Monkeys in shoes

Some say that to repeat the same action over and over again and expect a different outcome is the definition of insanity.

I tend to agree, particularly when you apply this rule of thumb to a whole species. Our Human species does this all the time, an example of this are the news stories coming out of Gaza and Lebanon at the moment! They put me in mind of an experience we had while visiting Cambodia earlier this year (see picture above) A rather grim reminder and memorial to the people that were the innocent victims of the "Killing Fields", a pointless slaughter, among many, in the name of God, greed, power and/or political certitude.

When you look at these remains you must (and do) ponder the only viable question any compassionate Human being would have, why and what was all that pain and suffering for? In the end you realise that we're all just monkeys in shoes, half a chromosome away from chimps. I somehow think that whatever the rights and wrongs of the current Middle Eastern situation, and there are many on all sides, we will get to the end of it sometime in the future and ponder that very same question.

Ghostly gardens

I passed this house on my lunchtime walk yesterday, the amount of Halloween stuff they'd put out was amazing. Now I'm not a great fan of Halloween, I don't mind the scary stuff and love a good horror film, but I don't much care for the imported "Trick or Treat" thing, never really saw the point of it, typically American, an unnecessary embellishment on a perfectly adequate pagan festival IMO. Anyway, no doubt the people who live here are big fans, let's hope we don't get any gale force winds in the next couple of weeks or the whole neighbourhood will be sharing in the "fun"... 

More Germans

Had another Oktoberfest beer at the weekend but this time it was a darker Marzen, which means it was made with traditional lager yeast but included a higher proportion of roasted malts in the grist. The result is a more toffee forward beer a little less dry and crunchy than the Pilsners around at this time of year. 

Monday Mirth

The contradiction that is middle-America...

Fresh

I don't often have German wine, it's a bit of an unknown entity for me, but we had pork for supper last night and so I opened this little number from Muller Catoir. I've had this bottle for around 10 years, I didn't mean to keep it particularly but just never got around to cracking it open, it was gifted to me by my Son's German pen pal when he visited us back when they were both schoolboys. I'm pleased  to report that the aging process has been very kind to this wine, it was delicious, a lovely apple and peach forward Riesling with a wonderful fresh acidity and concentration, a really great wine, I must look out for more!

An old friend

Popped open one of these last night (Chateau de Sales, Pomerol) as we had some lovely cheese from Neals Yard to polish off and this plush Pomerol went very well with them. Interestingly, this was the first "serious" wine that I ever bought, if I remember correctly it was from Majestic (the wine shop) in around 1996. I remember at the time it felt hugely expensive and exotic as at the time (you had to buy 12 bottles in those days) it was £10 a bottle.  Now it's a fraction under £30 which I guess isn't too bad for roughly 30 years of inflation, anyway, it was a great wine (for the price), Merlot dominated (as most Pomerol's are) smooth and silky with a moreish red fruit upfront attack that fills the mouth and then a shallow curve of a finish that lasts half a minute. Recommended.

I love "brown"..

Waiting for the train this afternoon and popped into RG1 the Siren bar in Reading. Had this new beer called "Follow me to the Fields", a brown ale sprinkled with some American hops (mosaic and strata), very tasty, on cask too (hence the foamy head) which is unusual and very welcome, an 8/10 very nice indeed!

Got a light?

Aurora visible from all the way down here in the soft-south yesterday evening, clouds have (predictably) moved back in today so probably not viable to see tonight, ah well, we take what we can get!

Friday Smirk

The ever insightful J&M pointing out the inherent need for human beings to feel like they belong to a tribe and how that feeling generates a sense of security from which to mock (and attack) other tribes.