MAY TWO-FOUR

 Victoria Day

      Even though this weekend contains a holiday, I will attempt a post since the view outside resembles somewhat the one represented above. This holiday in Canada is referred to as "Victoria Day" and it is a celebration of the birthday of that Queen. Although the statues of Queen Victoria probably have been toppled across Canada, the holiday still exists because, well it gives one a day off.  To find out more, American readers can simply go to the Wikipedia entry where one learns that Victoria Day represents the beginning of the summer season. As the image indicates, however, summer is still well south of even southern Ontario. 

    The title of the post refers to the informal reference to Victoria Day which indicates that around the 24th of May, some Canadians will consume a case of beer - 24 bottles. The phrase, "May TWO-FOUR", even shows up in the Canadian Oxford Dictionary: 

noun Cdn informal Victoria Day.

– origin punningly after May 24th, the official date of the holiday, and after  two-four in reference to copious consumption of beer over the holiday.

   The sun has emerged, but I may attempt another post since the temperature has not increased by much.

Survival Wisdom

Wine Advice

   This is another of my useful Public Service Announcements. It is taken from The New Yorker and the wisdom is Nate Odenkirk's, not mine. Two things should be noted: 1) only a small snippet of the advice offered is provided here and, 2) I received it in an email from The New Yorker, to which I subscribe, and it seems to me that some of the items in the emails don't make it to the printed edition. 

   So, I am performing a public service in archiving this valuable information and saving you from having to listen to an insufferable, wine-glass twirling oenophile. While the advice is intended for those who are in a hurry, I think it applies generally to all wine buying, allowing more time for the drinking of it. 

   Mr. Odenkirk offers this additional advice:

Skip the tasting profile
Wine tasting profiles are basically essays printed in small type that describe the wine’s characteristics. They’re very helpful if you’ve lately found yourself craving a “full-bodied, citrus-forward wine with hints of melon, clove, and marzipan.” But in all other scenarios, these flowery dissertations are a titanic waste of time that you do not have! Does it allege to be “wine”? Huzzah. Buy it.

Source:
  "Wine-Buying Tips For People Who Are Running Late," Nate Odenkirk, The New Yorker, May 6, 2022.

The Bonus:

   "Odenkirk" is a slightly odd name so I looked for more information about Nate Odenkirk. It just happens to be the case that we are about to watch the conclusion of the fine drama series: Better Call Saul. Saul is Saul Goodman, who is played by the writer, comedian and actor, Bob Odenkirk. His son is Nate Odenkirk. 

The University of the Unusual (6)

  Snake Handlers 

  On occasion I produce a post under the label - “The University of the Unusual” - but it has been a while since I have done so. I will now offer the sixth in this series and it is relates to “Snake Handlers”. The last one was about “Spontaneous Human Combustion.” The one before that was about the “Guinea Worm.” If those topics don’t give you some indication of whether you should proceed, I will add that they are modelled on the old “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!” features which were syndicated in many newspapers back in the days when we still had some.  

   The subject this week seems less sensational than the ones mentioned above. It relates to Pastor Greg Locke and the Global Vision Bible Church which is located near Mount Juliet, Tennessee. The Pastor leans toward the far right politically and tilts toward the Pentecostal religiously. About social and cultural matters his stance unsurprisingly is a conservative one and during a recent sermon, these things were “called out:” homosexuality, lesbianism, gender dysphoria, transgenderism and, of course, the Devil. The tent, his “Canvas Cathedral” “slowly took on a spirit of its own. Worshipers began writhing as if in pain. Others waved their hands in the air in benediction. “Amens” began to mix with the guttural sound of growling, moaning and praying in tongues…. Some fell to the ground, pawing at cedar chips, or retched into silver vomit buckets that had been set at the end of each row of white folding chairs.”

    The calling out and rebuking of such things as homosexuality cannot be characterized, even now, as ‘unusual’, but I do find the growling, moaning and guttural sounds to be a bit strange as are pawing at cedar chips and vomiting in silver buckets. Such behaviour may not be as odd as I think, however, since Pastor Locke’s local flock has grown from 200 to over a 1,000 and apparently he is followed by 4,000,000 more on social media. 

    During these polarized days when we think those opposed to us politically hold views and ideas that will be charitably characterized here as “unusual,” just remember that, “Believe It Or Not,” there are a lot of folks around who worship bizarre notions.

And Strychnnine Sippers

 The charismatic Pastor Locke also ranted on about the “fake pandemic” and said this: “If you’ve had the covid-19 shot, I’m telling you you’ve got poison in your veins,” Locke thundered. “We call out the covid-19 vaccine out right now. Keep that demonic spirit out of you right now in the name of Jesus!”

   When I read that, I thought that the Pastor should have taken advantage of the opportunity to encourage the members of his congregation to demonstrate their faith by taking the pandemic poison. I also thought the behavior exhibited by these Tennesseeans gives me the opportunity to present to you the related unusual topics of snake handling and strychnnine sipping. 

  Although those things didn’t occur during this service, there was "talking in tongues" and other strange antics and had reptiles been available they might have been used. During similar ceremonies, rural parishioners in the mountains in the Appalachian area have taken poison and handled venomous snakes to demonstrate their faith. According to what they have been told, serpents and other deadly things will not hurt them as you can see from the Gospel presented above. Sources and fascinating examples are found below. 

   Apart from allowing me to offer you another lecture from "The University of the Unusual," this story can serve as a metaphor to suggest that the folks down in the hollow, may not be so different from some of the politicians up on the Hill. The rural religious fervor resembles closely much that is found in the urban political milieu where snake oil salesmen abound. 

Sources:

The article about Locke is here: "A Jan. 6 Pastor Divides His Tennessee Community With Increasingly Extremist Views," Annie Gowan, Washington Post, Mar. 31, 2022.

The Nashville Tennessean has been following Locke.

"White Christian Nationalist Pastor Greg Locke Divides a Tennessee Community," Johnny Robish, April 1, 2022 The Global Vision Bible Church, headed by White Christian Nationalist and rabid Trump supporter Pastor Greg Locke, boasts millions of followers and has gained national attention through its book-burning, using neo-fascist “Proud Boys” members as security guards, defying mask mandates, labeling the coronavirus as a “fake pandemic,” preaching election fraud, and urging followers to attack those whom Pastor Locke considers “demonic spirits” — people with mental disabilities, “objectionable” cultural or political beliefs, and folks with a “sinful” sexual orientation. That said, his radical views, including bragging about attending the January 6th insurrection, along with the large and frequently rowdy crowds he attracts to his services, have divided not only the community, but also families within the town of Mount Juliet, Tennessee, a mostly white community of 39,000 just east of Nashville."

"Greg Locke Timeline: From independent Baptist Pastor to Right-wing Firebrand,"

Liam Adams, Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean, April 20, 2022.

Some snippets:

2020: Locke, on the advisory committee for Evangelicals for Trump, receives an invitation to White House for former U.S. President Donald Trump’s acceptance speech for the GOP presidential nomination.

2020: Political operative Roger Stone and Republican activist Charlie Kirk visit Global Vision on separate Sundays before the presidential election.

Did you know there is a Rational Wiki? See the entry for Greg Lock and the section, "Wingnuttery and Christian Nationalism."

The literature relating to "snake handling" is considerable, but a good start is here: "Confirming the Word: Snake-Handling Sects in Southern Appalachia,"Marsha Maquire, The Quartely Journal of the Library of Congress, Vol.38, No.3, Summer, 1981.

Apparently there was a reality TV show, "Snake Salvation" and one of the participants died from a snake bite: "Snake Salvation Reality Show Star Dies From Snake Bite," Ali Vingiano, Buzzfeed, Feb, 16, 2014.

To learn more about Glossolalia see the Wikipedia entry for "Speaking in Tongues."

The Bonus:

Although there is a statute in Tennessee that prohibits possession of poisonous reptiles, juries have been reluctant to convict those who were using them in religious services. As the First Amendment indicates, there should be no laws restricting the freedom of religion.

Roger Stone is a rather notorious figure whose name you might associate with the administration of former President Trump. He is mentioned above when he visited the church in Mount Juliet. He is not in jail, because he was pardoned by President Trump.

The real bonus - he has been hired as an advisor by the Ontario Party for the upcoming election here in Ontario.

ALGAE BLOOMING AND BOOMING

 

   Not much is blooming here in Ontario, but apparently you will find considerable blooming in Mexico - on the water. If you were thinking about heading there to escape our cold spring, you might want to consider the Pacific side. Here is an Associated Press headline from April 30: “Mexican Authorities Say the Problem of Foul-smelling Seaweed-like Algae on the Country's Caribbean Coast Beaches is “Alarming.” Note that even they find it "Alarming." If we just wait a few more weeks we will be able to see blooms closer to home on Lake Erie. 

It's Not the First Time!

  In recent years there have been many sargassum surges in the Caribbean and other oily ones in the Gulf of Mexico. Another recent headline indicated that algae pollution is not a new thing. Here it is. You think we would have learned by now. "Toxic Algae Plagued Ancient Maya Civilization," Rebecca Dzombak, Scientific American, April 1, 2022.  The article is not an "April Fools' " joke. The study on which it is based is found below.

  I just posted about pollution problems on Lake Superior and, unfortunately, about many more. See for example: "Flotsam and Jetsam," "Leaking Oil," and "Polluted Rivers." 

Source: 
  The Scientific American article is based on this research: "Harmful Algal Blooms and Cyanotoxins in Lake Amatitlán, Guatemala, Coincided with Ancient Maya Occupation in the Watershed," Matthew Neal Waters, et al., PNAS, Nov. 22, 2021.

Significance
"Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are dense populations of algae and/or cyanobacteria that can harm aquatic ecosystems by reducing water column oxygen and producing toxins. Whereas HABs are well documented in modern lakes, there has been little research on HABs associated with ancient societies. We inferred the magnitude of past HABs using a sediment core from Lake Amatitlán, Guatemala, which hosted large, prehistoric Maya populations in its watershed and currently experiences toxic HABs. About 1,000 y ago, ancient Maya in the area experienced periods of intense HABs and cyanotoxin concentrations in the lake, which rivaled the degraded conditions in the water body today. Human-associated HABs have affected both modern and ancient societies and deserve attention when exploring past human–environment interactions.

Politics and Gas

   If you glanced quickly at the photo above you probably assumed it was President Biden, particularly if you have relatives or friends who lean toward the right. Similar images of President Brandon or Prime Minister Justinflation are ubiquitous, contagious among conservatives and spread quickly over the Internet. 

   The image is of President Carter and it is displayed in the right-wing publication, American Opinion found in the June 1980 issue. An accompanying caption indicates that:

"No President who has boosted inflation over the 18 percent mark; allowed prime interest rates to reach 20 percent; doubled federal taxation; reduced productivity to minus figures; allowed the halving of our savings; and shrunk the value of the dollar as if it was a prune, deserves another chance to do worse."

   I suppose it is always the case that those who are not in power, blame those who are. The difference now is that the blame, deserved or not, can be spread more quickly and virulently. 

The Bonus:

   This actually is more of a warning. If you recently took on a large mortgage or are deeply in debt, but think that surely interest rates will never get to 5%, look at the one above. It is 20% and the Bank of Canada's key interest rate reached 21.2% in 1981.

ON Beeping

 

   I just indicated that I am attempting to be more productive this month and rather than actually be productive, I will push out another post. In order to do so quickly I will simply state my case and then provide you with supporting sources. My case is again typically contrarian, so if you want sources that undermine my position you will need to find them on your own. 

   I think we should re-think the notion that "backup beepers" or "reverse signal alarms" are beneficial, or beneficial enough to offset the problems created by the noise they generate. We should "Shut the Beep Up!" to put it crudely. 

  It is an oddly ironic thing that my interest in noise has increased as my ability to hear has decreased. At this point a beeper defender could cleverly argue against me by noting that I want them done away with because I can't hear them and would not be saved from being crushed by, say a garbage truck. I could cleverly retort that since I can't hear them, why would I want them outlawed. In fact, what would I care if they were made mandatory and even put on walkers, so when an elderly person backed up, they wouldn't step on my toes.

  But, I can hear well enough that I do care.  I thought about this a few years ago when a construction project on our street meant that there was relentless beeping all day long. I am bringing it up now because summer is coming (only theoretically here in London) and we should soon no longer be hermetically sealed inside. From the patio it would be nice to hear birds rather than beeps. It is also the case that there is more beeping at night by all different kinds of vehicles and that there are proposals to put them on e-cars since we can't hear the motors and need to be warned of their arrival. 

  While I am at it, the beeps and bells that sound to remind you that you left your lights on, or which you activate to let you know that you have locked your car should also be banned. That might make it easier for some of us to support the current proposal to ban handguns.

   There are other options to backup beepers. For example, if you have a new vehicle it probably lets you know when something appears behind your car and doesn't beep loudly, continually,  to let the person outside know you are backing up.  There are also arguments against them, one being that the beeping is so ubiquitous we have become oblivious to it. 

Some Sources: 
   You can begin with the Wikipedia entry for "Back-up Beeper" where you will learn that they were first invented in the late 1960s. This is from the "Criticism" section:

"Back-up beepers have been criticized by the public and in scientific literature. Beepers are at or near the top of lists of complaints to government road builders about road construction noise. There is published concern that due to desensitization and the cry wolf effect people tend to disregard ever-present alarm sounds, diminishing their effectiveness. The normal level of 1000 Hz pure tone beeps at 97-112 decibels, considerably higher than the long-term hearing loss limit of 70 decibels."

One of the notes in that section goes to: Holzman, David C. (2011-01-01). "Vehicle Motion Alarms: Necessity, Noise Pollution, or Both?". Environmental Health Perspectives. 119 (1): A30–A33. The first paragraph says:

"Alarm fatigue or alert fatigue describes how busy workers (in the case of health care, clinicians) become desensitized to safety alerts, and as a result ignore or fail to respond appropriately to such warnings. Alarm fatigue occurs in many fields, including construction and mining (where backup alarms sound so frequently that they often become senseless background noise), healthcare  (where electronic monitors tracking clinical information such as vital signs and blood glucose sound alarms so frequently, and often for such minor reasons, that they lose the urgency and attention-grabbing power which they are intended to have), and the nuclear power field. Like crying wolf, such false alarms rob the critical alarms of the importance they deserve. Alarm management and policy are critical to prevent alarm fatigue."

To learn more about the "Crying Wolf",  see the Wikipedia entry for "Alarm Fatigue."

For a good general source in favour of silence see Noise Free America: A Coalition to Promote Quiet, where this is found:

The New York State Department of Health, after investigating an industrial accident, concluded that back-up beepers were completely ineffective: “Often, people who work near back-up beepers have become accustomed to their sound and desensitized to their use as warning signals.”

See also the interesting: Silence Wiki. 

To answer the very good question - "How many people are killed or injured by reversing vehicles, see a source like this one: Fatalities and Injuries in Motor Vehicle Backing Crashes."

This subject rang a very low-sounding bell for me and I recalled that I recently dealt with noise pollution in my "Advance Noise Alert" which is found in my post about Oddments (1)

Some Canadian Content: 
  They are attempting to deal with this in Ottawa. 

"City Considers Licensing Bylaw for More Ways to Eliminate Noisy Backup Beepers: A Larger Discussion Has Been Happening About Cutting Down Backup Alarm Beeps From Vehicles Doing Overnight Work in Ottawa," Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, Dec. 21, 2001.

"The city has been swapping out the beep alert devices with quieter “broadband” devices on parts of its fleet. Coun. Diane Deans got the ball rolling in 2017 when she asked staff to look into the broadband alarms after residents were complaining about the backup beeps from snow trucks in parking lots.

The broadband device emits a focused whoosh sound to the area directly around the vehicle, rather than blasting the surrounding area with a repetitive ear-piercing beep."

The Bonus:

   A while back I did a post about Sound. At the very bottom of it you will find a link to a very quiet place - "One Square Inch - A Sanctuary For Silence at Olympic National Park." 

The FINGER

Is Nothing Sacred?  

   It is the first day of May and it is raining, so I will make my monthly attempt to do a variety of things, ranging from exercising and blogging more, to drinking less. As well, I will strive to be a better person and again promise to visit my physician, a promise I have been making monthly for about a decade. In my defence, some of these attempts and promises are weather-dependent and have nothing at all to do with my lack of resolve.

   There is some indication that I may again fail to achieve just about any of my monthly objectives since I already have spent much of the day reading just about anything which will allow me to avoid attempting anything that requires much effort. But, I just came across an article that will at least give me an opportunity to boost my blogging output, given that it shouldn’t require much effort. As well, I can dedicate this post to a loyal reader, who is ‘loyal’ only if I send him a link to it since he cannot otherwise find Mulcahy’s Miscellany. The subject of the post is the FINGER, the middle one. 

   Here is the article, portions of which I will present because they are more likely to be interesting than this post. The headline: "Three Glass Sculptures by Artist Ai Weiwei Were Snatched From an Exhibition at a Gallery in Hamburg, Germany, During a Daytime Heist."

"The artworks—red, yellow, and orange reproductions of the artist’s hand—were listed each for €9,500 (about $10,000) on the Lumas website. The trio references the Chinese dissident artist’s well-known photography series, Study of Perspective (1995–2017), in which his middle finger is raised to monuments and politically charged sites around the world."
[The image above is also from this article by Tessa Solomon found in ARTnews on April 29, 2022.]

As far as I can tell, the motives of this dastardly felon remain unclear. Perhaps one was money, or that he (they) was offended by the finger art, or that he simply wanted to give the finger to someone. 

   The link of the finger to my ‘loyal’ reader will now be made apparent. A while back he suffered a minor stroke. As a minor aside, I bet that a stroke would be classified as ‘minor’, only by those who haven’t experienced one. Prodded by his determined spouse, an aggressive rehabilitation program was undertaken and goals established. His left side was affected and he told his physiotherapist a primary motivator for him would be to be able again to raise for me his middle finger. I suppose I should be pleased that a goal related to me ranked higher even than guitar playing which is very important to him. Lest you think from all this that I am a rather bad fellow, like the finger stealing felon mentioned above, I will simply say that the gestation of this gesture by my loyal reader began and was developed on squash courts. 

Post Script:

   I realized when doing this that the middle finger has been a subject in other posts on this blog and perhaps indicates the intellectual level of it. The picture above is from "RIP - Reinhold Aman" who was an intellectual, but one who focused on the genre of things that could be said to be related to the middle finger. The post about Professor Alice Dreger ("Facts and Fingers") relates to a book she wrote which is: Galileo's Middle Finger...). The finger also figures, fittingly enough, in "The History of Everything (Revisited"), which features a book, A Cultural History of the Prostate. 

The Bonus: 

   Although I have shamelessly promoted past posts above, I doubt if you will visit them.  Even if you did, you might have missed the link which is provided in Facts and Fingers. Offered here again is a direct link to a more complete history of the middle finger which you are more likely to pay attention to since it is from the BBC: "When Did the Middle Finger Become Offensive?" Daniel Nasaw, BBC New Magazine, Feb. 6, 2012. 

   Thieves will even steal books. See, "The Great British Book Burglary."