daisies in a ceramic plant pot without a drainage hole. Accidents do happen! I rescued them and they are now living, a bit overcrowded, with their siblings. The flowers, vibrant and pretty though they are when you see them, only open in bright sunlight. We've not had much of that.  Blink an eyelid and they've closed up.

New small plant patch-established Mimula, three Cosmos, Petunias & Penstemons. Two small Holly Hocks...maybe for next year.

ALAN TURING ET AL - THE IMITATION GAME

If you have knowledge of Alan Turing's complex personal story, his brilliant mathematical ability; if you can allow for the artistic licence in the direction and production of 'The Imitation Game;' if you can allow for the missing General Post Office Engineer who was so instrumental in designing and building the Enigma code-breaking computers; if you can swallow a disclosure of a top secret event kept under Government wraps for 50 years, you will see a well acted  and interesting film.  It couldn't help but be a good film with its stellar cast, too many to individually talk about. I have picked out a few of the major protagonists

Kiera Knightly gave an excellent characterisation of the clever woman, Joan Clarke, who was in Alan Turing's life. I think it is the first time I have seen her  throw herself wholly into a part that convincingly portrays her character.

The acting versatility of Benedict Cumberbatch is supreme. I have seen and heard Cumberbatch in a number of roles in which he has been brilliant.  His exposition of Alan Turing is amazing. I will not describe it. I don't want to be a spoiler for people who have yet to see the film

John Cairncross is played by Allen Leech, who also appears as Tom Branson in Downton Abbey. He did at first seem to be playing the same type of personable character. As the story progressed, a subtle element of mystery and social distance became evident  Then the twist emerged. It was cleverly paced.

Mathew Goode, not an actor I am familiar with, turned in a strong emotional performance as Hugh Alexander, a guy who, in this film, nurses a dislike of Turing.

There are few external locations. The majority of the scenes take place in about five 'rooms'. It is a filmic theatre technique which strengthens the unfolding story and the human drama.  

The end credits of the film give bullet points of actual fact worth reading. Like everything in film, or theatre detail is compactly distilled. 

This film introduces Alan Turing's achievements and those of his co-workers to the uninitiated.  It may encourage people to read the book on which the film is based. Additionally, it may whet the appetites of people who want to know more about all those clever people who worked at Bletchley Park during World War 2 and the development of the first computers. 

A MOMENTOUS VOTE - THE SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM

There will be a momentous decision being made in Scotland on Thursday 18th April 2014, whether to become independent of England or stay within the union.

I received a phone call from an official referendum polling organisation last Saturday,(13th September) the first ever such call I have had.  Was I a random number being called- I shall never know. The caller did not get my salespersons treatment, he was too polite and did ask if it was a good time to call for answering a few questions. End of story…It was not a good time to call.

Votes will be placed, I believe, mainly with heart or head.  Some people will vote with both. We have had only one Member Of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) give our remote area the time of day, a socialist who supports the ongoing union of Scotland.   I note that The First Minister  Alec Salmond says he and his party have covered every area in Scotland. He should define what that means! Even the sitting Scottish Nationalist Party member, (SNP) has not ventured to arrange any local meetings.  Is that confidence because he was voted in as an MSP last time, or is there something else going on?

On the other hand, those who represent staying in the union, (‘No’  to independence)  have not tried to kid anyone that they have travelled far and wide in number to promote their cause. (One of their number has genuinely tried to).  How do you interpret this? 

The ‘Yes’ campaign has been vigorous.  Its momentum has excited a lot of people. Throughout, the independence campaign has had the advantage of being blessed with a positive sounding ‘Yes’.  The ‘No’ campaign has been very slow to react and speed up, they have been  seen as lazy;  the pro-union campaign has been disadvantaged throughout with the negative sounding ‘No’. They have been struggling to find a way to make their message vibrant.

Scottish Police have begun patrolling armed, without any public debate or agreement to it. There has been an attempt to slip this through under the cover of the Independence Referendum.  The Minister For Justice tried to fob off public protest, saying it is solely a police matter: it is not.  The SNP Minister has responsibility for police and policing matters.  After local government and public protests, reports are being called for. The reporting organisations do not sound like bodies independent from the Police they will be reporting on.

Questions: why is the Scottish Government arming police? what are they intending?

All sides have indulged in disingenuity to suit their causes, some apparently more than others; the SNP were caught out very early on in this long campaign.  As a cynic, I have to sadly admit that is the way of politics. One of the prerequisites of being a politician anywhere, is being able to look someone in the eye, appear to be sincere while acting out the events of The Ides Of March. That said, it is fundamental to ongoing well-being in Scottish politics and in Scottish community life that there is respect on all sides whatever the outcome of the vote. 

There are many unanswerable questions for which, political imagination has been required to field them. There are answerable questions which have been either glossed over, dismissed as scare-mongering, or side-stepped. Time scales for change, if it is a ‘yes’ vote, are, in my view over-optimistic. Is the Scottish government canny enough and strong enough to handle experienced, tough and clever negotiators in or from London, because there is no doubt,they will be wheeled out.  A similar question can be asked if there is a ‘No’ vote.  After the Edinburgh Tram contracts debacle, I wonder. 

If it is a vote to keep the union, a great deal of trust will have been handed to Westminster, which on past form has been totally untrustworthy. Will this and future Westminster Governments honour what they have promised,  the equivalent of Devo Max which, if you remember, was not allowed to be an option to vote for? (Maximum Devolution for which there is no given definition).  Will they honour the tenets of the Edinburgh agreement which agreed the upcoming Referendum?  I believe, a great deal of redefining and fiddling of definitions, is likely to occur. I would like to be proved wrong.  A close vote should and ought to focus ruling classes both in London and Scotland.

BREAKING SPELLS

The tall figure, dressed in flowing lounging clothes, glided in to the room, a massive peacock blue towel wrapped round her head, which covered her wet hair.  The two tails of the towel moved either side of her shoulders in unison with her movements.

Breaking the spell, her eight year old brother blurted out -When she puts those side bits up, she looks like Marge in The Simpsons...

WHAT...YOU REALLY DID THAT!

 Out of the mouths of babes:

Junior was looking at some photos taken about nine years ago, noticing that dad was looking that much younger, sprog commented..... doesn't dad look old now.

And turning to me....... You've got on a bit too.

With a quick afterthought, junior added, I'm the only one in this family who is aging well!

Just wait till you get to our stage of life.

A N D :

Expressing genuine incredulity... more pearls slipping forth from the mouth of Junior.

"Mum it is incredible, you experienced the 60's the first time round!"

'THE BIG SOCIETY'...ON THE CHEAP,CHEAP.

The Big Society' is being unveiled by the Conservative/Lib-dem government, the main spokesperson being the Conservative Prime Minister, David Cameron, whose political campaign dream it was.


The largest society work force will be volunteers, any kind, from all age groups and educational levels. They will be volunteering instead of earning salaries; many will be building up C.V.'s of experience, to help them move on to what? More volunteering, training volunteers to volunteer, while remaining as a volunteer.  So, the big society will be a huge population of people in unpaid community activity. What is going to be the definition of activity in the community? 

When everyone has become a volunteer, managed and mentored by volunteers who in turn will likely be managed by paid directors, dying to skill up all these volunteers to take a director's role, (not on your life!) where will the government purse obtain its income from? 


You would expect that there has been government preparation for the daily survival for this massive army of unpaid people; of course you would if you were in charge of it.  There has to be a strategy, doesn't there, to run alongside the reconstruction - or is it destruction - of ways of earning a reasonable living, such as realistically remunerated employment opportunities.

 A WARM GLOW!

A card arrived yesterday; we are fortunate to receive many lovely greetings.  This card though, was a real puzzle.  Who on earth were the people who signed it!

Hubby trawled the internet and found some interesting personalities in the U.K. with similar names, who were not known to me.  I checked the envelope.  Yes, it was correctly addressed, in fact the detail was absolutely right.  It was obviously a card sent by people who knew us.

It is one of those uncomfortable happenings, when someone cares enough about you to send you their wishes and hopes for you, and you have no idea who it or they are. It bothered me all day. 

Last night, hubby had an idea, I checked it out.......voila!  Eureka!  Apart from being really, really pleased that I now knew who had thought kindly of me, I was very touched.  I have known the family, for about three years, on and off;  the odd  chance meeting in the street, or a community event, on rare occasions, a coffee group.  This year, they have checked out my address and sent me a card.  It has given me a warm glow.