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16
Mags Meanderings:
From Som Tam
To Mushy Peas
don’t go there!
A German scientist has developed a gadget which
could revolutionise the way we find our way around.
By combining the functions of GPS, a mobile app, and
the TENS machine, people can literally have nerves in
their legs tweaked to make them change direction. Just
programme in your route or destination and off you go.
Imagine the possibilities! No more tour guides needed
for a start. There is bound to be an audio facility to
provide running commentaries, telling you when to look
up at that Florentine ceiling, or down into that gorge
once you have been manoeuvred into position.
No more A to Z’s, or looking for a friendly policeman,
and no more trying to make sense of Bangkok maps!
There are of course potentially sensible uses too, such as
steering home dementia sufferers and those with mental
health problems who tend to get lost. (There have been
times when I worked in residential care when that
would have been a blessing to all concerned, including
the search helicopter and dog teams deployed one time
in Great Yarmouth when we misplaced a resident.)
And just imagine the difference the gadgets could
make to weekends in Hua Hin Night Market. Tourists
could programme themselves to walk in an orderly
fashion while maintaining awareness of other market
browsers. No one would ever again step off a sidewalk
before looking four ways. They could even arrange to
deliberately avoid tailors shops.
Then of course software could be developed which
would enable bar owners to hack in and direct tourists
through their doors without passing go.
One possible downside once that hacking stage is
reached - your better half learns how to programme you
to avoid Patpong. But nothing’s perfect.
October 9th was a very busy day in history, so narrowing
events on this date down to just four hasn’t been easy.
First is an event most relevant to your area, because
on October 9th 1945 Japanese forces on the Andaman
Islands were forced to surrender to British troops.
Five years earlier John
Lennon was born, so expect
to hear a lot of his songs
today, on what would have
been his 75th birthday.
Lennon kindly shared his
arrival in Liverpool with
the bombing of St Pauls
Cathedral by the Lufftwafer.
Leaping back to 1562 an
anatomist called Gabriel
Fallopius died, after having
discovered and given his
name to - you guessed it
- the fallopian tube. It goes without saying that Gabriel
must have had access to a lot of quite fresh cadavers,
together with the need to discover how they worked.
The puzzling thing is how he realised that this piece
of female plumbing was important enough to bear his
name, presumably without the magnification needed to
identify the purpose of ovaries back then, as microscopes
weren’t invented until the 1590’s.
And finally - you can rest assured that Hull is bound to
suffer bad weather as well this coming week. It is a long
standing tradition for the rains to arrive for Hull Fair
week, which begins today, the 9th. More on the history
of the fair next week.
REMEMBRANCE DAY
Wednesday 11th November
from 10.30 am
at the Dizzy Dolphin
ALL WELCOME
to come and pay
your respects
Poppies available at
Hua Hin Ham, Bacon & Meat Co.
on Soi 41
Sell it fast with AWOL Classifieds