The Dominions Stick Together
In some ways it’s one of the best pieces of news for Africa in a long time, but the decision of the SKA organisation to site their new radio telescope in remote parts of Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, is to be welcomed. The details are here on the BBC’s web site.
Milton Nkosi from the BBC says this about the project.
This decision will help to change the perception that Africa is a dark continent full of death and destruction and where little scientific research is carried out.
The telescope will deliver thousands of jobs and will showcase South Africa’s rich history in astronomy.
The SKA will have 3,000 antennas across a vast semi-desert part of South Africa known as the Karoo. The site is already home to seven massive Gregorian dish antennas that form part of the Karoo Array Telescope, or Kat7.
The only thing history tells us about it, is that the project will get bigger. And it will be joined by other large instruments.
Gary Barlow Says BBC Presenters are Going Native
On this morning’s BBC Breakfast, Gary Barlow accused Louise Minchin of picking up a Mancunian accent. He should know after all as he comes from Frodsham.
She in turn admitted, she does slip occasionally.
Now you can understand, why they didn’t move the program to Glasgow.
A friend of mine has told me, that since Radio 5 has moved to Manchester, he’s not been on the program. Apparently, he was told, his phone number was lost in the move to Manchester. I think though, it’s because his accent is not even South London, but North.
When Social Media Goes Awry
The Telegraph reports an unseemly spat between Joe Simpson, the author of Touching the Void, and schoolchildren doing the book for GCSE.
It is the sort of thing that can happen on social media and I suspect both parties could have been a little bit more discrete or less outrageous with their replies.
I had a letter published once and it attracted some fairly abusive letters in reply. In the end, history has shown that I was right.
Wales Does the Torch Proud
They’re now only an hour or so from Cardiff and the end of the day’s run.
Wales has done the torch proud and it has been sunshine all the way.
The BBC Wales weatherman was warning of too much sun in Cardiff and said to bring sun cream. No comment!
The Development of the New Bus for London
I went to a lecture last night at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers about the New Bus for London. A very good lecture, given by David Barnett, the Development Engineering Manager of The Wright Group, who build the bus.
His talk should be recorded and shown to all students, who might think they would benefit from going to University to do engineering, as it showed how innovative thinking can transform a product as everyday as a bus.
I think the lecture, also confirmed my view, that the buses we ride in ten years from now, will be even better. The current New Bus for London is just the start of the development of buses that will transform the way we get around.
I think it is worth emphasising that buses, trams and trains are only part of a transport system. They need to be backed up by all kinds of information technology from simple maps to web pages and mobile phone apps, so that passengers find their way around with ease.
Wales Has The Flags Out
This picture comes from Abergavenny.
Flags in Abergavenny
Wales looks like it’s going to party! I wonder if they’ve solved the problem about where they’re going to park the dragon, when Dai Greene runs.
I Received My Olympic Tickets This Morning
Yesterday, I received a text and an e-mail to say that my first batch of Olympic tickets would arrive today. Being a cynical bastard, I suspected that this would be sometime around lunchtime, when my postman delivers the mail.
But at a few minutes to nine, when I was making sure all my drugs for the day were correct and laid out, there was a knock at the door.
On answering it, there was a postman and I signed for the tickets. Within seconds, I got another text and an e-mail to say that the tickets had been delivered. That is actually good although some might think it excessive. But supposing the tickets had been wrongly delivered, which of course they weren’t!
The picture shows one of the Beach Volleyball tickets.
A Genuine Olympic Beach Volleyball Ticket
I also got a travel card for each of the days I have an Olympic ticket. A bit of a waste, as I have a Freedom Pass.
New Bus for London Number 4 Checks In!
And now there are four!
I saw LT4 on the way to take the Staffy picture this morning.
A Pro-Staffy Advert
Staffies have a bad press, but the Battersea Dogs Home have a serious problem, in that so many get turned in.
A Pro-Staffy Advert
This poster is trying to redress the balance.
It’s an interesting idea.
It Was the Jubilee Line Again
When there is a London Underground chaos story, it’s always the Jubilee line, just like it was on Wednesday. I think a lot has to do with Blair’s government, who were desperate to get it finished for their millennium bash at the Dome, so they paid what the workers demanded. But you never hear of such horrendous problems on other lines.
The Anonymous Widower 