Sunday, April 29, 2007
Beards, Earthquakes and Talking Buildings
This earthquake in Kent, which seems to be the only news story in the world this morning, produced a consolingly bearded seismologist on television this morning. (I'm anti-beard, downright beardist in fact, but academics on television news shows should have beards.) He said we know a lot about quakes in Kent because of Canterbury Cathedral. It's an ancient structure with long terms records which include reports of the earth shaking. There are downsides, of course, but, on the whole, it is a wonderful thing, living in an old country where academics on TV are nervous and have beards and the buildings tell us stories.
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A blog about, among other things, imaginary ideas - What ifs? and Imagine thats. What if photographs looked nothing like what we see with our eyes? Imagine that the Berlin Wall had never come down. What if we were the punchline of an interminable joke? All contributions welcome.
No one really injured, TG. While it seems a quick shimmy round with a dustpan will do much of the cleaning. But I'll bet it put a added frisson to Saturday night nooky in the County. And possibly knocked the house foundations back into place.
ReplyDeleteBut how often could an earthquake expert expect to be wheeled out to provide his tuppence worth, no wonder the chap was skittish. While Canterbury was designed to tell a story, abet not about earthquakes. But most of them had beards.
What's the problem with beards? Are your bearded blog readers and commentators not welcome? Should I consider joining the Beard Liberation Front?
ReplyDeleteNo, all welcome, of course, David, but I do like the idea of the BLF. I don't know, I've always found beards wrong somehow. Grew one myself once. Horrible, it was. Perhaps beards are like hats, they need a way back into to men's repertoire of possible appearances.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the words of reassurance.
ReplyDeleteOf course, Bryan, you wouldn't hide your chin cleft under a bushel -- er, beard -- so no wonder you dis' em.
ReplyDeleteThe cleft is, indeed, a great consolation. One day I shall get to the bottom of it.
ReplyDeleteUntil now I Had thought a "beardist" was someone who believed in the inherent superiority of a particular type of beard? What would be the word for that Bryan?
ReplyDeletean old goatee
ReplyDeleteThe bottom of a great consoling bearded cleft? Back in Dali territory, I presume.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like Chip
ReplyDelete