A little update which might amuse some. I finally bought my first cell phone (AKA "mobile) today, so maybe I will finally learn how to use the stupid things. Why, it could only be a matter of days before I send an obscene text message to some hapless young woman sitting across from me on the bus.
Er...
Anyways, good news! The first sniff of paid writing work came in today from a website, which had advertised at the best temp site I've found so far. A good article can net upwards of fifty pounds (with the possability of vouchers, it seems). It would just be a little money on the side, I'm certainly not done hunting for a job....but to have some writing experience on my CV would be marvelous. A few decent articles for these people, who tell me that they want stuff from a student or recent graduate perspective, would allow me to apply for some rather nice jobs I've seen advertised.
With a word minimum of 350 and a fortnightly publishing schedule, I think I should easily be able to fit this in with the rest of the mess.
We are all different...except for identical twins, who don't count as they aren't really human - are they? Really? Huh...
1) Do you like babies? Then England is for you! I have seen basically more babies in the past while than I can remember seeing during my last six months in Canada. While in Broadstairs I overheard on the radio that England is the number one nation in Europe for having "children with children" (14-24). I thought conventional wisdom taught that as nations became more developed, birth rates declined - Japan being a glaring example - but apparently the English have found the secret to fitting more sex into the hectic twenty-first century lives we now lead.
Or maybe their just isn't enough education about birth control?
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Yes, but Japan will make up for the birth deficiency with robots, which will become increasingly human until they overthrow us all in an orgy of blood, guts, and motor oil. No metal America! Death to our robotic overlords!
We'll be able to tell them apart and root them out because robots don't draw hentai as well as humans
Actually, no...
Birth rates drop as infant mortality rates drop. In some cases, you're right: less developed countries usually have high infant mortality rates, given all the disease and death and all that jazz. But not always.
Canada actually has the exact same birth rate as the UK, per 1000 people: 10.78.
I give you.... WIKIPEDIA! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_birth_rate
Population and population control programs are the subject of this chapter of my thesis.
...but I have been enjoying reading your blog otherwise :)
Interestingly...
According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute:
Births per 1,000 women Ages 15-19 (year 2000):
France: 9.4
Canada: 20.2
England and Wales: 30.8
USA: 48.7
Hi Kate!
Well I'll be damned, I wish I could remember where exactly....but I do know at one point I heard the theory that developed nations tended towards less children as parents did not have to rely so much on them for support in their later years. Plus health care means you don't need to have ten kids and hope three make it past the age of eight.
But then, this was just a theory. Interesting to learn more, though!
Wikipedia: Endlessly-accountable source of evidence?
Also: It's "nerdiness."
HA
I feel the need to qualify...
Shawn says my comments make me sound... we'll go with the adjective "mean".
I didn't mean to sound "mean"... I've been enjoying reading the blog all along, but never had any comments worth posting about it!
I do however have a theory as to the appearance of more children in your life, suddenly, Mr Brackenbury.
Essentially, you've got more people per square root - all crammed into a comically-sized small amount of space. Whereas we have huge swaths of undeveloped land yet to be pillaged and otherwise ruined by man's mechanical touch.
And by "root" I mean 'foot,' naturally. I have this problem where I look at all pieces of land as mathematical equations? I'm kind of like Neo from The Matrix, only unlike him I flatter myself by comparing myself to a fit, long jacket-clad martial artist expert who can defy all laws of physics because he's The Chosen One. Oh well!
Oh I thought about the density thing, but even taking that into account - it's the age of the mothers as well. SO many people our age and younger with kids - it is definitly different from Ottawa...where we are kind socialized to look at a young mother and think "What went wrong?".
Also, no qualifying!
hello hello. i don't know you but i'm a friend of jess' and i just moved to scotland at the end of september and she just sent me the link to your blog. ANYWAY.
so my friend and i have been in london, bath, manchester, dublin, and now edinburgh, scotland.
while we were in dublin i could not get over the number of strollers. seriously. SO MANY STROLLERS. always in my way. SO MANY. i can not even explain how many strollers. and if there were small children NOT in strollers they were PUSHING LARGE DOLL STROLLERS THEMSELVES. i don't think i've ever seen as many strollers in ONE YEAR as i did in dublin in 5 days. i didn't notice an extraordinary number of babies in london, but there sure were an extraordinary number of babies in strollers in dublin. maybe london folk are just stylish enough to hide their babies rather than cart them around in giant strollers taking up too much space.
so yeah. hi. nice to meet you. i'm leah.
Hello Leah? Are you attractive and single?
Oh ho ho.
Interesting to know how widespread the baby phenomenon is! London does have many a stroller, but it truly does matter where you are. Out in more working class neighborhoods like Tottenham, there are plenty to fit your sidewalk blocking needs. In the heart of the city, like the Embankment and Blackfriers area, not so much. Perhaps it is a fashion thing?
You know what I haven't seen though! Those baby-backpack things! Let me know if you spot one.
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