Without Wax.

The words, "Without wax" are used as a sort of code in the book, "The Da Vinci Code." It defeats the chief cryptographer in the book, but would  fool neither a schoolboy Latin scholar nor a beekeeper. The word "sincere" was used by the Romans to denote honesty following the practice of masons to fill cavities in marble statues with wax, a deception that worked well provided that the piece wasn't left out in the mid-day sun when, as with Icarus' feathers, it all goes pear shaped. The reason that I mention this is that this Christmas card, despite its greeting, is a reproduction of a painting entitled, "Sledging at Holywell, Cambridgeshire," a village some 450 miles distance from Roslin.

Jnr arrived home for the holiday this afternoon bearing a grievance concerning honesty; he waved an email at me that says he has been banned from a particular betting shop. They've caught up with him as he has been making a small, but steady profit from his dealings with them. What bugs him is they do not appear to take a similar stance with drunks or gambling addicts amongst their clientele. A university education that includes statistical analysis is proving to be a useful financial asset.

Finally, may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas?