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Mr Jaoslav Houba

Below

Mr Houba’s successful UCT Tennis team 1966

“Mr Houba” – Remembered with great appreciation and fondness

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Categories are (so far): Animals, antinomy, Art, Astronomy, Birds, ethics, Faith, flowers, food, Humour, logic, Music, MusicJB (music I have composed), people, persuasion, pholosophy, Poetry, Quotations, Sensible Advice, Shakespeare, Sport, Story, Travel, Trees, Wild Life, WordPress Tips, and Words. I hope to add more categories. Existence is so interesting!

Praise the Lord

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Three little one year old hedgehogs have been given sanctuary in a beautiful East Sussex garden. They came from an Animal Rescue Center. All three for various reasons, are vulnerable. One of the hedgehogs is blind. Another is partially sighted. They will never survive in the wild.

Below is the beautiful garden which has become their new home. The garden has been made badger proof – important because a badger with its sharp claws could easily kill the tiny hedgehogs, now named Bluebell, Blossom and Buddy.

When they first arrived, the family had to feed them. Now they feed themselves, using no doubt their keen sense of smell. Apparently slugs and beetles are at the top of their menu. Hence they are called “the gardener’s best friend.

When not in their straw filled box in the garden the three new members of the family can be seen rolling at great speed across the small lawn. Clearly the three are bringing great joy to the kind family.

When I heard of the family’s love for these three vulnerable creatures it reminded me of the words of Emily Dickenson:

“If I can …help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.”

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It depends what you mean by “disillusioned.

Let’s start with the word “illusion”. What does it mean?

One if the meanings according to Professor Google is that it is “a false idea or belief”.

Taking this as the definition, it follows that if you are under a an illusion, you believe something which is false.

For example you may believe that the moon is made of cheese. We can safely say you are under a delusion.

If you go to the moon (compliments of NASA) and find out that the moon is not made of cheese, your false belief is gone. You have been disillusioned. You are no longer deluded.

So, becoming disillusioned is a good thing!

These days people believe plenty of things that are false.

Not good!

Digging for more information

When a person says that something will probably happen or probably not happen, the statement does not mean much unless the person speaking answers three important questions.

Take for example.

A person says: “Those plants will not grow”.

First Question: What is the probability of the plants not growing? Is it”low probability”, “medium probability” or “high probability”?

This first question seeks a rough indication of the degree of probability.

The answer might be:'”Low”.

Second Question: Why do you say “low”?

The second question looks for the evidence that led to the degree of probability.

The answer might be: “Low, because you have planted them in a bed that gets sun all day and those plants like the shade.”

Third Question: What evidence would change your mind?

This third question wants useful information on the way forward.

The answer might be: If you replant the plants in a shady part of the garden, they will have a better chance of success.

Comment

These three questions can be used any where. It would be useful for a reporter to use them at a news briefing by a politician.