Getting married is going to be one of the biggest days of your life, and with that knowledge comes great responsibility. There are so many things that will be going on every day until the build-up of the wedding, and that means tons of planning and preparation that may at the time become a little overwhelming. You see, no matter how simple you set out to make your wedding, it still won't seem that way when prepping everything. You'll be stressed, anxious, and nervous. This is most likely down to the what-ifs. What if something goes wrong? What if the dress won't fit? What if the suit doesn't fit? What if your hair won't sit in place? What if someone is late? What if you fall over when walking down the aisle? – The list goes on. But the fact of the matter is that, things do happen, all the time, and it may not go exactly the way you had planned by the book, but that's okay! As long as your other half turns up when they're supposed to, nothing else matters.
Now, weddings tend to be worked all around the woman, but tables are turning these days, and men need to step up their game. No pressure. So if you're looking for some last minute touches for the groomsmen on your big day – here are a few ideas to get you started.
Cufflinks are a wonderful way of making something very plain, a lot more sophisticated and suave. Essentially, they attach to the cuff of a shirt or blazer where the button and hole goes. There is so much variety out there for cufflinks that you will be spoilt for choice. You can literally find any logo you want, be it a superman stud, the initial of a first name, or that oh so famous mustache. One fun idea is to supply all of the groomsmen with their own theme. It works out to be a very thoughtful gift for them to receive just before the events take place.
A tie clip or bar is something that is used to keep a tie sitting in place against the shirt. It's there for practical purposes so you don't risk ties flapping around of blowing all over the place. Having said that, that doesn't mean that it can't also be a beautiful accessory. There are so many different bars that come in all sorts of colours, from rose gold all the way down to gunmetal grey, so there's no reason you won't be able to find something that fits in perfectly to your wedding. Then comes the shape, design, and logo. You can go as subtle or as bold as you want with this, so have a look and see what will best suit your groomsmen.
Let's face it, who doesn't look extremely badass when wearing some shades? It's a way of becoming cool in a matter of seconds, and it can also make a very good lad's photo together looking all dapper. Of course, you may not want them wearing these all day because being able to see someone's eyes is always important, but when the time is right, there is nothing wrong with getting them out. Especially if you're having a ceremony outside – it makes sense. They also look good when not being worn by hooking them over the blazer or shirt pocket.
Jewellery isn't only made for women you know? There's a lot of pieces that a guy can add to their collection to stand out and look even hunkier. The groom himself may not want to add any more rings onto his fingers because this will only take attention away from the most important one, but bracelets are a nice idea. Depending on the fashion sense of the groomsmen will determine the style they wear, but it can be anything from something classic looking in a solid silver or gold. Or some multiple stack leather bracelets to add that rustic hipster vibe.
Now that you have a few different ideas, the best thing to do is speak to the groom, as he will know all of his best friends best, and see what ideas he has. Not only will all of the boys look great on your big day, but it also allows them to have a bonding experience between them, bringing them even closer together. Just make sure that they don't end up upstaging you!


This is the easiest and fastest homemade rice pudding recipe, ever. Five ingredients and 20 minutes from start to finish.
Well, honestly, I don't really peruse rice pudding recipes online, but I am pretty sure this one has to be a top contender in the 'easy, fast, simple, but tastes wonderful' category.
Cook one cup of rice according to the directions (probably adding about 1.75 to 2 c of water to it) and when it's done, add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine and simmer for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and mixture is fairly thick.
Notes: Pudding will thicken once cooled, so it's not necessary to cook all the liquid out. And, over time in the refrigerator, the rice pudding will also thicken and if it becomes too thick, add a splash of water and stir in until it's creamy again.
Yields: 6 hearty portions of pudding. Will keep in the fridge for many days. My grandma used to freeze hers and re-thaw it.
Garnish with extra raisins, if desired, and serve warm or chilled. Whatever floats your rice boat.
The sweetened condensed milk, with vanilla extract, cinnamon, and raisins brought back wonderful childhood memories of the pudding my grandma used to make for me.
So rich, creamy, sweet, and comforting.
The raisins add a perfect chewy texture.
I impressed myself that I made this from start to finish in 20 minutes.
Scott and Skylar were impressed with the taste. Lots of oohs and ahhs.
Today's recipe and the chocolate truffles are both: 5 ingredient recipes, and both use vanilla and sweetened condensed milk for two of the 5 items. How's that for trivia you don't care about.
From my last post on Delicious Desserts, I'm glad I got you drooling!
And also, thanks for your Best Of Submissions. Keep 'em coming. I'll close the comments once I am in recipe submission overload. But I'm not there, yet.
1. Do you like rice pudding?
Yes, and I had not had any in about 20 years since my grandma last made me some. Kozy Shack from the grocery store doesn't count because it's not homemade, but I will admit, that stuff is good!
2. Have you ever made rice pudding?
Not until this recipe. I had no idea what I was doing but everything seemed to turn out, just fine.
3. Have you ever made real pudding from scratch? Not talking Jello Pudding from the box.
I have not because eggs and cornstarch aren't ingredients I work with much.
The closest thing I come to "pudding" is Raw Vegan Chocolate Mousse. No corn starch involved. Just a secret ingredient.
mmmmm! that looks soo good, i love rice pudding! will have to make this sometime ;) i really do like your recipes!
I don't think I've ever had rice pudding — but I bet this tastes super good because it uses sweetened condensed milk and I love desserts with that ingredient. Seriously whenever I use it I eat a big spoonful because it is so good!
I used to make jello pudding all the time — and I still love it but my stomach sure hates me for it. I've also made your avocado mousse and that stuff is unbelievably good.
Good Lord mama! this I will try for sure. Never really a big fan of rice pudding but you make it seem effortless.
Loved those Delicious Desserts, I ate chocolate chips the whole time I read it. How could I not?
I am all about pudding made from pureed winter squash. I eat it daily, no joke.
Your pictures look BEAUTIFUL averie! I can taste the creamy goodness of that rice pudding!
Maybe this can be the kick in the pants I needed to make it. :) My boyfriend is always wishing for rice pudding but I've never ate it or made it.
I absolutely love rice pudding and this looks so delicious I'll have to make it tonight!
In Mexico where I'm from we call it arroz con leche and people make it for dessert all the time.
On Friday I make your Salsa & Cheezey Baked Beans and Vegetable dish and my whole family loved it!
I literally enjoy and follow your blog daily! I love the photo side of it! so informative and inspirational!
I never grew up eating rice pudding, so I am often leery of it, but I do think it tastes pretty good. I have made pudding from scratch, but not recently. My mom used to make it all the time when I was growing up.
Really like the photos you took of your rice pudding. Nicely set up with ramekins, plates, placemats, etc.
I LOVE rice pudding, but don't have it very often. While in Barbados my husband made a batch for us each week. Very easy stove top recipe. No oven needed thankfully.
The rice pudding recipe I usually make does require baking. But it always turns out great.
YUM! I made quinoa pudding with dried cherries and coconut a few months ago and posted. I LOOOOOVE rice pudding though, think I like it more than quinoa pudding! SO good!!!
So glad you were able to put the SCMilk to use and liked the pudding!
Recipe looks good, but is sweet. Love the ease, though, and the flavor is good other than the SWEET, so will be trying again with maybe more rice and some milk to make up the liquid. Thanks for sharing!


text:
// Copyright (C) 2011 - Will Glozer.  All rights reserved.

package com.lambdaworks.redis.output;

import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;

import com.lambdaworks.redis.codec.RedisCodec;
import com.lambdaworks.redis.protocol.CommandOutput;

/**
 * {@link Map} of keys and values output.
 *
 * @param <K> Key type.
 * @param <V> Value type.
 *
 * @author Will Glozer
 */
public class MapOutput<K, V> extends CommandOutput<K, V, Map<K, V>> {
    private K key;

    public MapOutput(RedisCodec<K, V> codec) {
        super(codec, new HashMap<K, V>());
    }

    @Override
    public void set(ByteBuffer bytes) {
        if (key == null) {
            key = codec.decodeKey(bytes);
            return;
        }

        V value = (bytes == null) ? null : codec.decodeValue(bytes);
        output.put(key, value);
        key = null;
    }

    @Override
    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    public void set(long integer) {
        if (key == null) {
            key = (K) Long.valueOf(integer);
            return;
        }

        V value = (V) Long.valueOf(integer);
        output.put(key, value);
        key = null;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The Book of Barely Imagined Beings
A 21st Century Bestiary
"At the bottom of the world we can look through a window into our very distant past"
...Cyanobacteria are resourceful organisms. They produce their own energy using a photosynthesis process similar to plants. Light penetrates through the ice cover and through the water down to the lake floor where the microbes grow. Because of a lack of predation and a lack of disturbance by larger organisms, these microbes grow rampant over any surface that is hospitable for growth (in this case any depth that light can reach).
This type of microbial growth is actually quite common in Antarctic and Arctic lakes. What makes Lake Untersee particularly special is that these microbes form two different types of structures – collections of millions of individuals growing together over thousands of years of layered development.
The microbes of Untersee form two distinct kinds of constructions – pinnacles and cones. Both the pinnacles and cones are types of microbial communities and represent one of the earliest forms of life, present in the fossil record nearly 3.5 billion years ago.
The pinnacles of our lake are small, between one-half inch and six inches tall and dominated by a Leptolyngbya species that is common in Antarctica. The other structures, found nowhere else on present-day earth, are the conical stromatolites. The microbes covering the cones aren't very thick, roughly half a millimeter, but the dark purple cones can grow higher than one and a half feet. These cones consist predominately of a Phormidium species, and it's thought that the different microbial species are somehow responsible for the creation of the different structures...
-- Michael Becker
Posted by Caspar Henderson at 20:31 No comments:
Labels: Antarctic, cyanobacteria, micro-organisms
A sense of continuity
In the shamanic past, the reasons for assuming animal form were many...and they were often highly practical, in terms of a tribe or clan's wellbeing or even survival (the shaman might foretell, or perhaps influence the weather, for example), but what I am searching for, as I stare into the eyes of a Haida bear mask or the hooked beak of a Tlingit crow man, is a sense of continuity with other living things so rudimentary that the Inuit simply took it for granted.
-- John Burnside.
Beyond reality and imagination
The Book of Imaginary Beings is a compendium of extraordinary fictions of the human brain.
The Book of Barely Imagined Beings celebrates a few of the real creatures that are stranger and more astonishing than most of the ones that humans have imagined.
Nils Aall Barricelli was, perhaps, the first to explore another category altogether -- entities that are neither 'real' in the sense that most of us customarily use that term nor fictional -- when, in the early 1950s, he created numeric organisms based on Darwinian principles.
These organisms and the universes they inhabited existed purely as mathematical values. In Barricelli's mind, however, they were true organisms, not simply mathematical models of life.
Max Tegmark believes that physical existence and mathematical existence are the same, so any structure that exists mathematically is also real.
(see also Turing's Cathedral.)
Labels: artificial life, evolution
The invisible life of the upper troposphere
In a recent article for New Humanist (also here) I mentioned that researchers have suggested that bacteria not only survive in the harsh, beautiful environment of clouds but thrive and reproduce there. My sources were more than four years old. Recent work appears to have amply corroborated the hypothesis, as Ed Yong writes in an excellent piece:
The sky has a microbiome too, and one that may have a critical role in the creation of weather. When water changes from vapour to liquid, it condenses around microscopic particles in the air. When it freezes into ice, the same thing happens. Without these centres, completely pure water would condense and freeze at much lower temperatures than you'd expect. Dust, soot and sea salt can all act as nuclei for water's transformations, but so can bacteria. For example, some plant-infecting species have proteins on their surfaces that ice can crystallise upon. Just by floating in the air, species like these could kick-start the births of clouds, raindrops and snow.
Labels: aerobiology, earth systems, micro-organisms
The evening and the morning
I have often thought, as I have passed by it, that one day, under a special dispensation, I should received from this little pool of water, from this small, green stoup of lustral water, a whisper as to the secret of life. It will be revealed to me, I have thought, as surely and as naturally as the presence of dew makes itself felt on folded twilight flowers found suddenly damp to the touch after the dry butterfly periods of a summer's day.
Always hoping for this hour of grace, I have loitered by the pond's edge at every season...It was on a soft evening of this last September that there came to me the breath of the knowledge that I sought...All was silent, all was expectant. The messenger for who I had awaited was at last revealed.
It was a hare. I saw her from far away and did not so much as venture to move a finger...Nearer and nearer she came. Was she actually intending to drink?...The stillness of the evening was so profound that the fur of a field mouse's jacket brushing against the stems of its grassy jungle would have been audible, while against the sky, infinitely remote, the moon hung in utter calm.
I was suddenly awakened from my rapture. I had heard a sound, a sound sensitive and fresh as soft rain upon a leaf. It was the hare drinking.
-- Llewelyn Powys
Labels: arts, hare
Not The End
Thirty-eighth in a series of notes and comments on The Book of Barely Imagined Beings
page 377: the phrase A conclusion, in which nothing is concluded is from Rasselas (1759) by Samuel Johnson. In an early draft the conclusion had an epigraph from 1Q84 by Haruki Marukami:
This may be the most important proposition revealed by history: at the time no one knew what was coming.
page 378: greenhouse gases will...prevent ice ages...bumpy ride. Last January Andy Revkin carried a useful exchange on The Next Ice Age and the Anthropocene. The most important question for businesses to ask of climate skeptics, says James Murray, is what makes you hate the future so much? See too this series of articles on why climate change is probably worse than previously thought. But climate change is unlikely to be the only challenge. "We humans are not the Ark," suggests Stephen Cave; "we are the flood." Our fate, says Kim Stanley Robinson, is Earth: under repair, forever.
page 379: as if the life beyond us matters. See Not a single is existence unastonishing. Early in Why Does the World Exist, Jim Holt quotes Schopenhauer: "the lower a man is in an intellectual respect, the less puzzling and mysterious existence is to him". I would tweak this, not to say that existence is more of a mystery for those of us who fool ourselves that we are clever (for as William James said, "all of us are beggars") but that existence is the more puzzling and mysterious the more we are awake.
page 379: Just beginning. I take some courage from Henry Thoreau who wrote in the conclusion of Walden that these may be but the spring months in the life of the race. Also Italo Calvino, who wrote:
Humanity reaches as far as love reaches; it has no frontiers except those we give it.
And Goethe, who wrote:
Every instant [nature] commences an immense journey, and every instant she has reached her goal.
James Gleick concludes The Information:
We are all patrons of the Library of Babel now, and we are the librarians too. We veer from elation to dismay and back. "When it was proclaimed that the library contained all books," Borges tells us, "the first impression was one of extravagant happiness. All men felt themselves to be the masters of an intact and secret treasure. There was no personal or world problem whose eloquent solution did not existing in some hexagon. The universe was justified." Then come the lamentations. What good are the previous books that cannot be found? What good is complex knowledge in its immobile perfection? Borges worries: "The certitude that everything has been written negates us or turns us into phantoms." To which John Donne had replied long before, "He that desires to print a book, should much more desire, to be a book."
The library will endure; it is the universe. As for us, everything has not yet been written; we are not turning into phantoms. We walk the corridors, searching the shelves and rearranging them, looking for lines of meaning amid leagues of cacophony and incoherence, reading the history of the past and of the future, collecting our thoughts and collecting the thoughts of others, and every so often glimpsing mirrors, in which we may recognize creatures of the information.
Labels: series
Mind and cosmos
On page 350 of The Book of Barely Imagined Beings (Xenophyophore) I wrote "perhaps consciousness is the least mysterious thing in the world and it is matter that is truly astonishing."
This probably overstates the case. I do, however, like the conspicuously sane and well considered response by H. Allen Orr to Thomas Nagel.
Orr cites Colin McGinn, who suggests our very inability to imagine a solution to the problem of consciousness might reflect our cognitive limitations as evolved creatures; the mysteriousness of consciousness may not be so much a challenge to neo-Darwinism as a result of it.
Well, maybe. In all events, the following (pace Chamovitz et al.) is likely to hold good:
There are millions of species of fungi and bacteria and nearly 300,000 species of flowering plants. None of these groups is sentient and each is spectacularly successful. Indeed mindless species outnumber we sentient ones by any sensible measure (biomass, number of individuals, or number of species; there are only about 5,500 species of mammals). More fundamentally, each of these species is every bit as much the end product of evolution as we are. The point is that, if nature has goals, it certainly seems to have many and consciousness would appear to be fairly far down on the list.
Man is only wholly Man when he is playing
Thirty-seventh in a series of notes and comments on The Book of Barely Imagined Beings
Chapter 27: Zebrafish
page 374: singularity. Gary Marcus critiques Ray Kurzweil's theory of mind and argues artificial intelligence has some way to go. Evan Goldstein has looked at the strange neuroscience of immortality in some depth. Max Tegmark says:
[the singularity] could be the best or worst thing ever to happen to life as we know it, so if there's even a 1% chance that there'll be a singularity in our lifetime, I think a reasonable precaution would be to spend at least 1% of our GDP studying the issue and deciding what to do about it. Yet we largely ignore it, and are curiously complacent about life as we know it getting transformed. What we should be worried about is that we're not worried.
page 374: play. Attributed to Heraclitus:"We are most nearly ourselves when we achieve the seriousness of the child at play." In the final chapter of Religion in Human Evolution, Robert Bellah quotes from Friedrich Schiller's On the Aesthetic Education of Man:
Certainly nature has given even to the creatures without reason more than the bare necessities of life, and cast a gleam of freedom over the darkness of animal existence. When a lion is not gnawed by hunger and no beast is challenging him to battle, his idle energy creates for itself an object; he fills the echoing desert with his high-spirited roaring, and his exuberant power enjoys itself in purposeless display...The animal works when deprivation is the mainspring of its activity, and it plays when the fullness of its strength is the mainspring, when superabundant life is its own stimulus to activity.
Schiller -- notes Bellah -- contrasts "the sanction of need, or physical seriousness" with the "sanction of superfluity, or physical play," but suggests that human play, though beginning in physical play, can move to a level of aesthetic play in which the full spiritual and cultural capacities of humans can be given free reign:
Man plays only when he is in the full sense of the word a Man, and he is only wholly Man when he is playing.
Also of note is what Schiller says about play and time:
The sense impulse requires variation, requires time to have a content; the form impulse requires the extinction of time, and no variation, Therefore the impulse in which both are combined (allow me to call it provisionally the play impulse), this play impulse would aim at the extinction in time and the reconciliation of becoming with absolute being, of variation with identity.
(Added 30 Jan: Play not work brings us fully to life, says Mark Rowlands)
page 375: cell biology. Since I finished writing even more ambitious visualizations than those at molecularmovies.com have been created. Our Secret Universe includes some clips of an astonishing film broadcast by the BBC in October 2012.
Labels: human, series, zebrafish
Thirty-sixth in a series of notes and comments on The Book of Barely Imagined Beings
page 369: watching the development. Here is an example of time-lapse of the first 24 hours.
page 369: investigate anything... Zebrafish have recently been made to grow 'pre-hands' instead of fins. Here's an outline of why the zebrafish is many researchers' favourite animal. (Added 24 Jan: as mentioned in an earlier note, zebrafish are being trapped in a virtual world provide a window into complex brain connections.)
page 370: since this book was written Craig Venter and his colleagues have announced the development of the first software simulation of the lifecycle of an entire organism:
The simulation, which runs on a cluster of 128 computers, models the complete life span of the cell at the molecular level, charting the interactions of 28 categories of molecules — including DNA, RNA, proteins and small molecules known as metabolites, which are generated by cell processes.
page 370: reprogramming the code of life. As one article puts it:
DNA is passé. Synthetic biologists have invented an array of new molecules called XNAs that boast all the talents of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), as well as some special powers. XNAs could allow scientists to safely create life-forms in the laboratory that do not depend on DNA to survive and evolve.
page 371: some harbingers of change are considered artistic or creative. See, for example, The unnatural art of synthetic biology, A museum of creatures re-engineered by humans, Bio-artists who tinker with tools of science. Here is a picture of Joris Laarman's Halflife Lamp, which is illuminated by hamster cells modified with firefly DNA.
page 371: a sensational earlier life partly captured in the classic headline Now she has her pit bull cloned. But once she manacled a Mormon for sex.
page 373: reverse engineer dinosaurs which does, of course look like rather a mad thing to do, as does recreating Neanderthals.
page 373: scenarios for the future of humanity. Gary Marcus is a long way from addressing them all, but is pretty wise this far:
Edison certainly didn't envision electric guitars, and even after the basic structure of the Internet had been in place for decades, few people foresaw Facebook or Twitter. It would be mistake for any of us to claim that we know exactly what a world full of robots, 3-D printers, biotech, and nanotechnology will bring. But, at the very least, we can take a long, hard look at our own cognitive limitations (in part through increased training in metacognition and rational decision-making), and significantly increase the currently modest amount of money we invest in research in how to keep our future generations safe from the risks of future technologies.
Labels: series, transhumanism, zebrafish
Futerra review
Ed Gillespie writes that The Book of Barely Imagined Beings is:
a book of genuinely big ideas, grappling with everything from extinction to climate change, the challenging context mollified by the delight and affection that pours from the page for the sheer exuberant, improbable wonder of the natural world. Having bought a copy for my girlfriend, I then bought another for Futerra and one for my Dad for Christmas…it really is that kind of 'must read' book...
...the craft, love and patience dedicated to the book shine through for the reader. It is a joyous celebration of our fleeting individual 'instagram' moment in evolutionary history. It hits the sweetspot of sustainability communications, marrying science with story, using the 'poetry of facts' that are beautiful, striking and often jaw-dropping...
Yeti crab
Thirty-fifth in a series of notes and comments on The Book of Barely Imagined Beings
Chapter 26: Yeti crab
page 355: (marginal note) Carl Woese died in December. One overview of the man and his ideas here. Last year, Prof. Woese kindly approved quotes from A New Biology for a New Century on page 140 and 376 of this book.
page 356: variations upon the crustacean body form. A striking example can be seen in these photos of a spider crab and a ghost shrimp. One of my favourites is the Harlequin shrimp:
page 359: robots and our attitudes towards them...the start of a mechanical Cambrian explosion. The military is a major driver. See, for example, the DARPA robot challenge and AlphaDog. Debate on the use of drones, and what comes next is extensive. See here, here or here. In a recent overview Peter W. Singer suggests that:
the biggest ripple effect of the robot...is in reshaping the narrative in [the] realm of war. We are seeing a reordering of how we conceptualize war, how we talk about it, and how we report it.
Robert Ito details some of the quirks of interactions between humans and social robots. Izabella Kaminska considers the robot economy and the new rentier class. Noah Smith has some suggestions as to how to fairly distribute income and wealth in the age of the robots.
page 360: the place where life emerged from non-life. Previous posts on this topic are collected under the label Origin. See also The beginnings of life: Chemistry's grand question. Jack Szostack suggests that somewhere on Earth, over 3.5 billion years ago, a bubble of fat spontaneously broke into smaller ones, giving rise to one of life's most fundamental properties - the ability to make copies of itself.
page 362: a stream of order. Vlatko Vidral makes a case for information as the surprise theory of everything.
page 364: travel to the bottom of the sea. The biggest driver for doing so is likely to be resource extraction. See A Gold Rush in the Abyss and this article arguing exploration is inevitable. More reports here and here.
Labels: crustacea, Origin, robots, series, Yeti crab
Xenophyophore
Thirty-fourth in a series of notes and comments on The Book of Barely Imagined Beings
Chapter 25: Xenophyophore
page 342: Titan. See for example this report from NASA/JPL. Another candidate is Enceladus. Mars remains an enigma.
page 342: single-celled organisms. Charles Taylor says that it is not entirely appropriate to label Xenophyphores in this way. "Rather, [they] have a coenocytic or hyphal organisation, with numerous nuclei scattered throughout long branching cytoplasmic tubes."
page 344: Dali painting. The artist Rona Lee is among those who want to transform our feelings for the bottom of the sea. Neptune Canada has a Flickr stream of deep sea beasties.
page 346: Evidence for bilaterians dates back some 585 million years.
page 347: Rock is not the opposite of life but its essential partner. See, for example, a blog such as Written in the Rocks.
page 349: all stories originat[e] from a marvelous stone. In The Aleph by Jorge Luis Borges, it is reported that "the Faithful who gather at the mosque of Amr, in Cairo, are acquainted with the fact that the entire universe lies inside one of the stone pillars that ring its central court." For an attempt at an explanation based in evolutionary theory see Brian Boyd's On the Origin of Stories.
page 350: perhaps consciousness is the least mysterious thing...and it is matter itself that is truly astonishing. "It is not how things are in the world that is mystical, but that it exists," wrote Ludwig Wittgenstein. (Here is a note on consciousness and here's something on dreaming and reality.) 'It from bit', wrote John Archibald Wheeler. But what is 'bit'? James Gleick quotes Wheeler as follows:
"Deplore? No celebrate the absence of a clean clear definition of the term 'bit' as an elementary unit in the establishment of meaning...If and when we learn how to combine bits of fantastically large numbers to obtain what we call existence, we will know better what we mean by both bit and by existence." This is the challenge that remains, and not just for scientists: the establishment of meaning.
Recent experiments suggest there is a way to go:
[Perhaps] 'particle' and 'wave' are concepts we latch on to because they seem to correspond to guises of matter in our familiar, classical world. But attempting to describe true quantum reality with these or any other black-or-white concepts is an enterprise doomed to failure.
It's a notion that takes us straight back into Plato's cave, says Radu Ionicioiu. In the... allegory, prisoners shackled in a cave see only shadows of objects cast onto a cave wall, never the object itself. A cylinder, for example, might be seen as a rectangle or a circle, or anything in between. Something similar is happening with the basic building blocks of reality. "Sometimes the photon looks like a wave, sometimes like a particle, or like anything in between," says Ionicioiu. In reality, though, it is none of these things. What it is, though, we do not have the words or the concepts to express.
Labels: Protists, series, xenophyophore
Xenoglaux
Thirty-third in a series of notes and comments on The Book of Barely Imagined Beings
Chapter 24: Xenoglaux
page 333: cloud forests. Things I learned as a field biologist #612 gives a sense of what they're like. See also The Strange Forests that Drink—and Eat—Fog.
page 333: deforestation. Where to begin? In November it was reported that deforestation in the Amazon was at a record low. An earlier article suggested that Colombia, for one, is increasingly reforesting. But even where things are ostensibly getting better there may be an 'extinction debt' still to pay. Commentators on the role of REDD include REDD monitor.
page 335: extinction...do individual species matter?...the eye of eternity...There are numerous blogs about extinction. Here is one. As species approach extinction they become more and more valuable. Michael McCarthy has written well about the loss of nature and the nature of loss. Regarding the very long run consider the beginning of a fine essay by Ross Andersen:
No event, however momentous, leaves an everlasting imprint on the world. Take the cosmic background radiation, the faint electromagnetic afterglow of the Big Bang. It hangs, reassuringly, in every corner of our skies, the firmest evidence we have for the giant explosion that created our universe. But it won't be there forever. In a trillion years' time it is going to slip beyond what astronomers call the cosmic light horizon, the outer edge of the observable universe. The universe's expansion will have stretched its wavelength so wide that it will be undetectable to any observer, anywhere. Time will have erased its own beginning.
On Earth, the past is even quicker to vanish. To study geology is to be astonished at how hastily time reorders our planet's surface, filling its craters, smoothing its mountains and covering its continents in seawater. Life is often the fastest to disintegrate in this constant churn of water and rock. The speed of biological decomposition ensures that only the most geologically fortunate of organisms freeze into stone and become fossils. The rest dissolve into sediment, leaving the thinnest of molecular traces behind...
page 337: owls [fascinate] humans. Humour from David Sedaris
page 338: The caption to Goya's Capricho 43, El sueño de la razón produce monstruos, is more usually translated as 'The sleep of reason produces monsters.' (Sueño means both dream and reason.) One tag translates as 'Imagination abandoned by reason produces impossible monsters; united with her, she is the mother of the arts and the source of her wonders.'
page 339: protect and restore. Kevin McKenna makes a case for bringing wolves back to Scotland. Robert Macfarlane appreciates the philosophy behind a successful rewilding experiment in the Netherlands:
Sea eagles came here of their own accord five years ago, moving down into the area from Scandinavia. They were charismatic proof of the conservation ethic of the Oostvaardersplassen: increase scale, reduce management inputs, resist species farming, avoid deliverables and goals, and let wild nature take its course as far as possible.
But, warn the likes of Oliver Rackham, Peter Marren and Richard Mabey, the rush to reforest parts of Britain in the 1990s and 2000 may have encouraged the spread of new tree diseases (from imported stock), of which ash dieback may be just one example. For a fresh view of rewilding, look out for a book by George Monbiot published later this year. See also a post on Nature 2.0 here.
Yew Tree. Photo Dan Hartwright
Labels: extinction, forest, owl, series, xenoglaux
"It was unimaginable, but there it was"
Boulevard du Temple
In Chapter 14: Nautilus (page 218), I wrote:
the [photographic] image was not 'merely' memory or imagination...but to all appearances something real.
In The Information Peter Gleick writes:
The same year that Babbage published his essay, the artist and chemist Louis Daguerre in Paris perfected his means for capturing visual images on silver-coated plates. His English competitor William Fox Talbot, called this "the art of photogenic drawing, or of forming pictures and images of natural objects by means of solar light...By means of this contrivance" he wrote, "it is not the artist who makes the picture but the picture which makes itself." Now the images that fly before our eyes could be frozen, impressed upon substance, made permanent.
By painting or drawing, an artist -- with skill, training and long labor -- reconstructs what the eye might see. By contrast, a daguerreotype is in some sense the thing itself -- the information, stored, in an instant. It was unimaginable, but there it was. The possibilities made the mind reel. Once storage began where would it stop?
Labels: Nautilus
Podcast from a shed
Online from today: in December I did a talk with George Miller for a Blackwell podcast.
The interview took place in the shed where I wrote the book (photos above and below taken in a warm spell last September!)
In Dreaming spires: Victorian chimneys Paul Dobraszczyk recalls an observation by Gaston Bachelard in The Poetics of Space (1964):
towers are more than simply structures; rather, they are primal images of verticality that illustrate the verticality of the human being. So, in our dreams we always go up towers (whereas we always go down into a cellar). Towers are images of ascension, the...winding steps inside them leading to dreams of flight or transcendence.
In The Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges, the A Bao A Qu (see Introduction, page xix) lurks on the steps of the Tower of Victory in Chitor, from the top of which you can look out over "the loveliest landscape in the world."
Labels: Borges, human
Man's fate
I'm about a third of the way into The Company of Strangers by Paul Seabright (2010), one of several books I wish I had read before writing Japanese macaque. Here's a summary of Seabright's argument from his introduction:
the unplanned but sophisticated coordination of modern industrial societies is a remarkable fact that needs an explanation. Nothing in our species' biological evolution has show us to have any talent or taste for dealing with strangers.
the explanation is to be found in the presence of institutions that make human beings willing to treat strangers as honorary friends.
when human beings come together in the mass, the unintended consequences are sometimes startlingly impressive, sometimes very troubling
the very talents for cooperation and rational reflection that could provide solutions to our most urgent problems are also the source of our species terrifying capacity for organized violence between groups. Trust between groups needs as much human ingenuity as trust between individuals.
And from page 78:
reducing levels of violence has required us not to sideline the emotions but to harness them.
Labels: ethics, human
In the chapter on the Barrel sponge, I wrote about Scotland's far north, where in some places metamorphic rocks from the Archaean form 'a magical landscape':
Promontories such as Stac Pollaidh and Suilven rise from these older rocks like the foundations of our own vanishingly brief moments of awareness.
Thanks to @Lines_Landscape I've just seen James Anderson and Niall Walker's film. For those of us who like this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing we like.
To me the converging objects of the universe perpetually flow,
All are written to me, and I must get what the writing means
-- Walt Whitman
Labels: arts
Waterbear
Space is the place. Saturn backlit - NASA
Thirty-second in a series of notes and comments on The Book of Barely Imagined Beings
Chapter 23: Waterbear
page 322: space is not a comfy place for a human. See, especially, Packing for Mars by Mary Roach. Even on that comparatively short trip, the biggest threat to human voyagers would be the cumulative radiation exposure during the long trip.
page 324: [the waterbear's] ability to wait out the most unfavourable times. Some months after completing the book, I re-read Barry Lopez's Arctic Dreams (one of my top ten nature writing recommendations) and came across this passage which I had quite forgotten:
The coming and going of the animals during the short summer gives the Arctic a unique rhythmic shape, but is is to be felt only in certain places. Mostly, summer and winter, the whole land is still. The arctic explorer George de Long called it "a glorious country to learn patience in." Time here, like light, is a passing animal. Time hovers above the tundra like the rough-legged hawk, or collapses altogether lie a bird keeled over with a heart attack leaving the stillness we call death. In the thick film of moisture that coats a bit of moss on a tundra stone, you can find, with a strong magnifying glass, a world of movement buried within the larger suspended world: ageless pinpoints of life called water bears migrate over the wet plains and canyons of jade-green vegetation. But even here time is on the verge of collapse. The moisture freezes in winter. Or a summer wind may carry the water bear off and drop it among bare stones. Deprived of moisture, it shrivels slowly into a dessicated granule. If can endure like this for thirty or forty years. It waits for its time to come again.
page 325: to fill empty places with phantasms. In an LRB review-essay titled That Wilting Flower, Hilary Mantel observes that 'until the idea of space flight became credible, there were no aliens; instead there were green men who hid in the woods':
On the lonely road by moonlight, the parts of ourselves oppressed by our intelligence come out to play. We meet ancestral selves, neither gods nor demons but short semi-humans with hairy ears and senses differently attuned – the eyesight of an eagle, the nose of a hound. The phenomena are internal, generated by the psychological mechanisms that connect us to each other and to our evolutionary past.
page 329: endurance. Some are optimistic about human exploration of space. On Earth, microbes will rule the far future.
Labels: ghost, series, tardigrade
Venus´s girdle
Thirty-first in a series of notes and comments on The Book of Barely Imagined Beings
Chapter 22: Venus's Girdle
page 316: a translucent ribbon. A fuller description here.
page 319: As far as we can tell, most [animals] enjoy sex. We now know more that we did about the wild thing between dinosaurs. But what must it be like for echidnas, where the penis of the male has one shaft and four heads? In banana slugs, the penis emerging from the head of each of the hermaphrodites is as long as its body. Then there is the astonishing coupling of leopard slugs.
Intercourse across species boundaries can have unfortunate consequences. Alan Root tells of a crowned crane that fell in love with a standpipe. Here is a thoughtful piece about social attitudes and the law where people are involved.
Labels: ctenophore, series, sex
Editions, reviews, events
British edition
American edition
Estonian edition
French edition: L'Incroyable Bestiaire
German edition: Wahre Monster
Italian edition: Il libro degli esseri a malapena imaginabili
Russian edition
Events here
Most real creatures that we think we know embody wonders we have hardly dreamed of. And there are other beings, equally real, which for most of human experience have been beyond imagining. As Zhuangzi wrote some 2,300 years ago, "all the creatures in this world have dimensions that cannot be calculated."
The Book of Barely Imagined Beings by Caspar Henderson is published by Granta in the UK and by Chicago University Press in the US. In 2013 it was shortlisted for the Royal Society Winton prize for science books, a Society of Biology award, and the British Book Design Awards. The Estonian edition is published by AS Äripäev, the French edition by Les Belles Lettres, the German by Matthes & Seitz, the Japanese one by X Knowledge Co, the Korean by EunHaeng NaMu Publishing Co and the Russian by Alpina. Editions in Chinese (Rye-Field Publishing Company in Taiwan), Italian (Adelphi) and Polish (Marginesy) are in preparation.
Reviews here and here. Articles here and here. Chapter by chapter notes here (1) and here (2). What others say here. Podcasts here, here and here. Video here and here (from 43.00)
Caspar Henderson's most recent book is A New Map of Wonders.
Wunderpus Photogenicus
The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.
misattributed to Bertrand Russell
Since we cannot predict how ethics will develop, it is not irrational to have high hopes.
Derek Parfit
We are never 'at home': we are always outside ourselves.
We are monkeys with money and guns.
All our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike – and yet it is the most precious thing we have.
If you look into infinity what do you see? Your backside!
Imagine a child playing in a woodland stream, poking a stick into an eddy in the flowing current, thereby disrupting it. But the eddy quickly reforms. The child disperses it again. Again it reforms, and the fascinating game goes on. There you have it! Organisms are resilient patterns in a turbulent flow.
Carl Woese
When you're young, all evolution lies before you...If you compare yourself with the limitations that came afterwards, if you think how one form excludes other forms, of the monotonous routine where you finally feel trapped, well, I don't mind saying, life was beautiful in those days.
'Qfwfq'
75 percent to 90 percent of all living species may remain unknown to science.
IIES
Human beings are now carrying out a large scale geophysical experiment of a kind that could not have happened in the past nor be reproduced in the future.
Roger Revelle (1957)
The rate of change of ocean acidity is many times faster than anything experienced in the last 55 million years.
One cannot reasonably compare the K/T extinction with the current human destruction of the biosphere. The first was a relatively minor setback.
J.C. Briggs
When the buffalo went away, the hearts of my people fell to the ground and they could not lift them up again. After this, nothing happened.
Plenty Coups
If we act now, maybe we have got a fighting chance.
The unfolding of intelligence and complexity still has immensely far to go here on earth and probably far beyond.
Martin Rees
Our quest, as a civilisation [is] to answer the question, how do we save ourselves from ourselves without losing ourselves?
Jaron Lanier
If you yourself want to become really happy...I suggest you save the albatross from extinction. It can be done.
There is just one real problem -- the problem of human relations.
Antoine de Saint Exupéry
The amazing wonder of the deep is its unfathomable cruelty.
"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."
'The Walrus and the Carpenter'
We abandon our own language because we need extra words, for things we had never imagined; and because there are superfluous words in it, for things we cannot imagine any more.
'The Giant, O'Brien'
We take almost all of the decisive steps in our lives as a result of slight inner adjustments of which we are barely conscious.
'Austerlitz'
Those were his first steps on a white sheet/Clutches of wriggling letters in black lead/Like tracks of worms on the Precambrian mud.
'Kaspar Hauser'
The mind does not err from the fact that it imagines.
We are as much automaton as mind.
Much that is intelligent in us is not specifically human.
Alasdair MacIntyre
What knows he, this New England colt, of the black bisons of distant Oregon? Herman Melville
There is no counting the possible ways to the Millennium and the route to it.
By the time human beings start the global nuclear war that will destroy our civilization, there won't be any great apes left for Earth to become the Planet of the Apes. But chances are there will still be plenty of rhesus macaques around.
Dario Maestripieri
Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness.
The astounding comes towards us, outrider of death and birth.
We are so far from denying there is any Unicorn at all, that we affirm there are many kinds thereof.
Thomas Browne
Even that old horse
is something to see
this snow-covered morning
We cannot see the visible except with the invisible.
Eckhart von Hochheim
You don't have to believe in God, but you should believe in the Book.
Paul Erdős
If, as the poets say, life is a dream, I am sure in a voyage these are the visions which serve best to pass away the long night.
But only when someone starts up the spiralling stairs is the A Bao A Qu brought to consciousness, and then it sticks close to the visitor's heels, keeping to the outside of the turning steps, where they are most warn by the generations of pilgrims.
The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.
"At the bottom of the world we can look through a ...
Stomatopod
17 Criteria for Consciousness
8 Best Non-Human Tool Users
A dog died
A Greek Bestiary
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Animals that amaze (TED)
ARKive
Bears: a brief history
Bonnacon
Cape Farewell: an Arctic diary
Chimaera - bestiary blog
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Cold Mountain
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Conservation Today
Consider the lobster
Coyote v. Acme
CreatureCast
Cuckoo film, 1922
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Dolphins play bubble rings
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End of the wild
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Endangered species - New Scientist
Evo Devo Universe
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Extreme Dinosaurs - John Updike
Farfale (1907)
Genetologic Research
Global Amphibian Assessment
Godzilla vs. King Ghidora
Goethe on Nature -- T. H. Huxley
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Limits of Organic Life in Planetary Systems
Mapping the Marvellous
Micropolitan Museum
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My Cat Jeoffry
On the Marionette Theatre
Only love and then oblivion
Origins blog
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Photo Synthesis
Pig raises tiger cubs
Prey to a crocodile
Protect Chagos
Pseudodoxia Epidemica
Pterosaur.net
Pterosaurs by Mark Witton
Rarest rhinoceros wrecks camera
Reconciliation ecology
Report of H.M.S. Challenger
RSA Arts and ecology blog
Run Noisy, Run Deep
Seahorses in the Thames
Shooting an elephant
SIAI
Songs of Humpback Whales (1971)
Structure & distribution of coral reefs
Sustaining Life
Synthetic biology project
Szilard petition (17 July 1945)
TEEB
The Daily Ocean
The future of humanity
The Huge Entity
The Last Arena
The Medieval Bestiary
The other 95%
Through the Sandglass
Timeline of paleontology and biology
Unmanned systems roadmap
What is it like to be a bat?
What is missing?
WTF Evolution?
Monkey controls robot arm
Flea from Micrographia
Sharovipteryx mirabilis
Let Peter rejoice with the MOON FISH who keeps up the life in the waters by night.
Let Andrew rejoice with the Whale, who is array'd in beauteous blue and is a combination of bulk and activity.
Let James rejoice with the Skuttle-Fish, who foils his foe by the effusion of his ink.
Let John rejoice with Nautilus who spreads his sail and plies his oar, and the Lord is his pilot.
Let Philip rejoice with Boca, which is a fish that can speak.
Christopher Smart
Rongorongo
Vernanimalcula
'Baker'
Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee?
The Book of Job
"Apprehensions of the marvelous that do not make us fear or turn away from knowledge but, on the contrary, thrive on it." -- Roger Caillois

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Glen Thomas Atkinson
Glen Atkinson passed away suddenly at home on December 28, 2014, leaving behind his wife of 54 years, Patricia; his sons, Michael (Marlys) and Peter (Lorinda); daughter, Maureen (Mike); granddaughter, Shanae; grandsons, Kieran, Graham, and Finn and his brother, Brian and sister, Susan.
What a full life Glen led! He was a native Victorian, living here nearly his entire life. He earned his BSC at UBC, where he met Patricia, and was soon teaching biology at Oak Bay High School in a career full of high points. He coached Reach for the Top, including the 1968 team that won the Canadian championship, and also coached successful girls' basketball teams. He became a Mr. Chips of Oak Bay and was greatly loved by the over 7,000 students he taught or had in his home room during his 36 years at the school. He never failed to notice a new haircut and greeted students he encountered in the halls. He excelled in the classroom, inspiring many students to pursue careers related to biology, and was considered by many students to be their favourite teacher.
Glen brought the family of five to Northern Queensland, Australia in 1974, where both he and Pat taught for two years. Aussie friends have visited them in Victoria every year since. A three month backpacking trip home through Southeast Asia (with the kids) kicked off a lifetime of adventure travel for Glen and Pat. Together, the two visited far-flung places such as Zanzibar and Papua New Guinea, spending time in tropical rain forests (where they could add to their bird count) and connecting with fellow travellers and local inhabitants wherever they went.
Glen was blessed with a beautiful tenor voice and was a singer throughout his life. He won trophies at the Victoria Performing Arts Festival as a boy, sang solos at UBC, performed in musicals and sang solos at Oak Bay High School. He was a member of the Arion Male Voice Choir and enjoyed his practices and performances with the Grandview Quartet/Trio over the last 10 years.
Glen retired from teaching in 1996 and spent the next eight years mentoring student teachers through the UVic Education program. On retirement he also began a life full of new activities. He became a master wood turner, a member of a wood turner's guild, and a wood turning teacher at the Juan de Fuca seniors centre. Interested in photography throughout his life, he became more keen in retirement, learning techniques with the camera and also with Photoshop.
Glen loved to keep up with his many lifelong friends. He and his wife Pat hosted many memorable parties over the years, including their annual musical Christmas Eve party for family and friends. Glen had a great capacity for love and adored his wife, children and grandchildren. Glen lived life truly and deeply and will be greatly missed by his family and the many other people whose lives he enriched.
There will be a celebration of Glen's life at Centennial United Church, 612 David St, Victoria, BC on Saturday, January 10, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a charity of your choice. Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Bros. Funeral Home
www.mccallbros.com
Jonathan Roberts
Sir, I apologize for being late with my condolences but only today found out of your passing. You are one of the fondest memories I have about high school, that awkward period between untold ignorance and acknowledged ignorance. You taught me two things, first – avoid the sciences, while I had the curiosity, I lacked the discipline; second – to embrace and encourage that which you enjoy so that it overshadows what may perceived as a liability. I recall your singing at our commencement ceremonies in 1977 – that was inspiring. Not the song, as I have forgotten it, but the force of the singing and the depth of the love that shone through bright enough to affect the heart of a child who used to mimic you in an unflattering way before he heard it, but admired your bravery afterward. Thank you for that gentle push on the tiller. That has made a significant difference in MY life and that is what we can all hope for on this journey, that we leave betterment in our shallow wake of passing.
Aud Fischer
I only just found out that my favorite teacher from high school has passed away. He was one of the reasons why I went on to study biology and why I love being out on lakes so much. Coming from five years in the German school system he made me believe in myself again. He went out of his way for me. He got me and a friend to run the school saltwater aquarium, he allowed me to use his office to sculpt animals in my free time, he took me to the BC Museum to meet their sculptor, he took me on extra field trips to collect newts and on my one and only fishing trip. When he found out that I was not planning on attending graduation, he insisted I go and his wife altered their daughter's dress so it would fit me. It was a beautiful dress and I felt like the prettiest girl there, he showed me that marking rights of passage is important and I will always have that memory. He was the most amazing person, so full of life, fun, the joy of living and most of all kindness. I will never forget him.
jill martin
To the Atkinson family,
Like so many others who have shared their memories of Glen on this page, I was shocked and deeply saddened by his loss. But what a legacy he left his school, his community, his friends and his family.
Out here on the east coast in Lunenburg NS, I don't get the Victoria news as quickly, so learning last week about his death was a great shock. Immediately, I went back to the old yearbooks and sat for hours on the floor of my office reminiscing. Science department pictures, dress up day candids, Oak Bay barbeques on the front lawn. Glen was a part of them all.
I was privileged to be a colleague of Glen's from1986 when I joined the Oak Bay English Department until 1996 when he retired. At Christmas assemblies, staff meetings or soirees – the Great Murder Mystery of 89 is one that comes immediately to mind; no plan was ever too bizarre or difficult to execute. No matter what hat he was wearing, Glen wore it with charm, aplomb and dedication.
The Glen Atkinson years at Oak Bay will forever be remembered.
Warm thoughts from Nova Scotia
Jill Martin Tag 14
My thoughts are with Glen's family in his passing. Mr. Atkinson changed my life in regards to studies in Biology. I will always remember him bringing our class to his home to pass around fossils, he thought outside the box when it came to learning. A great loss and great man.
Nancy Talbot Trueman
Dear Pat and family
Glen will be so missed by so many of us. Right from being my biology teacher and then as an adult hiking with Pat and Glen and then ballroom dancing classes, Glen will be in our hearts forever. Glen was always an inspiration to us in so many ways and his wonderful smile will remain with us in our hearts forever.
Gerry and I send our condolences and thoughts to you Pat and your family
Nancy and Gerry Trueman
margot ling
I am so sorry to learn of Glen Atkinson's passing. Mr. Akinson was generous with his time. I remember he and his wife and the children took me to China Beach for a picnic. Maureen was my best friend at the time. I have very many fond memories of the Atkinsons. Mr. Atkinson was also easy going. I remember being a very bossy friend of Maureen's; I was two years older and Maureen was a very kind lovely child who could put up with almost anything. Friendships come and go and unfortunately that's what happened but the memories I have of the Atkinsons and especially when I was a child I will always endure. Margot Ling
Sue (Holmes) McDonald
I have very fond memories of Mr. Atkinson from my years at Oak Bay too. He was very encouraging about learning biology and I enjoyed the free block to do some 'assistant' work which seems much grosser to me now than it did then. It was wonderful to hear him sing with Jim Mainguy, at my friend Di's wedding, then meeting him again many years later. Sing up a storm Glen. Fondly, Sue (Holmes) McDonald, from 1968.
Bob Pearmain
Dear Pat and family:
George Dey kindly forwarded a message that Glen had suddenly passed away. My Pat and I send our sincere condolences on his untimely passing to you Pat and the family.
Glen and I met at Vic College in September 1954 – he from Esquimalt and me from Mt View. He was sciences and I was Arts. But we shared the common goal of becoming teachers and working with kids. Our friendship grew at UBC when we shared the enriching experience of MUSSOC and singing in the Boyfriend together and coping with the perils of Teacger Training. Glen met his Pat and I met mine. Glen returned to the island and as my Pat was a Vancouver girl, I applied for and got a teaching job in Vancouver. Sadly, we lost direct contact as we became fathers. But I always followed Glen's career from afar and knew about his Aussie adventure.
We all have regrets. Once my parents moved to the North Shore to be closer to us and the grandkids, my Pat and I rarely travelled to the island and hence was I was not able to keep the connection going. I am sincerely sorry for that.
Pat – please know that you are in your thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.
Very sincerely,
Bob and Pat Pearmain
Judy Elliot
Please accept my deepest sympathies, it is very true the good die young. Glen was VERY good and I count myself blessed to have known him for even the short time I did.
I was a fellow new Tenor with Glen in the Peninsula Singers and I soon discovered Glen to be one of the kindest men I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.
During our short breaks, I was fortunate enough to have a bit of time to chat with Glen. During one of those occasions Glen and I got talking about age, family, etc. He told me he was totally happy with where he was in his life…he cherished his wife, Pat, his children and his grandchildren. He said he had a great life and wouldn't change one single thing about it.
On another break I remember telling Glen I was taking water colour lessons, but wasn't sure it was my medium. He said, "Let me ask you this, are you having fun?" I replied that I was indeed having fun. Glen gave me a knowing grin and I thought what a very wise fellow he was. I continue to go to my class, but with a refreshed attitude, as my goal now is to have fun.
I am so saddened by the loss of Glen, but will always remember what he taught me. Seize life, family, friends, have fun. Glen most definitely did not have any regrets..
Sincerely, Judy Elliot
Waters Family
Our deepest sympathy on your loss. Catherine, Anne-Marie and Alastair revered Mr. Atkinson as an engaging, inspiring and dedicated teacher and remember him also as a warm, understanding older friend who took a personal interest in each of his students. As parents we too gratefully remember Glen's insights and kindness when he spoke with us of our children. What a full life he led and what a wonderful legacy he leaves behind.
richy thierbach
I will remember how much of a positive force Glen was in my life. A MASTER teacher and a wonderful person he has touched so many. my condolences to all that feel his loss….richy t
Dennis Zozula
Well I was very surprised and saddened by this news. I was always impressed and jealous of Glen's magic ability at teaching. I have been buoyed up by the good old days memories of working together. I'm sure there will many good stories.
Mona (Robertson) Leggett
I was so sorry to hear of Mr. Atkinson's passing. He was my favourite Basketball Coach and Biology Teacher. I played for him from 1966 to 1968. I would like to thank the family for sharing Glen with so many students. His leadership and caring was much appreciated.
Mona Leggett
George and Marlene Dey
Dear Pat and Family,
Our sincere sympathy goes out to you and your family.Glen's sudden death was a shock to so many who were fortunate to know him. I just regret that I had not been in touch with you both in several years.
I have such happy memories of our years at UBC–fun times at the Campus Cupboard,serious times in the Library,and musical times with MUSSOC and the UBC Choral Society. Glen's voice stood out for all to enjoy. We auditioned and succeeded in being selected for the chorus of THE BOY FRIEND, CALL ME MADAM. Quite a group of us– such fun !
Your marriage was characterized by its deep love and recognized by us all. Caring and sharing your love of teaching, and people met in travel adventures. The students you met were treated to your enthusiasm and experience–a lasting memory of a fine teacher.
I particularly like the reference to " Mr. Chips ". Glen loved teaching and consistently delivered his best to his students.
Although we know our time on earth is indeterminate, we choose to think that we will live forever.We are neverprepared for our time of calling. We are leaving behind a host of happy memories of the times we shared together.
Surround yourself with your own inner strength, coupled by the support of your family and friends.
Our thoughts are with you in this time of grieving.
Rest in peace dear friend.
Susie and Steve Ross
We were very upset and saddened when we picked up a Times Columnist when we were on Galiano Island last weekend and read about Glen's death. Although we only met Glen and Pat for a couple of days every June at Yellowpoint, we always looked forward to their arrival there. Glen was one of those people that one instantly likes and respects. His vitality and his enthusiasm for everything in nature have really added to our enjoyment of our stay at Yellowpoint every year. We will never again play a game of bochi or see a moon snail without thinking of Glen. Pat, we send you our very deepest sympathy and wish you and your family all the very best at this very sad time. We hope that we see you again one day at Yellowpoint.
Lynette (Goff) Thurber
Thank you to Mr. Atkinson's family for sharing him with the rest of us. He was so generous with his time and so nice to be around. I was in his biology classes and on his basketball team from 1966 to 1968 and learned many valuable lessons about competition and life from him. He was the best of teachers and role models.
Mariana Chapman
My heart goes out to you at this difficult time for the loss of Glen. I only met him recently when he sang with the Crystal Singers at our concert. He has touched many lives . In the loss of such a special man, may precious memories fill your heart and ease your pain.
Hugs:
Ann Kyle (Scarisbrick)
You know that security question for financial institutions that asks "Who was your favourite teacher?" I wonder how many of us have "Mr. Atkinson" as an answer! He was, by far, my favourite teacher at Oak Bay (class of 70), and he tipped the scales in influencing my choice to study biology at university. I continued on to graduate school and am still working in the biomedical sciences. His warmth, enthusiasm and humour radiated throughout everything he did. I hope his family takes comfort in knowing that Glen Atkinson truly made a difference in the lives of others.
My sincere condolences,
Steve Ivings
I never had Glen as a teacher but I knew him because he was one of the really cool people who taught at Oak Bay. I would joke with him and he joked back which made me feel kinda special – I thought I was funny, he appreciated it and contributed his own humour to our conversation. I remember him coming into CFAX, years later when I worked there, to do an interview and he greeted me like an old friend. Which is how I felt about him. I'm sad to hear of his passing but inspired by the details of his full life. Glen was, without question, one of those people who leave a mark on this world. Bless him.
Murray Mitchell
My sincere condolences to the family for your loss. I am one of the over 7,000 students who was impacted by Mr. Atkinson (class of 73), in class and in his home. He is one of the reasons that I transitioned from a "resistant" student to becoming an educator. I hope it is some consolation to you that so many small pieces of him will live on in the impact he has had on so many, all over the world.
Sherri Morgan
I have many fond memories of Mr. Atkinson. He and Mr. Hunt got me so interested in science that I spent many hours in the science lab while skipping out of other classes. Of course he knew I was there and always gave me things to research. (I suppose he thought that my time was much better spent there than it would have been down at Bowker Creek).
I remember he was allergic to formaldehyde and he suffered greatly when pig dissection came along. I know he also felt very badly for the frogs whose brains were scrambled for our edification.
He was a a great human being and taught so much more than science. He will be missed by all who knew him.
I would wish that every student has at least one teacher like him in their lifetime. He was a treasure.
Sherri Morgan. Grad 1974
Bob and Linda Pearson
Deepest sympathy to the Atkinson family. Glen and I go back many years to Craigflower Elementary School, Grade one. Even as a youngster, he had a most wonderful voice and how he loved to entertain! Such a loss. Rest in peace and sing with the angels!
Lisa Lasagna
Pat and family,
I am so sorry to hear about Glen's sudden passing. It was my great joy to spend time with both of you in the Arbutus Singers and more recently to see you both at Mike's concerts. Glen was an incredibly warm, friendly and giving person as well as being a lot of fun. He will be missed deeply.
Nerissa Layton
Wishing heartfelt condolences and fantastic memories of Glen ( or as I knew him: Mr. Atkinson), to you all. I have such fond memories of time spent with your family, especially one day row boating and trout fishing with Glen and Peter. Always a warm welcome… have thought of you all through out these years… left a wonderful lasting impression.
Sincerely, Nerissa.
Jana Park
R.IP. Mr. A.
I was blessed to have you as both a bball coach and biology teacher. You were definitely one of the good ones! You will be missed
Condolences to your family and friends
Jack Elliiott and Pat Hapgood
Jack and I were initially dance friends of Glen and Pat. We all took lessons from Elsie and then went to monthly dances to show off our new skills but when Glen and Pat heard some jive music their lessons were ignored and they just did what they started as teenagers and everyone stopped to watch them. In latter years we attended choir concerts and really enjoyed listening to Glen perform.
I'm sorry we won't be able to attend on the 10th as we will be out of town.
Our deepest sympathy Pat. Our hearts ache for you and your family.
Sincerely Pat and Jack
Tracy Ware
Mr. Atkinson (I remember him under that name, and I will always remember him) was nothing less than heroic as a teacher. He was endlessly patient with kids like me who would have tried anyone's patience, and he made his subject lively and compelling. He had a great sense of humour, and he made his students feels that they mattered, both in and out of the classroom. I send my warmest condolences to his family.
Dawn Weaver Danay, class of 69
I am sorry for your loss. Although I was not privileged to be taught by Mr. Atkinson, I remember his friendly helpfulness in the corridors to this lost child from a small town suddenly adrift in a huge school.
He sang at a few assemblies and his voice was transporting for we music lovers.
My friends who were in his classes spoke very highly of the experience, leaving those of us left out a little jealous. I well remember the celebration that greeted the return of the winning reach for the top team, and the fun of watching the try outs in the gym at lunch time. I also remember being hurried along by him if I dawdled a little too long near the lockers with my nose in a book, at bell time. He was nice but also firm about the rules!
Niki Upton
My thoughts are with Mr. Atkinson's family. He was my favourite teacher in my two years at Oak Bay. His class was always so fun and interesting. I looked forward to it immensely and never forgot the day he warned us to look out for the "piggy parts" in the lab sinks (he was kidding, but it was so funny to this gal who was a very cynical teenager at the time). He was a fantastic teacher.
I had the pleasure of having gone to Oak Bay High School while Glen was a teacher/coach, I had the pleasure of teaching him with him at Oak Bay, and I also had the pleasure of enjoying some good parties with him. He was certainly a talented man. No mention of the "Atkinson" jive step in the obit. It was a sight to behold.
My thoughts are with the family.
Russ Ball
Glen was an inspiration for students and teachers alike. He was a true Renaissance Man. He made a really positive difference in the lives of so many people. Thanks Glen-Rest In Peace.
mike spence
Our Condolences to the Atkinson family for your loss.,
Mike and Nana Spence Victoria, (neighbours of Croftons)
I was blessed with a number of good teachers at Oak Bay, but only Glen and Mrs. (Miriam) Taylor can take credit for keeping me in school and encouraging me to stay on track through difficult times. Bi93 and Bi97 were sheer magic, and Mr. A's labs left me breathless.
I remember, a year or two after graduation, bringing him a perfectly mummified squirrel and intact nest I found in a spruce tree I'd felled for firewood in the Yukon. His pure delight and gratitude for thinking of him were one of the highlights of my life — imagine, HIM thanking ME, when so much gratitude was and continues to be owed in the other direction.
To Pat and the family, thanks from a legion of us for sharing this spectacular man for a while.
Mark Smith (1967)
Aliceyn Fokuhl
As with Kris Lewis, I met Glen and Pat through their daughter, our friend, Maureen. I was truly inspired by Glen's bowl-turning artwork. I will forever treasure the bowl that Glen, Maureen, and myself turned together in his shop. The spirit of life he embraced is one we should all aim for. My heart goes out to all his family and friends. I would have loved to have had the opportunity to spend more time hearing the stories he had to tell…
I am so sorry to hear of Glen's sudden passing. He was a wonderful and fun-loving man with a genuine love and caring in his heart for all people. My former wife Frankie and I had the pleasure of attending many parties with Glen, Pat and their friends and Glen and Frankie did many singing engagements together. My condolences to Pat and family.
Charlotte Lane
My sincere sympathy to Pat and family. I have very fond memories of Glen while I was a teacher at Oak Bay.
Gayle Johnston
It was with great sorrow that I read of Glen's passing.
Although I had only known Glen for a few months, I feel blessed to have met & "played" with him in the shop at the Juan de Fuca center. His love & knowledge of wood turning was very apparent as he used his teaching experience & shared his skills. Glen will be greatly missed!
John & Jean Reid
Patricia and Family;
Mr. and Mrs. John Reid, former teacher at OBHS now living in Yorkshire, England, have asked me to relay their condolence and expression of sympathy on Glen's death.
John remembers Glen well as one of Oak Bay's favourite and most revered teachers.
Ken Adsett
Connie Harris
I am so sorry to hear of your loss. My friends and I had such a great time in Biology class at Oak Bay High (68-70). Mr. Atkinson was a wonderful teacher, and his sharpness and sense of humour stimulated many of us to pursue careers in science. For myself it was in pharmaceutical science – the love of learning amazing things about life sciences was really fanned by being in an always-stimulating class with Mr. Atkinson. Here's to a great life lived!
Connie (Scobie) Harris
Clayton Shold
I can think of no higher tribute to a teacher than his students of 40 years prior, remembering him for his teaching, his inspiration, his caring, and his talents. Mr. A made science fun and interesting. Truly he influenced me to pursue a BSc at UVIC. I can count on one hand the teachers that had a meaningful impact on my life. Glen Atkinson is at the top of that list.
My condolences to the family. He will be missed, fondly remembered, and never forgotten.
Clayton Shold, Oakville (Class of 73)
I hope you take some comfort in knowing that Mr Atkinson was one of the most loved teachers at Oak Bay high school. His ability to connect with students through his humour, knowledge, and kindness was exceptional. He is a legend. My husband is a high school biology teacher, and though they never met, my stories of Mr Atkinson influence how he teaches his students! He even plays Neil Diamond during labs – the kids LOVE it!
Taryn Larsen
Jim Dempsey
Living here in Newfoundland, the news from Victoria doesn't always come quickly. Catherine and I were, therefore, shocked when we returned home early on New Year's day to hear the sad news of Glen's death.
Glen was my teacher at Oak Bay and I am also one of the members of his 1968 championship Reach For The Top team. We were a fine bunch of bright, quirky, cocky, and self-conscious lads who, through Glen's guidance were fortunate to find 15 minutes of fame. We were good, but we became winners because of the direction that Glen gave us. The team wasn't picked out of a crowd. We had to qualify in a week of playoffs with lots of other bright kids in the school. Then, throughout the season, we met at the Atkinson's house every Tuesday to take on the two teams on the show that night. We used our buzzer board to improve our reaction times and had to beat the on air competitors by pushing our buttons and then getting the right answer. We were regular winners in the family room against a black and white TV and became weekly entertainment for the Atkinson children. I was very nervous as I never felt that I was quite up to being on the team. With practice and encouragement from Glen, I found a way to step up and actually made the difference in a couple of important games. It was a heady time and the national championship in Vancouver was incredible.
During the national championship, the staff at CBC Vancouver and all of the good BC teams we had beaten were behind us. Nobody expected us to win and there were some interesting moments when post-tournament plans hadn't included the winners. At this point, we had a lot of local support behind us and Glen helped us to be minor celebrities. The climax was our trip to southeast Asia in February 1969. There is nothing like a road trip to build a team. We all have memories of new experiences and the enjoyment of each others' company. Throughout our travels in Canada and overseas, Glen treated us like adults and gave us the right amount of slack to experience a larger world. I also think that this trip was the beginning of Glen's plans to teach in tropical Australia.
Since high school, I have tried to keep in touch, at least occasionally. I remember Catherine and I visiting him to tell him of our engagement. That was forty years ago now and I remember his pleasure that two of his students had found each other.
In May 2011, the year that most of the 1968 team turned 60, we had a RFTT reunion in Victoria. I came from Newfoundland and Robert McDougall came from Bangladesh for the occasion. It was a delightful evening and we all felt that we were still some sort of a team. Talking to Pat today, she told me how much she and Glen appreciated the opportunity to meet together again. Sadly, it will be the last time…
So much for history. Glen was the kind of teacher that one can only expect to meet once or twice in a lifetime. He helped me to understand what I am capable of and to have the courage to pursue my dreams. As a result, my life has been successful and very satisfying. I have done things, been places, and met people that will be memories to treasure forever. More than anything, Glen and Pat have shown the world what love and family are all about. I hope I can live by his example.
I know that I will be only one of many people to enter comments here. For my part, I am proud to tell his family and the world what a fine man we have lost.
Good bye Glen and thank you.
Jim Dempsey, Flatrock, Newfoundland, January 3, 2015
Kris Lewis
Glen and Pat welcomed me into their home when Maureen and I went to the island for weaving workshops. I remember his joy for life whether it was challenging everyone to play boccia in the yard, creating wonderful works of wooden art, or just conversing around the table. I enjoyed his stories about their travels, their adventures, and the crazy dog. Glen had a generosity of spirit that he shared so easily. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to know him.
Rebecca Lusk
Some of my most fond memories of Oak Bay High School were sitting beside Glen or across from him at the old crokinole table in the staff room. His love of life and love of family were apparent in each and every action. My sincere condolences reach out to his family and dear friends. He was a joyful man. His memory continues to elicit a smile….
Helen Schwantje
Glen was one of the true mentors of not only my academic education but also my emotional being. Its true, he would always say the right thing whether to build confidence or to challenge. Didnt work so well for my ball dribbling ability but certainly did for my biology. If not for him I know I would and could not have pushed myself to achieve in quite the same way. A happy man, a happy life. Wish I could have seen him in the past 40 odd years to tell him more.
Walene Whitaker
Mr. Atkinson was my sons TAG teacher at Oak Bay High. And what a wonderful caring man he was., beginning with the first day the just barely teenagers entered his classroom, measuring them on the wall, and every year thereafter charting their growth until they graduated. When my son arrived in grade 8 his father was dying of ALS and Mr. Atkinson was kind respectful, and caring. I remember him attending my husbands funeral, above and beyind exoectations. A truly inspiring teacher. And a rock at Oak Bay High.
Stephanie Kosty nee Rault
Mr. Atkinson was a tremendous teacher. His sense of humour, love of Neil Diamond, Raquel Welch, and those fetal pigs kept me coming back to class and inspired my love of biology. He brimmed with pride as his son taught us in the mid 90s, another gifted teacher.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful tribute and snapshot of a life full of love and learning – he will clearly be deeply missed.
With much love – Steph
Kathleen Rafferty
I am sitting here with tears in my eyes, looking at the paper. Glen was a prince of a man — a true gentleman and one of the very finest teachers I ever had the privilege to work with. I know I'm just one of literally thousands of people who were touched and inspired by his example.
My condolences to all of his family. Glen lived life as we all should try to live it. I hope you will be comforted in knowing how much he was loved and respected.
former colleague at Oak Bay High
Jerry Carter
It was an honour and a privilege to have known and worked with Glen. He was a gentleman, a great husband, father and grandfather to his family. He was a wonderful teacher that all his students adored, and was always ready to offer support and advice to younger teachers, such as I was when I arrived at Oak Bay. Some of the practices I have kept all these years came from his advice and example. We loved hearing his stories around the crokinole table at lunch, where he was a master of the game. I enjoyed his company more than once at the staff golf tourney at year-end. He will be sadly missed by everyone whose life he touched…students, colleagues, friends and family.
Clive and Monica Collins
We met Glen and Pat and their children in North Queensland, when we all teaching there. Glen wasted no time in collecting specimens for his biology lab back home, which sometimes found their way into the deep-freeze, and I can remember going out into the bush with him to record bird-calls using his home-made parabolic reflector. Fond memories include a camping holiday on a deserted beach on Orpheus Island (with Barry and Elaine Willis, above), off the Queensland coast, where it was so idyllic that we lost track of the days – no radio or cell-phones – and couldn't remember when the boat was due to pick us up again. We subsequently stayed with Glen and Pat a couple of times in Victoria. At breakfast we would sit on the patio, with the humming-birds flitting around our heads to and from the honey-feeders. A measure of the love and respect in which he was held by his students came when Glen and Pat took us to a fireworks display at Butchart Gardens. From all around young – and youngish – people were waving and calling: "Hi, Mr. Atkinson, nice to see you". He clearly had an effect on so many people's lives. Glen Atkinson was a prince among men.
Our thoughts are with Pat and the children and grand-children at this sad time.
Marilyn Erickson
It's heartbreaking when you think you'll see someone again who has been so influential in your life and find them suddenly and sadly gone. I haven't been able to even comment properly on the sudden loss over the holidays of one of the most incredible men and mentors I've ever known. Glen Atkinson was my teacher in the 60's and a reason for my love of science ever since. In the late 80's I was fortunate to be hired at Oak Bay High and became the department science assistant….a dream job for me that saw me preparing the class labs, assisting in dissecting worms, frogs and fetal pigs, replacing the formaldehyde in the old specimens including human brains and enormous tape worms, preparing for class field trips and pond studies at Kinnickinick…his beautiful property at Prospect Lake. It was a crash refresher course in the sciences that lasted twelve amazing years with Glen and the entire science department, a sweet old boys club at the time. We spent much time in the prep lab listening to tapes of Neil Diamond, Stan and Garnet Rogers, and an African artist he'd discovered in his travels, on an old boom box, and I don't know how many times I re-taped his sword, a metre stick he was seldom without, waving it at late-comers and gigglers. Glen loved life and people to the max; he felt at one with our natural world…he had such a passion for teaching and teenagers that you couldn't help but learning in his classroom. I believe he inspired so many future teachers and scientists because of the depth of his knowledge, his dedication and excitement. He came to work happy every day. Former students often returned to his classroom, tens of years later sometimes, just to drop in and tell him how important he'd been in their life. My own son Kjell became enamoured of that prep lab in Grade 8 and I sometimes let him skip a class to come with us out to the pond and return with our bottle of pond water to see what we'd got under the microscope. Always a surprise and something you just never forgot. Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species.
When Kjell died suddenly in a car accident at the end of that year, 1992, Glen was my support and friend and graciously offered his peaceful property for Kjell's Celebration of Life, which was so fitting as it was one of our favourite spots. In the following years I often escaped to that little lab prep room full of memories opposite Tag 13 for solace and a comforting hug from one of the kindest, most gentle, informed and interesting humans I've ever met. He was everyone's Dad….the kind you wanted. The sort of person you always thought you'd see again with his pure voice and talent, his smile and sparkle, his travel stories, love for his family, pets, students, all species, the environment and the home he loved so much. The many comments on the Oak Bay Alumni site are a testament to how many ex-students felt the same way about him and never forgot their favourite teacher. Rest in perfect peace Pig Man. You will never be forgotten. You and Kjell probably already have your dip nets out!
Cheryl Thomas
Mr. Atkinson was one of the best teachers I ever had the pleasure of meeting and working with as Chair of the PAC. Having him teach my children, Ian Blaney and Megan Blaney was a blessing. I remember his retirement — the retirement party filled the gym and parents, teachers and kids were all teary. No one believed that he was actually going to retire.
I remember him corralling people from the hallway with the meter stick sword, people trying to sneak into his classroom for TAG time and the big pink plastic pig that was kidnapped and went on a European tour with ransom demands being sent from many European cities.
I also remember the two pairs of glasses — one on his face and one on his head and his pithy and valid comments made in staff meetings.
I'm sure there are going to be a lot of people telling Mr. Atkinson stories over the next few days.
Rest in Peace, Sir — you were one who engaged children in their learning and truly made a difference in so many lives.
My condolences to the family and I trust that your many happy memories will sustain you. Glen is now the loving angel on your shoulder.
Eva Sennewald Eaton
Mr. Atkinson taught me Biology 11 and instilled in my a lifelong curiousity for th natural world.
A gifted teacher and a great loss.
Eva Sennwald Eaton Oak Bay Class of 1978
Shawn Edwards
The Atkinson house was like a second home to me when I was growing up. Mike was my best friend (still is) and I remember many evenings playing games with the whole family in the living room on Glenairlie Drive. I remember playing with the button machine that Glen made for Reach for the Top practice. I remember the Atkinson family inviting me to go fishing with them on Cowichan River and me catching the biggest fish. I remember the dogs from Shadrack on. I remember the cat Glen trained to run around the living room before dinner. I remember the way Glen talked to us when Mike and I got into trouble. He was always reasonable and all was always forgiven. I can imagine what kind of teacher Glen was. He had a way of talking to you like an equal even if you were only 11. I'd talk about plants and he'd listen, then he'd talk about fossils and I'd be totally fascinated. Still am. Besides my own father, no man made a bigger positive impression on my life than did Glen Atkinson.
andrea meadows
Mr Atkinson was an amazing teacher. I had him for bio 11 in 95. He found a way to make learning. I will always remember his pig collection, i gave him one for Christmas to add to his display…
I have thought of him many times since I graduated. He truely was an amazing man who cared very much about his students. He was my favorite teacher and will always have a piece of my heart.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. The world has lost an amazing man and heaven has gained another angel.
Mark and Fern Perkins
We are so glad we were able to see Glen ( Mark's cousin and our teacher) at cousin Lil's 90th birthday. He looked well and we never expected him to leave us so quickly! He has been a wonderful teacher to us as well. In later years we worked together at UVic as faculty colleagues. My most grateful memory of Mr. Atkinson, as my teacher, before he became my cousin by marriage, was in the spring of 1968 when he accompanied me to the funeral of my friend and classmate Ritchie Hall, just before we were to graduate. Ritchie was killed by a drunk driver who crossed the centre line and was also from my Métis Nation family. Mr. A helped me raise money to dedicate a large fish tank for the biology lab in Ritchie's name, with a memorial plaque to Richard Hall. Mr. A's compassion was as strong as his sense of humour and was sustained by his strong faith. His life on earth has been well lived and he is now in the company of that great cloud of witnesses who compassed him about and cheered him on as he finished his race on earth with patience, keeping his eyes fixed on the author and finisher of his faith. He has been a good and faithful servant, doing everything to the best of his ability, to bring honour to his Lord.
Barry Elaine willis
We first met the Atkinson family in 1974 when they came to Atherton in Queensland to teach at the schools. What a delightful family they are and we shared many camping trips and barbecues with them and party games they organised. We have stayed with them in Canada a few times. On our last visit we watched Pat and Glen practise their singing and music in readiness for performing at the Aged Care Home. Our family enjoyed two Christmases with them while we were on exchange in 1989 and the kids were totally spoilt. Glen was well loved and respected by all of us and will be sadly missed. Lots of love to Pat and the family. Pat recently invited us to come to the Atkinson Hotel again soon. We are all very sad at this time.
Dear Pat and Family – I am so incredibly sorry for your loss.
The difficulty with having such a charismatic and wonderful man in your life for so many years is that his loss will be felt that much more keenly.
I so enjoyed catching up with you both at the Cridge, and both of my parents (Ken and Frankie Smith) are incredibly saddened at this news.
He was a fantastic teacher, a wonderful friend to so many, a great singer, and an incredible man.
You are in my prayers.
Bevin Bigalky
He was a good man, a man who earned and deserved his place. He was a good husband and father, a teacher, an adventurer, a seeker of knowledge. To have cared so much for others and that they should know their world and to have shown others how to live and learn will be remembered by so many. Such a life, such a man. Thank you, Glen—you are always in our hearts.
Dan Soberg
Although we have known Glen for only a couple of years, we quickly learned to love him and his gentle soul. I first met him when he came to our house to work with Merrilee on photoshop. Although serious learning took place, even with homework, there was much teasing and laughter.
I was thrilled when Glen invited me to learn how to work on his lathe. It was after our work, over coffee and muffins or a Pat made lunch, that we quickly realized how much we had in common: teaching, basketball coaching, bird watching, fossil collecting, travelling, love for Captain Cook, crazy golf shots and singing. He loved to speak of his family's accomplishments, travelling with them and traditional house parties where the elders would compete against the kids. I believe that this Christmas, the elders won.
He had a wonderful sense of humour and loved to banter about questionable bird identification, goofy golf shots or holding bowls up to the light to check for their thinness.
Glen was a master wood turner and perfectionist when it came to finishing his beautiful pieces. I realized this when he took out a dusty old magnifying glass to look for scratches on my work. I thought that he was joking and later had many laughs about his inspections. Our lathe work was often interrupted as one of us would start telling another story. Glen offered to help me with a special project. My "Little Brother" had an unfinished lamp base which he had started in a high school wood turning class. After Bob passed away last April, Glen patiently guided me to uncover its beauty.
I was lucky to know Glen, even for a short time. When I turn the lamp on in the morning, I remember them both. Thanks Glen.
Dan & Merrilee
There are times that an individual's contribution to the lives of others goes unrecognized but I think Mr.Atkinson knew he touched many. Thanks to him I developed an interest in the sciences and went on to an undergraduate and graduate program in nursing. He kept you engaged and focused.
He was a gift to many but no words can take away the pain of loss to his family. Know that he was admired, respected and carried in the hearts of many. My condolences to his family.
Barbara Miler Oak Bay High School Class of 81
Noni Battye
So sorry for your loss. Mr. A was a great teacher and mentor. His impact lives on in the many whom he inspired (myself included) both in the classroom and outside of it. Best wishes. Noni (Grad '94 and now teacher)
margaret metcalfe(mainwaring)
I am so saddened to hear of Glen's passing. He was a wonderful teacher and coach. I have such fond memories of my days at Oak Bay especially playing basketball for Glen and all the laughs we had. He also was a wonderful singer and sang at our grad ceremony(1973). My condolences to Patricia and all of the family.
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I'm graetufl you made the post. It's cleared the air for me.
I tohguht I'd have to read a book for a discovery like this!
I love redaing these articles because they're short but informative.
Walking in the presence of giants here. Cool thikinng all around!


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