David Bradley – Page 2 – David Bradley

What did you do during the Facebook downtime, Daddy?

In a recent incident that caught the attention of billions of users, a major social media platform (Facebook) experienced a widespread outage, leaving users unable to access their accounts for several hours. Many of them quickly migrated to their other social media accounts to gripe. Of course, as such disruption unfolds, initially users will perceive it as an individual issue, a problem with their phone or PC. We all occasionally get “session expired” notifications but are able to log back in to our apps, many people faced with this tried and were then told their password was incorrect and 2FA systems failed. It soon became apparent that this was a system-wide problem affecting all Facebook users.

The incident highlights an important lesson in recognizing systemic failures. Often, when faced with technical difficulties, individuals may assume that the issue lies with their own devices or accounts. However, as demonstrated in this case, persistent problems affecting numerous users indicate a broader issue with the platform itself.

The implications of such a widespread outage extend beyond inconvenience for users. First off, imagine not being able to use your social media and having to interact with the real world, chatting face-to-face with other humans, listening to bird song, smelling the roses, going for a walk in the fresh air!?!?!?! Whatever next?

Social media platforms do play a significant role in our lives and in modern communication, commerce, and information dissemination in general. When these platforms experience downtime on such a large scale, it disrupts not only individual users but also businesses, organizations, and even governments that rely on them for all kinds of activities including meeting social and healthcare needs in many instances.

Such incidents underscore the importance of strong infrastructure and contingency planning for technology companies. In an increasingly digital world, ensuring the reliability and resilience of their online services is important. Companies must invest in putting backup measures in place, in proactive monitoring systems, and rapid response protocols to minimize the impact of potential outages and so be in a position to resume normal service quickly. I mean, imagine having to spend more than an hour talking to other people face-to-face or taking a long walk, like maybe a mile or more!

This is Planet Earith – Starling murmurations

UPDATE: I mentioned the murmurations to a choir friend, Sara, and bumped into her and her husband on the Fen. I warned them that, because it was very windy, we might not get such good murmurations as I’d mentioned before. But amazingly, as dusk rolled on, even though it wasn’t a bright sunset, we got some wonderful activity from approximately two-hundred thousand Starlings.

The main activity was very much over the reedbeds among which we stood rather than being half a mile away as occurred on my previous two visits. This made it hard to get the full murmuration in the camera frame at the level of zoom I had with me. So, the above video was done on my phone as a record.

The birds would whoosh over out heads at about 50 metres altitude. I warned the people around me not to look up with their mouths open and within a few minutes, my choir friend had undergone a full birding initiation with three deposits from above in quick succession. Amazing that I didn’t get splashed as I was standing only a metre or two away from her.

Anyway, the birds gathered in a very dense flock at about 17h50 and bedded down into the vast reedbed in front of the entrance to the reserve. There were undulations for a good ten minutes as it got darker and darker. At one point, a Merlin was reported to have caught one Starling on the wing. The other 199,999 were fine and had roosted down among the reeds by the time we departed.

At the end of February, I got wind of there being very large numbers of Common Starling murmurating at a local nature reserve – RSPB Ouse Fen (Earith). I got a few photos on an evening visit. There were probably half a million birds, it was quite astonishing. I based my estimate on counts I’ve done of photographs of smaller flocks and extrapolating to the huge patches of sky that were covered with birds on the evening.

I got some nice photos at sunset but my phone video was very smeary and low-res. So, a second visit was essential. Unfortunately, rumour had it that the numbers the next night were smaller, that some of the birds had moved to roosting over the Over side of RSPB Ouse Fen…nevertheless, Mrs Sciencebase and myself headed over to Earith on 3rd March.

Short-eared Owl "chasing" a Chinese Water Deer — Short-eared Owl “chasing” a Chinese Water Deer

It was a much better evening and definitey fewer Starlings, but still many tens of thousands. This time I got some decent video footage of the murmurations.

We also ticked three Short-eared Owls, half a dozen Chinese Water Deer, heard numerous Cetti’s Warbler and saw just one, saw Great White Egret and Grey Heron, heard a couple of Bearded Reedling, and heard one or two booming Bitterns, lots of Geese, Cormorants, Reed Bunting, Widgeon calling, Little Grebe, Water Rail etc. The Cranes that had been displaying south of the car park on the gravel works land flew in to roost about a quarter of a mile in front of us as we watched the starling murmurations. It was a wonderful evening of nature watching.

I played my video to the Merlin app, although we all knew what birds we could hear, but it came back with Coot, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Cetti’s Warbler, Ring-necked Pheasant. It didn’t pick up Wigeon, Little Grebe, Reed Bunting, Bearded Reedling, which we had heard.

I opened up one of my stills with a huge flock across it and enlarged it on my laptop screen. I drew a square around a patch that I estimated had 100 birds in it. Double-checked and adjusted the size of the square to make sure it was very close to 100. I measured the square in pixels and then worked out how many such squares would fill the area of the photo filled with birds. It came to about 75000 birds. This assumes average density across the photo. There were probably areas outside the area of the photo that would be around 25000 birds. So, the biggest flock would be around 100000, there were probably about half the same number of birds in the air elsewhere. The previous evening of murmurations I’d have said there were 5-6 such flocks, so guesstimating at least half a million birds going to roost on this patch of the reserve.

Estimate - 75000 Starlings — Estimate – 75000 Starlings

What’s a skeuomorph, anyway?

A skeuomorph, derived from the Greek skeuos, meaning container or tool, and morphe, meaning shape, refers to a design element retaining attributes of older structures that are redundant in the current form. These elements serve to imbue novelty with familiarity, aiding users in understanding new devices or systems.

They’re not solely functional; aesthetic considerations often prompt their use. There are lots of examples: pottery adorned with imitation rivets reminiscent of metal pots, lightbulbs mimicking candle flames complete with a flickering effect, and software calendars and address books resembling their paper counterpartsplanners.

There are also auditory skeuomorphs, such as clicking sounds when you tap a “button” on a touchscreen. Indeed, the notion of buttons on a touchscreen is also an example of a skeuomorph. Another familiar auditory skeuomorph is the faked sound of a camera shutter moving in a device, such as a phone or digital camera, both of which lack a conventional, physical shutter.

Skeuomorph design cues have a practical and aesthetic component often helping to bridge the gap between an old familiar device and the present system with the aim of improving the user experience.

There are countless other examples of skeuomorphs:

The tiny, non-functional handle on a glass maple syrup bottle.

Embellishments on stone buildings reminiscent of construction features on wooden buildings

The graphical user interface of modern computing, which commonly emulates switches, toggles, dials, and buttons of conventional electrical and electronic devices. The file and folder symbols resembling pieces of paper and filing cabinets. Even the floppy disk icon that is used to represent the Save function. Screen-based typewriter keys that also click like a typewriter when tapped. An envelope symbol to represent email

Vinyl and other plastics patterned to resemble their earlier wooden counterparts in various areas, vehicle trim, flooring, furniture, wall coverings

Pushbutton telephones designed with a fake dial to resemble an earlier type of telephone. Dialtone sounds on digital phones that no longer require a dialtone for technological reasons

Electric kettles with the design of stove-top kettles

Velcro fastenings with a fake buckle overlay

Mock Tudor architecture

Faux leather

Distressed furniture

Fake stone facades and brick veneers

Artificial flowers and fake plastic trees

Animal print fabrics

Artificial turf

Leatherette

Scented fabric softeners, scented candles, air fresheners, perfumes, scents, eau de cologne

Rinse your recycling

Rinsing food packaging before putting in your recycling bin is critical to making the process as efficient and as effective as possible. Efficient recycling processes can significantly reduce the environmental impact compared to producing new materials from virgin resources.

Rinsing packaging helps reduce contamination in the recycling stream. Contaminated materials can lead to lower-quality recyclables, which may be rejected or require additional processing, thereby increasing costs and energy consumption. Higher-quality recycled materials fetch better prices in the market and have broader applications, contributing to a more sustainable recycling industry.

Rinsing packaging does require additional water usage. However, the amount of water needed for rinsing is generally minimal compared to other household activities. If you can use grey water, or even collected rainwater, for rinsing all the better. The simplest approach is just to add the dirty packaging to the end of your normal washing up. There is no need to put tins, cans, or plastic pots in the dishwasher, of course.

Rinsing also avoids residues that can affect the maintenance requirements and lifespan of recycling equipment. Residue buildup can lead to equipment corrosion, increased wear and tear, and the need for more frequent cleaning and maintenance cycles, all of which contribute to higher operational costs and resource usage.

Encouraging rinsing as a standard practice can also have broader effects on environmental awareness and behaviour. It reinforces the importance of proper waste management and encourages individuals to consider the environmental consequences of their actions.

When it comes to Lepidoptera, plus ça change

An analysis of the genomes of more than 200 butterfly and moth, Lepidoptera, species reveals that genetic framework of what is ostensibly a very diverse group of insects, has remained remarkably stable since they diverged from their last common ancestor over 250 million years ago.

In a study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, shed new light on the evolutionary history and genetic structure of the Lepidoptera, which could help in conservation efforts for what is an incredibly important group of pollinators, food source for birds, bats, and other creatures, and a vital part of a healthy ecosystem and environment. I’ve discussed the importance of moths and mothing on Sciencebase before.

Despite the wide range of physical appearance and behaviour of the Lepidoptera, of which there are some 160000 extant species around the world, the team has demonstrated that 32 ancient chromosome building blocks, termed “Merian elements,” have changed little in 250 million years and remain consistent across most species. Even the arrangement of genes within these chromosomes has shown consistency over time.

However, some species, notably the Blue butterflies (Lysandra) and the White butterflies (Pieris), exhibited significant chromosome rearrangements, deviating from the typical genome structure. These exceptions offer insights into the mechanisms driving genetic diversity within Lepidoptera.

The study’s implications extend beyond entomology. By understanding the genetic foundations of butterflies and moths, researchers can inform conservation strategies. This knowledge could assist targeted conservation efforts, ecosystem health monitoring, and adaptation to environmental changes, particularly those related to climate change.

Additionally, this research aligns with broader initiatives such as the Darwin Tree of Life Project and the Earth BioGenome Project, aiming to sequence and understand the genetic makeup of all life on Earth. By unravelling the mysteries of Lepidoptera genetics, scientists contribute to a deeper understanding of biodiversity and evolutionary processes.

Understanding butterfly and moth genetics not only provides insights into their past but also lays the groundwork for more effective conservation strategies to protect these important pollinators and herbivores in our ecosystems.

Wright et al. (2024) Nature Ecol Evol – Comparative genomics reveals the dynamics of chromosome evolution in Lepidoptera

Beware the March dagger

In the world of entomology, the naming conventions of moth species often reflect a fascinating interplay between scientific and vernacular language. While some moth species boast evocative common names like Angle Shades or Setaceous Hebrew Character, others, particularly those belonging to the category of micro moths, are identified solely by their scientific nomenclature, lacking universally recognized common names. This situation draws a curious parallel to the realm of dinosaurs, where species like Tyrannosaurus rex are known exclusively by their scientific designations.

However, amidst this taxonomy, there exists a notable exception: Diurnea fagella, a moth species that straddles both worlds of nomenclature. Officially classified by its scientific name, Diurnea fagella, this moth also bears vernacular names, albeit inconsistently. It is sometimes referred to as the March Dagger moth or the March Tubic, though within international and Lepidoptera communities, it is unequivocally recognized as Diurnea fagella.

This dual nomenclatural identity of D. fagella underscores the nuanced complexities of species classification and naming conventions within the field of entomology. While some species remain firmly entrenched in scientific terminology, others manage to acquire colloquial names, reflecting perhaps their significance or visibility.

Beyond the realm of moth identification, this phenomenon prompts broader reflections on the relationship between scientific precision and common language. It highlights the ways in which organisms are categorized, named, and understood by both experts and the general public. Moreover, it invites contemplation on the cultural and linguistic dynamics that shape our interactions with the natural world, illuminating the intricate tapestry of human-animal relationships.

How many songs is too many songs?

As with guitars, you can never have too many songs, surely? My modern period of writing and recording began around April 2012, although I’d done a lot of noodling guitar instrumentals with beats and synths for many years before that going way back into my teens.

But, this modern period which started in my 40s when I co-established an Arts Night happening got me writing and recording on a more regular and frequent basis. Some of the early stuff is lost to my old SoundCloud page. That said, I could probably resurrect those files if there was a demand. There were also dozens of cover versions, some of which are still on my Youtube and Spotify etc.

Anyway, my recorded musical output, as opposed to the live stuff I do solo, with C5 the band, with bigMouth/TyrannoChorus choir, and in various collaborations with Barbara, Patrick, Liz, and several others is mainly found on my BandCamp pages.

Genre Fluid (2023) – 8 tracks – 32’28”
Lifelines (2022) – 8 tracks – 31’22”
After the Lockdown (2021) – 14 tracks – 63’36”
Lockdown (2020) – 14 tracks – 61’50”
Bridge of Sighs (2019) – 17 tracks – 71’36”
The Sea Refuses No River (2018) – 11 tracks – 44’36”
Who is Really Fooling Who? (2017) – 9 tracks – 33’55”
Detail is a Devil (2017) – 13 tracks – 53’53”
In Transition (2016) – 15 tracks – 64’03”
Push the Button (2015) – 15 tracks – 65’14”
If at first… (2014) – 25 tracks – 98’13”

Total 149 tracks, 11h30m

The chronology of these various collections may be slightly skewed in places, where I shuffled songs from one collection to another over the years. There was at one point an EP called Bait and Switch (2016) and another called Life, Love, Lonicera(2016). The songs from those were spread around the playlists from around that time to make the whole collection more balanced. “Push the Button”, “Wild Honeysuckle” and “Burning Out” ended up on the Push the Button album. “Escape to the Stars”, “The Silent Spring”, “Bait and Switch”, and “White Line Warrior” ended up on the Detail is a Devil album.

I should perhaps adjust the playlists to balance the album lengths properly but there are natural gaps between the songwriting periods of the last 12 years. Anyway, I am now awaiting a new playlist from Clive-upon-Sea who is working his way through all 150 songs, all eleven and a half hours of my music to pull together an Essential Dave Bradley collection.

An analysis of History Written on the Water

My most recent song is out now for streaming and download via BandCamp. I’ve already talked about how it came to be and alluded to the origins of the title in the engraving on young English poet John Keats’ headstone – Here Lies One Whose Name was writ in Water

With this song History Written on the Water I tried to weave a tapestry of imagery and metaphor, exploring themes of secrets, betrayal, faithlessness, loss, and the relentless passage of time.

Secrets and Betrayal: My lyrics refer to secrets, suggesting that there are hidden truths that have been concealed or obscured. Lines like “The secret’s out, they could’ve lied” and “A candle snuffed from sacred view” imply a sense of betrayal or deception, the allusion to candles hinting at faithlessness.

Metaphorical Imagery: By design or accident, there are numerous metaphors, in particular the history being written on the water, suggesting an impermanence and fluidity of events and the idea that our actions leave no indelible mark on the world. They say history is a lesson to learn, but so often we inore it.

Nature Imagery: Many of my songs talk of the sea, water, tides, often symbolizing loss, death, the passage of time, the inevitability of change, and the depths of the human condition. The mention of “crushing waves beneath the endless skies” hopefully conjures a sense of overwhelming force and vastness.

Contract and Binding: The reference to contracts signed between the lines and the (legal) eagle’s talons tightly binding perhaps suggest a sense of entrapment or obligation, perhaps implying that choices made in the past have lasting consequences.

Yearning for Redemption: The repeated references to finding one’s way back home and reclaiming secrets beneath the waves suggest a longing for redemption or reconciliation. There is a sense of urgency and determination in lines like “No more time left to roam” and “Promise me that you’ll be fine.”

Desolation and Loss: The imagery of “empty bed” and “world gone dark” conveys a sense of desolation and loss, hinting at the aftermath of betrayal or abandonment.

Turning Point: The line “The turnaround is where it ought to be” suggests a moment of realization or reckoning, where the protagonist comes to terms with their circumstances and resolves to move forward. A turnaround, of course, being a musical term for a point in a song where the chord progression or melody flips from the expected to something unexpected but nevertheless satisfying.

History Written on the Water is hopefully a poignant exploration of human experience, using imagery and metaphor to convey themes of secrecy, betrayal, redemption, and the passage of time. In it, I reflect on some of the complexities of life, maybe the transient impact of our actions on the world around us.

You can download or stream my latest song from BandCamp.

History Written on the Water – A song

TL:DR – I’ve written a new song. It’s now on BandCamp and FREE to the first 200 people to download.

John Keats’ headstone in the Cemitero Acattolico famously has the line:

Here Lies One Whose Name was writ in Water

I’d misremembered this or maybe misread it somewhere as history as ephemeral information easily lost, never really solid in the first place, history written on water. Apparently, it was much earlier though, in Beaumont and Fletcher’s play Philaster, 1611: ‘All your better deeds Shall be in water writ, but this in Marble.’ Longfellow quoted Keats’ epitaph in his ode to the ‘young English poet’.

As is my wont, I wrote a few words around this phrase, trying to make a new song. I had a little chord progression that involved two-finger open chords up and down the neck, but fundamentally the progression was Em-C-Am-B. I recorded a demo with the rough words a couple of days before my birthday, but it didn’t really gel. It was sparse, fragile, spare…could’ve been a nice song, perhaps sung by someone else.

I was going to ditch it. But, come Friday evening with an empty house, I went back to basics with those open chords and just played them as I would normally have done at the first positions on guitar with a couple of little tweaks. It was a bit too high for me to sing the melody I’d come up with comfortably, so I stuck a capo on the third fret and dropped my voice to fit. There are still some high bits, thank goodness for Melodyne assisting me with the accuracy of the upper harmonies.

I worked up my lyrics over the evening and came up with a way to make a chorus work, chopping up the evolving chord progression of the verse and making it a more basic rock pattern. Then a bridge with a spot of modulation, a key change, to open things up and take it back into a final chorus.

So, with lyrics tweaked, three sections in, I ran a 1+1 vocal and guitar, added a second acoustic guitar with a bit of distortion, did a pseudo-mandolin section, tapped along with a MIDI keyboard to add some percussion, and then played a bit of bass. To finish it off, I recorded a fake classical ending using the chords from the verses and pitch-shifted it up an octave to make it sound like a musical box, all very silly, but just an esoteric finale for fun. Some glockenspiel on the MIDI keyboard and a bit of MIDI keyboard for sax too…

It was all quite complex by now and the drums sounded crap. I redid those on cajon a few days later and still it sounded crap. In stepped my friend Dave Oliffe of Giant Audio Studio with whom I’ve been co-producing Cluce-upon-Sea’s latest album. Dave is a fabulous drummer and made an easy job of playing along to my track with the original percussion muted. The final mix is now on the Dave Bradley BandCamp page. There’s a lot going on lyrically and musically in this tune, do give it a couple of listens.

History written on the water

The secret’s out, they could’ve lied
The silent treatment terrified
The missing link, the dimmest spark
The wording just a little too dark

It was always written in ascorbic ink
Unread terms that make you think
A contract signed between the lines
The Eagle’s talons tightly bind

I had to find my way back home
No more time left to roam
My grand designs lost on the breeze
The faithless falling to their knees

CHORUS
Time and tide they wait for no man
Empty promises in disguise
Shallow seas will claim your secrets
Crushing waves beneath the endless skies

CHORUS COUNTERMELODY
They won’t wait for you
Promise me that you’ll be fine
Won’t you just reclaim your secret
Beneath the waves, there’s a better view

The secret’s out, they could’ve told you
A candle snuffed from sacred view
A world gone dark your plans unmade
An empty bed the price that’s paid

It was always written in ascorbic ink
All terms unread won’t make you think
A contract signed between the lines
The Eagle’s talons tightly bind

You’re history written in the water
The turnaround is where it ought to be
Unholy ground that nothing saves
The words unread, far beneath the waves

Some of the lyrics are deliberate cliches, like the whole “time and tide” refrain because I often allude to the sea in my music. Ascorbic ink, in case you couldn’t see right through that was an allusion to invisible ink made from lemon juice. Originally, it was the (legal) Eagle’s hidden talons. I think the closing “You’re history” was originally “Your history”, but then I thought it could also mean “you are history”, meaning “you’re finished”.

To be honest, I’ve no idea what the song is about, secrets, plans gone wrong, contracts, lawyers, faith, the sea, drowning? Maybe subconsciously I’ve written a song about The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin.

Local White Stork – Ciconia ciconia

I’ve mentioned seeing an unringed White Stork, Ciconia ciconia, in our neighbourhood previously. It is probably a collection escapee and perhaps the same unringed bird that has in previous years been seen in Kent, Essex, and then a couple of years ago in a marina in a village not far from here called Earith and most recently near the flooded farmland on Smithy Fen in Cottenham.

Today, a friend reported that it was on a flood alongside Twentypence Road. Incidentally, it seems unlikely that this bird is a vagrant from continental Europe, but you never know. Some cynical birders would refer to an escapee as a plastic bird.

Zoomed and cropped photo of a White Stork from about 80 metres — Zoomed and cropped photo of a White Stork from about 100 metres

I headed out on my bike to try and catch sight of it, but it was no longer in the reported field. If only I’d checked my messages before I left, as another friend had sent me a photo from the “new” village ponds where he’d seen it and wanted to know what sort of bird it was. Anyway, Mrs Sciencebase having caught me up on Twentypence Road headed back towards home along the Cottenham Lode and spotted the bird in yet another flooded field. She called me to report in and I cycled up to see it. The sun was out for 20 minutes, so got some reasonable views of the bird standing on a mound of earth behind the old stud and stables.

Closer view of a White Stork in the collection at Old Hurst Farm. It's plausible that the Cottenham Stork is an escapee from their flock — Closer view of a White Stork in the collection at Old Hurst Farm

At this point, we messaged some other friends who we thought might be interested and they headed in and got good views too.

Stork in flight over Earith marina, 2022

You may have noticed the White Stork’s scientific binomial uses the same word for genus and species, Ciconia ciconia. The word comes from the Latin for stork, so this bird is a Stork stork, you might say. Such a repeat in a name, a tautonym, indicates that this species is the type, or archetype, of the genus. See also: Cygnus cygnus (Whooper Swan), Bufo bufo (Common Toad), Buteo buteo (Common Buzzard), Carduelis carduelis, (European Goldfinch) and, of course, Gorilla gorilla gorilla (Western Lowland Gorilla).

The White Stork was still in the same field this morning although perhaps 200 metres away, hence the lower-quality photo. But, I’m sharing it to give you a sense of size of the stork relative to the Little Egret.

White Stork and Little Egret, 200m distance and zoomed and cropped heavily hence the distortions