Even I know that's not how percentages work

I got this hairbrush.

If there's 45% less breakage and 55% less effort, you don't add them together to get 100%.

The total percentage of overall benefit can't be more than the highest individual benefit. And if any of the individual benefits is not 100, the overall benefit can't be 100.

So (assuming breakage and effort are the only factors that contribute to 'happy hair'), I think (and my maths could be wrong) they add up to 50% happier hair - the average of the two. Which is still a good percentage.

Percentages aside, I think it does a good job - definitely much less breakage. Effort - easier than dragging a comb through it, but have to go over it more times. Happier hair? I haven't asked it how it feels 😊

 

[Edit: after a lengthy discussion with my brother (we do talk about interesting things 😁) I have concluded that a) my percentage was too simplistic, but that was partly because b) the whole thing is like comparing apples and oranges and makes no sense whatsoever.]

🗳️ Who to vote for - based entirely on their logos

This is a completely apolitical post - I'm looking at design only. Nothing said here reflects my political views AT ALL.

In order of the rainbow (because that's more design-y than the alphabet):

Labour 

I think this is a new logo for this election. I like it much better than the old rose, which was unclear and looked like a bad photocopy to me!

A thistle makes it look Scottish. It's a nice clear design. Interesting.

Changing to a pinkish red was an interesting design choice, and doesn't really say 'Labour' to me. It does look more modermn though. (Apparently it's supposed to be a red/purple gradient - but I think parties should stick to one colour.)

Could be a building society or sports logo.  

Liberal Democrat 

 

 It's just so happy! 

The flying bird suggests freedom, which goes with the name.

A nice golden colour too.

Nothing Scottish about it. 

Could be a building society logo. 

SNP

The symbol that is both a loopy cross and a thistle is clever.

Its simplicity means that anyone could draw it.

The black & yellow is a bit stark - though I think they've toned it down a bit. 

Of all the symbols, it would be the easiest for a totalitarian stare to use - it has that kind of non-fussy simplicity.

Green

So boring. The English one is more interesting.. Although it's different from the English one, there's nothing Scottish about it.

The only party whose colour is its name and message, which is handy. 

Putting your text inside a logo  can be tricky because you're forced to use a whole square every time, and the name can get rather small. A symbol that is separate from the name is easier to use in many contexts.

Could be an energy company or petrol station logo, which is slightly ironic. 

Reform 

 

Same issue with text inside, though I like the combination of black text and turquoise circle.

The arrow suggests moving forwards, which is a good thing for a political party to suggest though I'm not sure that it really reflects them, as their proposed reforms are of the conservative kind. It's definitely not touchy-feely, which does reflect them.

I can't see this used as a logo for anything but a political party. 

Conservative

 

Not bad. It's quite a dynamic saltire - Scottish but the touch of red brings in the Unionist aspect. The cyan is presumably just to add brightness. Unfortunately these colours are lost in black & white versions, where it becomes more underwhelming and loses something important. Don't rely on colour in your logos!

Could be a logo for a transport company or a bank.

Verdict 

So, in order of merit, based on logos alone, I'm going with:

1. Lib Dem 
2. Labour 
3. Reform 
4. SNP
5. Conservative
6. Green 

OK, now I'd better get on with figuring out who I'm actually voting for! 

Bones parenting styles 😁

Massive spoilers for Bones season 6.

OK, that out of the way...

 

Bones and Angela are in the park watching their respective children play.

Bones: Christine! You have reached your maximum potential energy on the swing. Lower your centre of gravity, please.

Angela: Does she actually know what you're saying?

Bones: Of course.

Angela: Michael Vincent! If you run up that slide one more time, I'm never feeding you again!
He understands me, too.

(Season 10 episode 4)

I'm dreaming of a white Easter

I don't think this is what people were expecting as they arrived at church this morning.

(Also seen today: heavy rain, beautiful sun, and hailstones)

♫ Jesus is Alive 🎝

 I came across this song. It's very catchy! (It's also aimed at preschoolers)

 

Mackerel wraps

I based this extremely losely on something a friend once gave me - but I don't think she'd recognise it, as hers used chicken and sour cream! 

  

You will need (per person):

• 2 wraps (these ones were Lidl's seeded wraps)
• Approx 100g mackerel - I like sweetcure smoked mackerel*
• 1 tomato
• A few leaves of lettuce 
• Mayonnaise
• Grated cheese 

What you do:

1. Chop tomato. Tear up lettuce.
2. Grill mackerel on both sides until cooked through and the skin is all crispy.
3. Warm wraps
4. Spead on some mayo 
5. Divide lettuce, tomato, mackerel and cheese between wraps
6. Roll up
7. Eat

---

*My dad doesn't like smoked fish so I used a tin of mackerel for him, with the tomato sauce rinsed off, and heated through in a frying pan. 

Telephone quote

"I do not think I am exaggerating the possibilities of this invention when I tell you that it is my firm belief that one day there will be a telephone in every major town in America."

~ Alexander Graham Bell

Paws 🐾

I've read The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe innumerable times over the last 40 years. But I only just noticed something. How does the captain of the secret police write a letter and nail it to the floor if he's a wolf?

My old studio 🙁

A long time ago I used to have a studio in town - I now work from home.

Which is not as good (though cheaper) - but  I'm glad I'm no longer there, as the whole building burnt down yesterday. 

I feel for all the small businesses that were there.  

Found this video online. The drone starts travelling along Gordon street if you're trying to orientate yourself.

Cheese and apple pancakes 🧀🍏

This is how we do pancakes in my family - no-one knows where the recipe came from.

You will need

• Pancakes (the crepe sort). We use pancake mix but you could do it properly of course.
• Apples (we used two between three people)
• A similar quantity of cheese e.g.cheddar

What you do

1. Preheat oven 
2. Grate the apple and cheese and mix together.
3. Make the pancakes. 
4. As each one is made, fill with apple and cheese mixture and roll up.
5. Arrange on foil in a baking tray, cover with foil and put in oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted 
6. Eat 😋
7. Use up leftover batter (if any) to make more pancakes and eat with lemon & sugar, jam (or this time dulce de leche)

Before tobacco health warnings

Was tidying out some craft stuff, and found these old pipe cleaners. They're real pipe cleaners, not the coloured craft ones you get now. (They came from my Granny.  For craft purposes - she didn't smoke a pipe!)

The text on the back is interesting:

 

WHAT IS A PIPE?

It is the poor man's friend. It calms the mind, soothes the nerves and makes a man patient under all difficulties. 

From the moment a man takes to a pipe he becomes a philosopher.

It has made more good men, indulgent husbands, kind masters and fathers, than anything else in the world.  

STUDY YOUR HEALTH and clean your pipe daily for it is a filter which purifies the smoke before it enters the mouth. 

IF YOU ARE WISE you will smoke two or more pipes alternately and leave a pipe cleaner in those not in use. You will find them all the sweeter.

Rather overblown claims there, maybe?

The fifth of February

I discovered I posted this 10 years ago, but I think that's long enough ago to allow a repeat.

Lyrics by John Finnemore. Music written and played by Susannah Pearse. Performed by Simon Kane, with Carrie Quinlan and Margaret Cabourn-Smith.

Quote Zzzzzzz 😴

"Sometimes the godliest thing you can do in the universe is get a good night’s sleep … If you are among those who become nasty, cynical or even full of doubt when you are missing your sleep, you are morally obligated to try to get the sleep you need."

~ Don Carson

'Life' drawing again

New Year, new habits...

Going to see if I can get back into 'life' drawing again. (By 'life' I mean from photos). It always helps my drawing when I do this regularly - it's like practising scales.

 

Looking at my sketchbook I don't seem to have done any for 5 years, so I was pleasantly surprised that it worked - it helped that it was an easy pose and easy body-type to draw. I used the pose app from AdorkaStock and just drew the first one that appeared.

 

Purple crayon, so I couldn't rub anything out or even smudge out mistakes!

 

 

Stone Age Smash®

The prehistoric Peruvians had instant mashed potato.

This is my favourite fact among the many fascinating facts in a book I got for Christmas.

 

 

Which, btw, means that the claim on the Smash potato packets is many thousands of years out of date.

 

New Year Song

Last year I had difficulty thinking of a New Year song.

This year I've had one in  mind since it came out 11½ months ago!

 Where the Living is Deep from The Gray Havens

Happy New Year!

Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world💡. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12