All things ginger #7: Famous ginger sighting win!

Double post today to celebrate the fact that as I was going into a central London tube station tonight I walked past Dan Wright who made a programme called F*** off, I'm ginger a while back. I was tempted to say hi or something but I'm not sure if merely being a fellow redhead gives you permission to approach ginger people who are vaguely famous without coming across as a weirdo.

Anyhoo, he had a wonderful crop of vibrant hair which he was making no attempt to hide. Good man.

All things ginger #6: The Rise and Fall of the Ginger Lizards

While there are many examples of red-haired creatures in the animal world, the revelation that even dinosaurs could be ginger is something of a surprise.

Ginger and scaly and feathery? I normally stick up for my kind, but that's just weird.

All things ginger #5: Santa loves ya....

Apparently there was an element of doubt as to whether Father Christmas included ginger kids in his list of 'good children'.

Nice of Tescos to clarify things.

Still advancing gingerly, in absentia

I realise I've been a bit quiet lately. I have various excuses for your consideration:

• I've started a Masters degree
• I've moved
• I've been spending my net time promoting my online shop selling knitted hats
  
• I am currently reliant on a netbook and mobile broadband, neither of which are conducive to intense blogging
• My brain has been replaced by a jellyfish
• Goblins kidnapped me and forced me to dye my hair blonde, thus rendering me ineligible to be an author on this blog until it had all washed out.
  

Some, none or all of the above are true. You are welcome to speculate as to which is which.

Thank you for your patience.

All Things Ginger #4: Redhead day hits the mainstream media

It seems that this year's Redhead Day has got a lot more media coverage in the UK than before. I first became aware that it must have made the news when two of my colleagues separately told me about this 'red hair day thing' they'd heard about. I'm not sure whether they believed me when I told them it was my intention to go to the Dutch festival at some point in the future. Today there was a decent length feature on the BBC magazine pages, with some great pictures here. Nice to see 'my people' getting some positive coverage.

I should point out, of course, that Advancing Gingerly was talking about this event last year. About time the press caught up!

Before I sign off, just cos I still find it bloomin' funny, here's Tim Minchin again with what I presume would become the national anthem when the Gingers finally take over:

Gingerism in science

The other day I was looking for information about a category of genetic variants called SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms i.e. variation of a single 'letter' in the DNA code of a gene). In my hunt, I stumbled across SNPedia, which provided me with the information I needed.

Having a further look around the site, I found references to SNPs in the genes that contribute to red hair. It was at this point that I discovered that 'red hair' is categorised, alongside cancers, mental health problems and heart disease, as a 'medical condition'.

Hmph.

My people have spoken

'Taboo' by Tim Minchin

Gingerfest!

Shame Wolverhampton isn't closer to London, or else I might have taken myself along to Gingerfest, a photography exhibition celebrating all things ginger. Video here.

Not the first project to celebrate us Titian-haired beings. I did volunteer for the Ginger Snaps project, but alas, I was too late. Good to see not everyone's intent on verbal abuse.

Alternatively, maybe I should hop over to Holland this Sunday for Redhead Day 2008. How cool is that?!