KENDRIVE

SOMEWHAT OF A RARITY?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:30:26 +0100

(Times Online)

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MISSED THE BOAT?

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:05:44 +0100

(Times Online)

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LIVE AND LET LIVE

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:08:10 +0100

(The Times)

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A STREET BY ANY OTHER NAME

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:21:46 +0100

Seen in Sandwich, Kent

(The Times)

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JUVENILE DELINQUENTS?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:50:04 +0100

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A SHOCKING STORY - EXTREME PENALTY, OR JUSTICE?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:01:50 +0100

A man in Saudi Arabia is to be beheaded and crucified after he raped five children and left one of them, a three-year-old boy, to die in the desert.

An appeal court in the capital Riyadh approved the death sentence handed down in June by judges in the northwestern oasis city of Hail where the convicted 22-year-old man carried out his crimes.

The rapist - who was not named - was arrested several weeks ago as he tried to seize another boy after offering him a ride home from school.

The seven-year-old - who escaped unharmed - helped identify the culprit.

The man’s victims were aged between three and seven. He was said to have lured them into his car as they left school at midday and then drove them to remote desert locations to rape them.

An investigation was launched after a 25-year-old father reported that his three-year-old son was missing and that he suspected the kidnapper to be a male driver of a white four-wheel drive vehicle.

The infant was later found under a scorching sun in the desert where he had died of thirst.

A panel of three judges in Hail sentenced the rapist to death for “abhorrent” crimes which they said had terrorised the community.

Crucifixion in the conservative desert Kingdom means tying the convict’s body to wooden beams to be displayed to the public after he is decapitated by a professional swordsman.

Saudi Arabia has executed 56 people this year under laws that allow the death penalty for rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking.

In extreme cases, the convict is executed and his body crucified in public.

(Mail Online)

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SOMEWHERE - OVER THE MOONBOW

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:37:23 +0100

Have you ever seen a 'Moonbow'?

A moonbow (also known as a lunar rainbow,lunar bow or white rainbow) is a rainbow produced by light reflected off the surface of the moon rather than from direct sunlight.

Moonbows are relatively faint, due to the smaller amount of light reflected from the surface of the Moon. They are always in the opposite part of the sky from the moon.

It is difficult for the human eye to discern colors in a moonbow because the light is usually too faint to excite the cone color receptors in human eyes. As a result, they often appear to be white. However, the colors in a moonbow do appear in long exposure photographs.

Here is a magnificent one captured at Victoria Falls, Zambia.

However, you don't have to travel that far to see a moonbow and we had our own here in the UK last weekend, at Richmond, North Yorkshire.

Not so brilliant as the one in Zambia, but still quite impressive.

Photographer Chris Walker captured the picture as he was driving through a storm around 7pm last Sunday.

He said: 'I noticed something odd in the sky as I was driving home.
'A near full Moon was behind me and the wind was blowing a gale and rain was being driven from clouds on the horizon.

'The Moon was so bright that when I arrived home it was obvious that the object in the sky was a rainbow illuminated by moonlight.

Mr Walker only needed a 30-second exposure on his Lumix digital camera to reveal the full range of colours.

'The moonlight was so bright I could see red in the rainbow with my unaided eye,' he said.

(Based on an article in the Daily Mail)

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TOP OF THE TOWER

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:23:49 +0100

Do any of you older readers remember the "Top of the Tower" revolving restaurant on the 34th floor of the Post Office (Now BT) Tower in London?

It opened in 1966 and was operated by Butlin's.

Here it is in its heyday:

Perhaps you have eaten there.

Unfortunately it has been closed to the public for 30 years, amid security fears after an IRA bomb exploded in the lavatories.

However, the good news is that it may soon reopen.

BT has recently begun searching for celebrity chefs to oversee the new restaurant and Heston Blumenthal, Jamie Oliver and Gary Rhodes are among those reported as being approached.

Last Saturday the tower hosted a gigantic firework display, launched from the skyscraper’s roof at 581ft above ground, marking the 1,000-day countdown to the London Olympics.

(From an article in the Daily Mail)

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IS PROOFREADING A DYING ART?

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:00:50 +0100

UNFORTUNATE HEADLINES FROM ACROSS THE WORLD

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says

Surprise! Surprise!
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Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers

Now that's taking things a bit far!
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Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over

What a guy!
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Miners Refuse to Work after Death

Good-for-nothing' lazy so-and-so's!
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Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant

See if that works any better than a fair trial!
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War Dims Hope for Peace

I can see it might have that effect!
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If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile

Ya think?!
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Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures

Who would have thought that!
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Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide

They may be on to something!
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Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges

You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?
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Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge

He probably IS the battery charge!
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New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group

Weren't they fat enough?!
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Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft

That's what he gets for eating those beans!
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Kids Make Nutritious Snacks

Do they taste like chicken?
********

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half

Chainsaw Massacre all over again!
***********

Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors

Boy, aren't they tall!
*********

And the winner is....

Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead

*************

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STATING THE OBVIOUS?

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:55:22 +0100

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THAT'S REASSURING

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:48:41 +0100

(Daily Telegraph)

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HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:04:50 +0100

British pomp and pageantry reigned on Tuesday as the Queen welcomed an Indian president to Britain for the first time in almost 20 years.

In the historic town of Windsor the two heads of state met, with the Royal Family putting on a display that left many in the visiting retinue breathless.

Escorted by the Duke of Edinburgh, President Pratibha Patil - India's first female head of state - was invited to inspect the waiting troops as her husband, Dr Devisingh Ransingh Shekhawat, and the Queen looked on from a nearby dais.

The diminutive Asian leader, who wore a sari and cream coloured overcoat, was dwarfed by the guardsmen as she inspected the troops lined up in two rows.

Before lunch he Queen showed President Pratibha Patil Indian items from the Royal collection.

Later in the evening, the Queen held a magnificent white-tie state banquet for her visitors where guests included Conservative leader David Cameron and his wife, Samantha, and author JK Rowling.

One of Windsor Castle's staff puts the final delicate touches to the lavish dinner table.

And guests mingle before taking their seats in the spectacular setting of St. George's Hall in Windsor Castle

Menu

Starter: Delice de Fletan aux Herbes (Halibut with herbs)

Main: Selle d'Agneau Pre-sale Arlesienne (lamb with rosemary and thyme)

Side dishes:
Courgettes Farcies (stuffed courgettes)
Carottes Glacees (glazed carrots)
Pommes Fondantes (fondant potatoes)

Wines:
Meursault les Clous, Patrick Javillier 2000
Chateau Cos d'Estournel, St Estephe 1988
Chateau Doisy-Daene, Barsac 2001
Royal Vintage Port 1963

(From an article in the Daily Mail)

The State visit by the Indian president came just days after yet another gaffe by Prince Philip at a 400-strong Buckingham Palace reception for British Indians

As guests lined up to meet him and the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, 88, looked at the name badge of businessman Atul Patel and said: 'There's a lot of your family in tonight.'

A spokesman for Mr Patel, who heads housing agency the LHA-Asra group, confirmed the conversation took place, but said the 47-year-old executive took it as a joke.

Comments

VIRGINIA CREEPER?

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:22:51 +0100

(Daily Telegraph)

Comments

BROADBAND TEST LETS NEIGHBOURS COMPARE CONNECTION SPEEDS

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:59:15 +0100

StreetStats speed test will allow web users to see how fast friends and neighbours are able to surf the internet

The service, StreetStats, from broadband comparison site Top 10 Broadband, collects speed test data from users to build an interactive Google map.

Web users can zoom in on their postcode area to compare the speed of their broadband service with the upload and download speeds their neighbours are achieving. More than 170,000 speed test results have been added to the map so far, and the company behind the scheme hopes to have plotted the speeds of two million users by the end of the year.

A survey by Top 10 Broadband found that four out of 10 people would not move to a house with a poor broadband service, and that low connection speeds would even put them off moving to the area. Six out of 10 of those surveyed said they would be "annoyed and envious" to discover that a neighbour was receiving a better internet service than them.

“Until now broadband speed tests have only let you check your own speed. This is the first time everyone will be able to see what speeds their neighbours are getting and which broadband providers they are signed up to," said Alex Buttle, director of Top 10 Broadband. "Despite all the competition between the major UK broadband providers, there's still huge variation in the speeds their customers receive, even on the same street. This test makes the broadband landscape more transparent than ever."

The tool will also allow web users to compare the service provided by ISPs, and get a clear breakdown of price. It tracks speed trends, enabling users to see average speeds in any area over the last three, six or 12 months, to see how consistent the service is. And it also provides a handy guide showing the real-life implications of upload and download speeds, telling web users how long it will take to download a song or upload their holiday photos.

(Daily Telegraph)

To see some of your neigbours' broadband speeds (not all, go to: http://www.top10-broadband.co.uk/speedtest/streetstats/

This is my speed this morning:

At 19.4MB download it is the fastest in my neighbourhood.

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MAKING WAVES

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:22:54 +0100

Rob Gonsalves, born in Toronto in 1959, is a painter of magic realism with a unique perspective and style. He produces original works, limited edition prints and illustrations for his own books.

During his childhood, he developed an interest in drawing from imagination using various media.

By the age of twelve, his awareness of architecture grew as he learn perspective techniques and he began to create his first paintings and renderings of imagined buildings.

(Wikipedia)

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MAIL STRIKE

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:17:50 +0200

London: Strike action by Royal Mail workers in Britain has led to 30 million letters being delayed so far, the company said on Friday.

The revelation came on the second day of a nationwide strike in which 78,000 delivery and collection workers were called out.

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WELL WHAT ELSE COULD YOU CALL IT?

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:37:47 +0200

Spotted at a harvest festival in Minneapolis, USA

(The Times - "Silly Signs")

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NO CATCHEE SWIMMERS PLEASE

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:01:09 +0200

(Times Online)

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IS "ALL BOATS £10" TOO SIMPLE?

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:14:21 +0200

Sign on a harbour office, near Penzance, Cornwall." From Stephen Salter, London

(The Times)

Perhaps the sign-writer was paid by the letter!

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GRADED BEHAVIOUR

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:28:29 +0200

Seen in a bar in Hua Hin, Thailand."
(From Nick Blachford, France)

(The Times)

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AND I THOUGHT BABIES WERE FOUND UNDER GOOSEBERRY BUSHES

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:58:58 +0200

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IT MAKES A CHANGE FROM HEDGEHOGS

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:00:32 +0200

P.S. Check out my new blog at: http://ME-TALKING.blog.co.uk

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NO COCKROACHES THEN?

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 06:29:48 +0200

Notice in Rhodes

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WHO AM I?

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:38:24 +0200

"I know I'm rich and unpopular - but I can't remember if I am a banker or an MP"

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SEMI-DETACHED SUBURBAN

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:51:53 +0200

I grew up through the late 1930s (yes, I am that old) and I have always been fascinated by the London Underground and the way it led to the urbanisation of the countryside.

The London Transport Museum in Covent Garden is staging an exhibition of photographs and posters of the period, which you can see on this BBC slideshow:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8305000/8305579.stm

Incidentally, the house I have shown at the top of this page, probably costing then £750, was recently sold for £420,000.

John Betjeman enthuses at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clRknPu0CW8

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DEPRIVED?

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:04:33 +0200

OVER 10 MILLION IN UK HAVE NEVER BEEN ONLINE

More than 10 million adults across the UK have never used the internet, according to a new report commissioned by Martha Lane Fox, the government’s Digital Inclusion Champion.

This means 17 per cent of the entire population have never been online and four million of this group are also socially excluded, because of their economic, employment or housing circumstances.

It also found that all households without the internet are missing out on an average saving of £560 per year. This is because it is cheaper to pay bills online and shop around for the best deals. The four million economically disadvantaged families are missing out on savings of over £1 billion a year.

PricewaterhouseCoopers, the firm commissioned to carry out the research, discovered that the 1.8 million children growing up in digitally excluded families could increase their lifetime earnings by £10.8 billion should they become digitally savvy and that people who are internet literate can earn an average increase in their lifetime earnings of over £8,000.

The report also examined how much money the government could save if it communicated with the majority of the general public digitally, as opposed to face to face, in areas such as job seeking. It concluded that it could save at least £900 million a year if all digitally excluded adults got online and moved to communicating electronically with the government.

(From an article in the Daily Telegraph)

Comments

BLACK HOLE

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:47:27 +0200

A huge steel sculpture which creates the impression of entering a black hole has been unveiled at the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern in London.

Visitors can enter and walk around the chamber, which is 98ft (30m) long, 43ft (13m) high and 33ft (10m) wide.

The sculpture is called "How It Is" and is by Polish artist Miroslaw Balka.

The Warsaw-born artist has created a piece that the gallery fully expects will unnerve and unsettle visitors. The structure is enormous – 30 metres long, 10m wide and 13m high – and once inside it, visitors will walk into complete blackness hoping – presumably – that they don't then bump or knock into fellow art-lovers.

Tate Modern said health and safety had been on its mind and the space will be regularly patrolled by attendants with torches.

Balka is alluding to many things in the work – the biblical Plague of Darkness, black holes in space, images of hell – but curator Helen Sainsbury said reactions to the work would differ.

"Each one of us will approach this work and experience it very differently," she said. "For some it may be an incredibly sombre experience, for most it will be unnerving. For others there will be something quite comforting about going into a space like this full of strangers, yet being aware of each other."

Balka has been working on the piece, from concept to installation, for a year. Asked what his first reaction on walking into the completed container was, he said: "Whoa. It works."

The title, How It Is, is taken from Samuel Beckett's novel of the same name and Balka said the piece should be seen as being about everything and nothing. "There is no one single direct inspiration for the piece and the words of the artist are not so important. The work is important. It is good or bad. It works or it does not work."

(The Guardian)

See more at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8303001.stm

I am not sure that I would like to go inside this structure and I would certainly hang on to my wallet and other private possessions!

Balka has been working on the piece, from concept to installation, for a year.

Asked what his first reaction on walking into the completed container was, he said: 'Whoa. It works.'

He said the piece should be seen as being about everything and nothing.

'There is no one single direct inspiration for the piece and the words of the artist are not so important.' said Balka.

'The work is important. It is good or bad. It works or it does not work."

Balka said he was using it as a space for contemplation and hoped others would do the same.

Comments

PC REIGNS IN GHANA

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:37:51 +0200

"BUFFOONING SIMPLETONS"?

The multinational chocolate firm Cadbury has been accused of racism and perpetuating "colonial stereotypes" of African people in its latest advertising campaign. A poster and television advert created in Ghana for Dairy Milk has infuriated a number of prominent equality campaigners and Ghanaian leaders in the UK.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) meets this week to discuss initiating a formal investigation into Cadbury's TV advert – slogan "show us your cocoa beam" – which features a giant, negroid rotating head that unleashes mass dancing among what appear to be highly excitable people in an African village.

The advert and an associated poster campaign mark the chocolate firm's move to Fairtrade, but critics say this move has been overshadowed by the campaign's portrayal of African people as "buffooning simpletons".

Toyin Agbetu, the founder of Ligali, a UK-based African human rights organisation, said: "The video makes Africans look like buffooning simpletons. The biggest presence on the advert is a giant mask that people fall about in front of. Part of being able to use the Fairtrade brand should also include a responsibility to advertise ethically."

Kwame Nkrumah-Agyapong of Ghanaian Migrants Information Services said the campaign had caused outrage among the Ghanaian diaspora. "I've been called by loads of people about this advert. Ghanaians are very laid-back people, so for them even to voice this shows there's a problem. People feel it's racist and it doesn't present an accurate picture of Ghana."

Cadbury said it had been made aware of the ASA complaints and was co-operating fully. Phil Rumbol, the marketing director at Cadbury, said: "We completely reject these allegations. This campaign has been widely welcomed by Ghanaians, including community leaders both in Ghana and in the UK."

(Abridged from an article in the Independent)

See the video and judge for yourself at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ktLtvinZBs

To me - a lot of happy people seem to be enjoying themselves.

Comments

ENCOUNTER AT THE COUNTER?

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 09:58:43 +0200

"Nice to see you"

Comments

KENDRIVE

SOMEWHAT OF A RARITY?

MISSED THE BOAT?

LIVE AND LET LIVE

A STREET BY ANY OTHER NAME

JUVENILE DELINQUENTS?

A SHOCKING STORY - EXTREME PENALTY, OR JUSTICE?

SOMEWHERE - OVER THE MOONBOW

TOP OF THE TOWER

IS PROOFREADING A DYING ART?

STATING THE OBVIOUS?

THAT'S REASSURING

HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES

VIRGINIA CREEPER?

BROADBAND TEST LETS NEIGHBOURS COMPARE CONNECTION SPEEDS

MAKING WAVES

MORE FROM MATT ON THE POSTAL STRIKE

MAIL STRIKE

WELL WHAT ELSE COULD YOU CALL IT?

NO CATCHEE SWIMMERS PLEASE

IS "ALL BOATS £10" TOO SIMPLE?

GRADED BEHAVIOUR

AND I THOUGHT BABIES WERE FOUND UNDER GOOSEBERRY BUSHES

IT MAKES A CHANGE FROM HEDGEHOGS

NO COCKROACHES THEN?

WHO AM I?

SEMI-DETACHED SUBURBAN

DEPRIVED?

BLACK HOLE

PC REIGNS IN GHANA

ENCOUNTER AT THE COUNTER?