In a comment on the post below, Puff directs my attention to an article comparing the Costa Concordia to the Titanic. It cites some interesting statistics which shed some light on chivalry, and the women and children first rule. The most interesting statistic is that while only twenty per cent of the men were saved, 74 per cent of the women made it off Titanic, but only 52 per cent of the children. In short, while the men by and large stepped aside and gave up their seats for the women, the women did not step aside for the children. The idea may have been women and children first, but in practice it was more along the lines of women first, then children, maybe. Draw your own conclusions.
2.
Today is my mother's birthday. She won't tell anyone how old she is, but I'm guessing it's around 147. Keep on kicking, mom!
3.
Recently read the Percy Jackson series with the kids. For the most part, a good yarn. However, one small quibble: In these books, the Greek gods are the embodiment of Western Civilization, and if they fall, the West falls. Hmmm, but no. While I agree that Western society was founded upon one deity, the Greeks ones weren't it. And if the True Faith fails, I believe the West will crumble. So that much is true.
3.5
Another find from Britain's Got Talent (I watch that more than the Canadian one, sadly), the Only Boys Aloud choir from Wales.
I like the way the choir master addresses the boys before the competition: a mixture of firmness yet encouragement and pride in the boys, a reminder that discipline is not the enemy of enthusiasm, but rather the force that gives it form and focus. I also like that they have a uniform, and still manage to look scruffy. You can dress them up....I don't think they have a chance, but I wish them well.
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