Alex's Blog

Padding It Out.

2008-12-30T23:28:00.003Z

How did I end up wearing 8 tops and 6 pairs of trousers on a transatlantic flight on the way back from Peru? Read on....

I queued up (knowing the weight limit was 25kg) and I put my big bag on the scale. It was 26kg. I was thinking SHIT, SHIT, SHIT be a nice person on the desk. This was with Air Transat. But then she saw I had a backpack on and asked me to put that on as well. I had totally packed out my backpack with the heaviest things (excluding liquids) like books and electronics because they never check hand luggage weight normally. After the bow and arrows too it was was 38kg or something stupid. She said that it would be about CAN$200 to pay the excess. My mind was racing. She was really nice and saying that I should ring my parents and use their credit cards to pay. Yeah like I am ringing my parents at 1am to ask for 100 pounds. I walked away with all my stuff and toyed with ringing someone for assistance but I knew I was on my own. I only had CAN$20 on me and I still wanted to buy food after going through security. I knew I needed to throw some stuff away. I went to the disabled toilet and sorted my stuff out until I had a small pile of stuff that I could afford to throw away. Then I layed myself up good and proper. 3 pairs of shorts and 3 pairs of trousers. Then I put on 5 t-shirts and 3 thick jumpers. Plus 2 scarves and a woolly hat. I was boiling and I could hardly walk but I walked back to the check-in desk. I ended up with a different woman. My big suitcase was now 20kg plus 2kg for the bow and arrows. She didnt care about my hand luggage. After it all went through and I had my ticket I went back to the toilet. My small pile of dispensable possessions were still there as I had left them (except I had an inkling someone had read my National Geographic whilst in there). I packed out my previously only half-full backpack but I had overspill. I had 2 plastic bags knocking around so I filled them up with wellies and hiking boots. My pockets were also bulging. This is how I went through security. The metal detector went off of course. But the metal zips were deep under the layers of trousers. The man was confused with the paddedness but I got through. As soon as the seatbelt sign went off on the plane I took most of the layers off and took up an entire overhead storage locker to myself what with the bags of boots, the huge backpack and piles of clothes. Shortly before the descent I got back into my layers. After picking up my luggage at London I got re-changed in the toilet there. Then I went and met my Dad in the arrivals area.

A rival for Stormguy?

2008-07-07T23:43:00.002+01:00

As all who read this blog will know stormguy.com is the best place to view storms, lightning and tornado pictures and videos on the internet. But the BBC are starting to step up with lots more tornado videos and pictures. And many of the ones the BBC publish are British as well. I just wish they wouldn't describe tornadoes as 'freak weather'.

These are some of the best recent tornado videos from the BBC: Lancashire Tornado, Inside A Tornado and Florida Waterspouts.

Storming the Gates!

2008-06-18T02:50:00.005+01:00

It happened to be the same day I had had my injections before I go to Peru. At about 4pm there was a suggestion that we go to the beach at Weston-Super-Mare. I hadn't been to Weston-Super-Mare before. Me, Jennie, Jamie and Izzy went there in Jennies car (it took 45 minutes). I was nearly falling asleep on the way as I had been up the whole night before. Anyway after a brief stop at ASDAs (Wal-Mart for overseas readers) in Weston-Super-Mare we made our way to the beach which is about 5 miles away. It was actually a beach called Sand Bay. When you get to the beach if the tide is out you can be a 15 minute walk to the sea. The beach actually has the 2nd longest tidal range in the world. It was a very nice day and the beach, although huge (a mile long maybe) was almost deserted maybe a couple of people walking dogs and so forth. We made a fire and roasted marshmallows and had a picnic and played games on the sand and so forth. Jennie hadn't seen a sunset before (she is from Devon so they are always a bit behind) so we stayed for the sunset (photos on Facebook now!). Although the fire was providing heat and light at 10:30pm we headed back to the car. We got in the car. We were all tired, dirty and chatty. We drove through the car park and got to the gate. It was closed. Locked? I jumped out to inspect. It was indeed locked. There was a padlock the size of my hand and a thick, heavy metal chain locking the gate. We walked over to the car park sign. It said it was closed at 9:30pm. We hadn't noticed that everybody else had left already. We rang the number for the council on the sign. They said that we would have to stay in there all night and were basically quite rude. Jamie and Jennie climbed over the gate (Jennie has a metal hip) and they went to the local pub to ask for advice. "the people last night who got locked in got a lift home and came back in the morning to collect their car" was the reply. Was there another way out? Huge stones were blocking a car getting onto the beach. The 2 girls sat in the car and said that we would have to sleep all night in the car. Jamie got on his mobile and called his friend for tips. Meanwhile I started picking the padlock with my leather punch on my penknife. I tried to pick it for half and hour to no avail. Jamie's friend on the phone suggested that we hit the padlock with rocks to try and break it. We tried that. It was very neolithic. There were a few bruised nails as a result! The whole time the girls were saying "just get back in the car and give up". I asked if they had any tools in the car. They said no. Then I asked if she had a spare wheel as they normally come with tools. She didn't know. I took everything out of the boot and took the cover off. The spare tyre was there and also a few tools including a jack and so forth. There was 1 tool that looked like a giant hook and eye thing. I think it was supposed to be some sort of tow-bar thing. Anyway I took it back to the padlock. My theory was that the leverage would break the padlock. I slid the long metal end through the padlock and started jumping up and down on the eye bit. The padlock was a big, heavy duty, chunky affair and I couldn't even tell which side the padlock opened. Anyway I kept trying. Nothing seemed to happen for ages. Jamie was still walking around the car park in the dark on his mobile. Suddenly there was a yell. I ran and Jamie was lying on the floor with his sock off. He had stepped on a 4-inch long rusty nail. It stopped bleeding fairly quickly but after looking at the nail in the headlights it was defiantly rusty and old and had gone deep. "If I kissed you perhaps my tetanus injection from earlier would help you" was my quip. But he needed to get to hospital really. I went back to the gate and tried for another 10 minutes. My entire body weight was on the eye bit. I was jumping up and down manically and worried about my testicles in case they banged onto the top of the gate. Then suddenly there was an almighty CRRUUNNCCH. I jumped off and inspected it. The metal loop was half broken! I waved and they hobbled/limped over. I got up again and gave it another few minutes of hardcore jumping. 82kg (I had been weighed at the doctors that day) of chocolate eclair power and the padlock snapped and the gate swung open. There were cheers. We all jumped into the car. I bandaged Jamie's foot whilst we looked for a hospital. I suggested we headed for Weston-Super-Mare as that's the nearest big town. By half luck and half design we arrived at the hospital. It was quite empty so in half and hour Jamie had had his tetanus. We made our way home but we were all so tired we got lost a bit and ended up in Bristol. We went under the Clifton Suspension Bridge and finally ended back at the campus at 2:45am.

The People of Bath

2008-02-01T03:35:00.000Z

Thus far during my time in Bath I have noticed peculiar goings on in the course of my ramblings. These folk of the western shires (Wessex) have many quaint customs and habits which are noticeable to an outsider. They use words like 'lush' which means 'cool' and 'gertlush' which means 'very cool'. They begin sentences with " 'allo my luver" and throw in plenty of "arrhhhs". The children when playing tag call home, 'the den' or simply 'den'. But one major oddity (which was brought to my attention by my brother) is that even in the depths of winter Bathonian males wear shorts. They wear them at the bus stops, they wear them at the pubs and they wear them in the high street. Builders wear them and postmen wear them and students wear them. When its sleeting and the temperature is struggling to stay above zero. Many young people wear a Japanese clothing brand known as 'Superdry'. They venture all the way to Bristol to hunt and gather these garments while the rest of the English-speaking world looks on bemused.

If I discover anymore anthropological faux pas in Bath I shall kept thee updated.

International Food Swap

2007-11-24T17:51:00.001Z

Last night I was invited by a Japanese girl I know (Mari) to a Japanese dinner party. I was also informed to bring some 'English' food. As I didn't have anything in that was really English I made mashed butternut squash with pepper, boiled potatoes and stir-fried chicken with Montreal chicken seasoning.The nationalities of the people there were: Mexican, Finnish, German, Chinese and Japanese. Everyone brought food of their country but the Japanese food was the most prolific because it was their kitchen. I ate everything with chopsticks and was praised for my skill at using them.

Winsbury Hill

2007-11-24T17:06:00.000Z

Yesterday I decided to go on a walk. The temperature was 14c and it was a perfectly sunny day with no clouds. I left my room at 2:00pm and walked to the end of my campus over the sports field. Then I climbed a stile and went over into another field which had long, clumpy grass and was quite boggy. After that I went through a cow field where the cows watched me warily. I then went over another stile and found myself in a shady grove of trees with a brook trickling past (picture 1). I continued along another path which got increasing muddy as it was next to the brook. Eventually the path was so muddy it was impassible so I squeezed through a gap in a hedge and into a ploughed field. I saw 2 hills in the distance. Because I was now unrestrained by the direction of footpaths, I headed towards the hills in a straight line. As I got closer I realised that the hill which I thought was higher actually wasn't because it had tall trees on the summit. In fact the whole hill was a copse (which I later found out was a pheasant shoot). So I continued towards the other hill which was just grassy. At that point I looked backwards and could see that I was already high up. I could see the city of Bath tucked between the hills. (Picture 2) I also noticed that it was moonrise and the moon was clear against the blue sky. I continued. After scrambling over a gate and sloping through mud made by tractors I emerged into a very narrow country lane with grass growing in the middle. The road went paralell to the hill I was heading for but I decided to go left as I could see the road bend round soon towards the hill. Soon I came to a cottage made entirely out of old-fashioned stonework. I kept going up the road- realising it was taking me uphill and towards the hill. Soon I came to a metal farm gate. Beyond I could see a steep grassy slope going to the summit of the hill. But the gate had barbed-wire on it. After coming so far I wasnt going to give up but I noticed that the gate was only tied shut with twine. I untied the twine and started walking up the hill. It was boggy at the bottom and molehills were scattered around haphazardly. About halfway up I got a distinct feeling of vertigo. I was getting quite hill. My natural defence mechanisms were telling me to get down on my hands and knees- more balanced and lower. I stopped for a minute and took some photos. (Picture 3). Then I continued up the hill. I got to the top. The chilly wind whipped my hair and my face and hands started to go numb. But I could see for miles. From the direction I had climbed the hill I could see Bath. (Picture 4) To my right were rolling fields. Behind me it was surprisingly flat as far as the eye could see. But to my left I could see the sprawling city of Bristol (which is 8 miles from Bath). I could see the high-rise blocks and the cranes at the dock. Beyond that I could see the Severn Estuary. And beyond that I could see the hills and mountains of Wales- shrouded in haze. (Picture 5) I was up there for quite a long time. I recieved a call from Bath leisure centre while I was up there saying that I had been runner-up in their prize draw. Eventually I came back down the hill. I went a different yet quicker way home and got back to the campus just as it was getting dark.

I later found out that the hill is called Winsbury Hill and is 165 feet above sea level.

Bathonian Spelling

2007-11-24T00:51:00.000Z

How many citizens in how many cities would correct the spelling of a film in the cinema?

Bath would- a city where Jane Austen lived for many years. Clearly the locals still feel an affinity towards their local hero.

Bikes, Buses and Bath

2007-11-08T01:06:00.000Z

It was an intense day today for me (7/11/07). Here it is:

After getting up at 8:40am I got to my lecture at 9am. It was a practical- squishing up soil/mud samples that we had extracted from the ground the previous week. It was dirty work and I found it hard to concentrate with my sleepy brain. Also most people from our group didn't turn up so it was just 2 of us (me and a Japanese girl- Mari) and the other groups had about 5 members so our personal workload was higher.

Afterwards at 11am I walked back towards. I stopped off at Maris for a while whilst a discussion about sushi was held. I got home and had some lunch. When it got to 1:30pm I needed to leave for work. I didn't start work until 2:45pm but I knew from experience that the 418 bus is slow and unreliable. But then I thought they needn't be- I would cycle into town. Since getting my bike I have been getting used to it but now I felt that I was ready to go into town (4 miles). So I set out on my bike. Of course the 418 buses slowed me down even when I wasn't on them. While I was still on the campus 2 buses were trying to past each. 1 had to reverse and it got confusing and tight. There were 200m tailbacks behind both buses. Anyway I sailed down the hill and after I got past the 2 junctions it wasn't a bad bike ride; it was quite flat. On the way I realised that even though my work is reasonably close to the town centre it is at the top of a very steep hill. I decided I would leave my bike tied up in the town centre and get the number 2 bus (which is pretty OK) to work.

But disaster struck. Just as I got into town and was cycling past the river I felt something funny happen. Then there was a cluck onto the pavement. At the same time I had the sensation that was left foot was dangling. I stopped the bike and looked behind at the pavement. A pedal was laying 20ft behind me. Not just the pedal but the metal pole that connects the pedal to the chain wheel. I went back, picked it up and put it in my bag. I was alarmed but not worried at this juncture. I walked the bike into the town. Just as I walked past the bus stops before the train station the number 2 bus came round the corner. I ran with the bike. I had a vague idea were the bike racks were. I ran across the entrance to the carpark, ignoring hoots of protest from cars. Quick as a flash I tied up my bike. Then I rang back to the bus which was still waiting. Dripping with sweat after cycling 4 miles, walking fast with a bike for 10 minutes then doing a rapid 300m sprint I plonked myself down at the back of the bus after buying a student daily travelcard (and proving I was a student).

I got to work early as it transpired. I had fun with the children. What we basically did is all of us (3 adults and 13 children) went down to the woods with a camo net. I went off with 2 or 3 children, they would hide under the camo net and I would cover them with leaves, then I would hide nearby. It was great fun and the children enjoyed it to the point that we were all late getting back to the hall.

After speaking with parents I left the after-school club at 5:50pm. I waited for the 2 bus to come. A 2a came after a short while. I inquired if it went into the city centre. An ancient, slightly dotty, always chatty woman gave me a lengthy answer. The upshot of my understanding of it was though that it did go into the town centre but to a different stop than normal. So I got on it. I scanned the passing scenary throught the gathering gloam. It was unfamilar. I was desperatly trying to work out where I was was when I saw a sign: University of Bath. I was at the wrong university and 8 miles from my house. But I knew that the 418 ran between my university and this university via the town centre. I saw orange buses milling around so I got of the 2a and ran for the first bus. To my dismay I saw that it was only going to the town centre but I tried anyway. Its doors closed in front of my face. I repeatedly banged on the window. The driver was gesticulating at me to get the next bus in a rude manner. I gave him the 'ups yours' sign with my middle finger but I was wearing mittens so the effect was lost. But already my anger was starting to raise. I was hungry and tired. I got on the next bus. It sat around for ages until the seats were filled up. Another bus came behind it and it left- or did it. No. It swung round a roundabout behind the other bus. The other bus left for good and my bus sat there for an age. It steady filled up until it was like a sardine tin. People were getting irriatted at the lack of bus movement. Eventually it moved (some people cheered). Out of all 3 418 buses they were all going to the town centre and not to my campus. Which is fairly typical.

I eventually got into town and the bus glided past the train station. I had a mini-panic-attack. I had tied my bike up so quickly that I was unsure if I had done it properly. Also I didn't like the idea of it sitting around in a town centre for days and days and days. It would have got rusty and/or stolen perhaps. So I got of the 418 in the town centre. I walked back to my bike. It was fine- I had tied it correctly. But I still wanted to get it back to the bikesheds on campus. So I walked it to the bus stop for the 418. The 418 is a bendy bus which is bright orange and by default has lots of students on it. After 10 minutes the bus came. It was nearly empty (about 10 people on a bus that can hold 140 people). I wheeled my bike onto the bus and showed the driver my ticket. He looked disaproving and said "I don't want you to bring the bike on this bus". I explained to him in a calm yet strong manner that it is a public service, I have the correct ticket, it won't cause anybody any inconvenience (I put my bike in the wheelchair area) and my bike is broken so I can't cycle it home. He turned of the engine, came out of his cab and his rage was growing. But my defiance was growing faster. With 1 bus an hour and a 4 mile walk with a bike to look forward to I had nothing to lose and I assumed he would cave. He left the bus and spoke to his supervisor for ages. He eventually came back and again told me I would have to get off. He was a 30something Polish cur with a temper and a scowl. I kept arguing my point. I also casually pointed out that everyone would be home by now if he would just drive the bus. He rang the police. They turned up quite a while later. The policeman had a brief word with the driver. Then he came and spoke to me. I told him my situation and I even got an "I understand" before making eye contact with the bus driver and continuing his angry retort. He said at 1 point "if you don't get off this bus then you and your bike will end up in my van". I replied cheekily "oh great you could give me a lift home then and there would be no problem". But mine was a dying cause. The policeman got out his handcuffs, told me to put my hands out in front of me and said that if I didn't take my bike and myself of the bus I was under arrest. I glowered at him before leaving the bus. The bus sat there for several minutes before leaving. The whole incident was 45-50 minutes. I rang Robyn. Then I tried my friend Oliver who has a car and lives in Bath. No answer from his mobile. Then I rang my Nan because my mum lives with her and she might know Olivers landline number. My Nan suggested I goto the train station and ask to borrow a phonebook (she refused to dial directory enquiries because of the expense). I went to the station, tied my bike up again and asked at the ticket desk for a phonebook. The excellent customer service left me in shock after my recent experience as the man (Peter) got the phonebook for me in 10 seconds flat. To my luck I found Olivers landline number in it. I rang it and Oliver answered. I explained my situation and he was there in 10 minutes. I was quite a laugh actually trying to get my bike in his 1.2 Nova but we did it and, with my knees touching my chin, Oliver sped up away from the station........

You are on hold.............

2007-09-14T17:31:00.000+01:00

"Our lines are currently busy at the moment. Please hold until an operator becomes available or alternatively please contact the customer support office on 0845 286 2839 where someone will be available to take your call. Please wait while I transfer you call. Thank you"

Apart from the the glaringly obvious grammatical error I was on hold for 58 minutes.

I fashioned a device:

Spider sighting!

2007-09-09T01:43:00.001+01:00

It was late at night and the only light was the the glow of the laptop screen as I typed busily. Robyn sighed in her sleep nearby just as I finished a long email. I leaned back in my chair to relax. At that moment in my peripheral vision I saw something black on the wall. I raised my hand to brush it away but then realised to my horror that it was a huge spider.

Its leg span must have been 4 inches. I was jet black, with spindly, hairy legs and I could even see its jaws throbbing menacingly. I baulked and jumped a bit. Then, swiftly, I walked across the room and got the torch out of Robyn's wardrobe. I was determined to keep her blissfully ignorant of her worse domestic fear so I was quiet. I shone the torch on the spiders hugely grotesque form whilst I filmed/photographed it. But soon I realised that it would have to be evicted from the wall. My first worry was what to trap it with, Wine and beer glasses were simply not big enough. My second problem was the torch; it was dimming almost to nothing. Luckily it was a cranked kinetic flashlight so I wound it up. That awoke Robyn from her slumber.

"Don't move, there is a bloody great spider!" I barked at her. She froze. Then I had a brainwave for the entrapment- a Tupperware bowl. I ran to fetch the Tupperware bowl then came back into the room. I had lost the spiders location but I located it again with the flashlight. It was on the move and getting angry at me disturbing it. I needed a piece of paper- my UCAS letter would do.

Swiftly I clamped the bowl over the spider. It started thrashing and lurching; its futile escape millimeters from my fingers. As I slid the paper underneath the bowl its furious vibrations intensified. Finally the seal was complete. But I needed help. I instructed Robyn to unlock and then open the door. She willingly helped. She was still unaware of the sheer size of the arachnid in question. I got to the back door as quick as a flash I threw the bowl, the paper and the spider outside. Agonising seconds pasted but finally I plucked up the courage to investigate the bowl. It was gone. Its jet black body had scuttled into the blacker night............

Please sir- can I have some afters?

2007-08-21T01:06:00.000+01:00

This is the best dessert I have ever had in a restuarant. Picture the scene- I was at the top of the space needle. Random creepy messages kept appearing due to the circular effect of the building. A man was preparing to propose. But then the dessert menu came. I wanted chocolate. I needed chocolate. Even though I was in North America I took a risk and ordered it. I wasn't quite prepared for what came next.

It was a rich chocolate mouse with wafer-thin chocolate pieces stacked on top. It was drizzled with icing sugar and some sort of sauce. A strawberry finished it off.

Whats YOUR favourite dessert?

The USA's first wind farm.

2007-08-14T01:38:00.000+01:00

I was watching the Daily Show with John Stewart and they did a piece about how they are planning on building an off-shore wind farm in Nantucket near Boston but the rich people don't want them to in case it spoils the view. The guy from the daily show was posing as a reporter. He went to the person heading the campaign against the wind turbines and the showed him an artists impression of what the turbines would look like. They were SO tiny on the horizon because they were 5 miles from shore. It was really ridiculous. The reporter feigned shock, "Oh my god., As a reporter I see things that get me right here. I'm going to share this with the world". The woman took him seriously and it was hilarious.

But it proves how much Americans are still against renewable energy sources.

A wind farm 1 mile off the British coast. Look closely.

Central London flooded

2007-07-29T02:37:00.000+01:00

The surge of water in the Thames finally reached Central London. Does that mean the Woolwich Ferry (that I went on today) is now the only way to cross the river?

List Of Towers I Have Been To.

2007-07-22T19:20:00.000+01:00

Extensive research from my blogs' viewers confirm that you people enjoy reading lists. I promised lists. This 1 is a list of all the random towers that I have been to. If you have been to any of the towers then share in the comments section. If you haven't then mention tall structures that you have been to.

Blackpool Tower, Blackpool, England: The ugliest of all the towers.

Calgary Tower, Calgary, Canada: I posted a letter from the top.

BT Tower, London, England: I used to call it the Post Office tower.

Skylon Tower, Niagara Falls, Canada: Good view of the falls from the top.

Space Needle, Seattle, USA: Had one of the best restuarants I have ever been to at the top.

CN Tower, Toronto, Canada: The glass floor worried me.

Harbour Centre, Vancouver, Canada: Its a tower in a building.

Homer Simpson on a hill

2007-07-17T00:40:00.000+01:00

Homer Simpson has been painted right next to the Cerne Abbas Giant. Well they have to do something to promote the film in OAP riddled Dorset.

Of course both drawings are very old, one being 4000 years and the other being drawn in the 1980s(!)

Fridge/freezers

2007-07-17T00:38:00.000+01:00

How come fridges have lights but freezers don't?

3rd Storm Video

2007-07-17T00:22:00.001+01:00

2nd Storm video

2007-07-17T00:20:00.001+01:00

1st Storm video

2007-07-17T00:19:00.001+01:00

Storm Of The Month

2007-07-17T00:10:00.000+01:00

The other day at 5pm thunder rumbled across the urban sprawl of East London. Brontophobics cowered, WW2 veterans dusted off their rifles. I was cooking dinner but as I opened the front door the rain came down. And it rained hard. Within 15 minutes the front garden was flooded. Mini-rivers were running down the gutters. Meanwhile the thunder and lightning lashed across the suburban streets. Hailstones the size of peas came down. I took my camera phone and recorded some movies. Watch out for the man getting soaked by a car driving through a huge puddle in 1 video. I was unlucky not to have caught the lightning on film.

Last Day at the Smart Centre- again!

2007-07-17T00:00:00.000+01:00

Friday was my last day at the Smart Centre. I got 3 cards and a box of hand-selected Thorntons milk chocolates. The card the children made me was the best one.

Chocolates? Yes please.

Afterwards most of the staff and I went to a Mexican restuarant in Wimbledon.

Most people had burger and chips though.

Jesus Christ had mammary glands.

2007-07-15T19:38:00.000+01:00

I was on the underground the other day on my way to work when an amusing thing happened.

Time: 8:10am

Line: Northern

I was on the Northern Line. The underground train was pretty busy. Virtually everyone was reading either a newspaper or a book. Then, at Elephant and Castle station, it happened.

Black guy, quite tall, shoddy clothes, cardboard sign on a peice of string round his neck, crucifix at the ready, bible in hand. He was attempting to get everyone to apologise for thier sins. Lets listen in:

"I have been with da lord for 2 years now. 2 years I have been repenting ma sins. Now you must repent your sins. Jesus loves you. He will accept. Give yourself over to the lord by putting a pound in the box. God wants you to put a pound in the box. Jesus loves you. I have been living on the milk of Christ. Christs' milk feeds me. Taste the milk of Christ. I live on the milk to Christ. It appeases my sin."

The British public resoluted ignored him, instead deciding to opt for the 'I will pretend its not happening' technique. They studied every word they were reading, digesting every syllabel, re-reading every sentence. Anything but acknowledge he was there.

I wanted to enquire of the man 2 things

a) In the bible the Pharisees forbade the wearing of a crucifix so if he has read the bible in his hand surely he would know that and

b) Does Christ lactate?

Unfortunatly he got off at Stockwell before I could ask him.

Should I get my hair cut?

2007-06-22T23:50:00.000+01:00

Since the dawn of time men have debated (women have better things to do) whether or not I should get a haircut. Socrates was stumped as was Nostradamus.

But now I put it to you; should I?

Im back

2007-06-22T23:45:00.000+01:00

I am sorry for the pause in my blogging. I know you have been living day-to-day. But now I am back with more of your favourites:

jokes
photos
mountain ranges
political monologues

the lot!

Hairstyle

2007-04-04T02:46:00.000+01:00

Who thinks my hair would look good in the style of the man on this webpage?

Don't become a slave to slavery

2007-03-28T00:35:00.000+01:00

Today was the 200th anniversary of a hollow and watered-down law banning slavery in the British Empire. It was basically implemented by a very young Prime Minster (Pitt the Younger who was 24) with the help of a young minster and advisor- William Wilberforce. Parliament 200 years ago didn't look anymore kindly on 2 whippersnappers making laws then than they do now. In fact the youngest current MP is 32 (Sarah Teather). The Abolition of the Slave Trade Act which became law in March 1807 by which time William Wilberforce was 48 and Pitt the Younger had been dead for 1 year and he was 47 when he died. But they were both very young when they started the abolitionist movement. Slaves were still be traded in the empire decades after the law was pasted because it was difficult to stop the super-powerful slave-owners. Some slaves were even worse off after the law was passed because they were kicked off of the plantations but nobody wanted to hire them anymore. At least when they were slaves they got shelter and food.

Nevertheless I went to Brixton (the heartland of Afro-Britons) and watched a movie about apartheid at the Lonely Planet film festival. The film I saw was called Catch a Fire. It was an excellent film. It reminded me of Hotel Rwanda. Catch a Fire was about a black South African in 1980 and his struggle against the white South African secret service.

Anti-slave protester who tried to attack the Prime Minster and Queen today on the 200th anniversary of the end of slavery service at Westminster Abbey

The Domino effect.......

2007-03-26T11:52:00.000+01:00

Yesterday Robyn and I were in a pound shop in East Ham called Manny's Two. It is a very cramped shop with many objects piled up high and narrow walkways between the veritable Aladdin's cave. As Robyn and I were picked our way through this treasure trove of delights we spied an elderly eastern European woman. She had a sour, wizened face and she grimaced at us with contempt of our age and stunning good looks (we are a handsome couple you see). Anyway we were going opposite ways down the walkways until we got to a 90degree bend. Then, suddenly, almost slowly, a stack of pots, pans and crockery about 4 feet high started toppling- set in motion by the old lady as Robyn (who was the closest) was at least 1metre away. We both lunged towards the declining mass of kitchenware. We just about caught some of it but it was too late; the initial topple had triggered a domino effect round the store. Half of the central area was crashing down around Robyn and I (strangely enough not the old lady). We struggled to catch the falling kitchenware and housewares but it was a largely futile attempt. Pots crashed onto the floor, saucepans clattered onto cheese graters and lemon zesters toppled casserole dishes. After half of the central stack had fallen there was a sudden, uneasy silence. The woman scowled at us; she may as well have pointed a finger. But she broke the silence by muttering a couple of sentences of a Russian-like language before turning tail and disappearing the other way down the aisle. Robyn and I tried fruitlessly to pick up the merchandise off of the floor. 2 male shopkeepers were bearing down on us in seconds. Robyn prompted me towards the door. We escaped Pompeii and burst out onto the street laughing.

We only wanted a small plastic basket.

First List; Mountain Ranges

2007-03-21T12:02:00.000Z

I have decided, for want of any better subject to blog about, to do lists every week or so. These lists will be informative and interesting and give the impression that I regularly update my blog. The list this week will be:

Mountain Ranges I Have Been To:

Canada:

Rocky Mountains
Alberta Badlands#
Coast Mountains
Canadian Cascades*
Pierce Range
Beaufort Range
Pelham Range
Somerset Range
Seymour Range
Gowlland Range
Inside Passage#
Niagara Escarpment

Rocky Mountains October 2005 Columbia Mountains

USA:

Cascade Mountains*
Adirondack Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
Olympic Range

Shawangunk Mountains

Taconic Mountains

Okanogan Range

Cascade Mountains October 2006

England:

Chiltern Hills
Cotswolds
Dartmoor Hills
Exmoor Hills
Lake District
Malvern Hills
Mendip Hills
North Downs
Peak District
Pennines
Salisbury Plain Downs
South Downs
Lake District June 2006

Wales:

The Brecon Beacons
Black Mountains
Cambrian Mountains

Black Mountains September 2006

Scotland:

Southern Uplands
Scottish Highlands
Cheviot Hills

Southern Uplands August 2006

France:

Parc naturel régional des Vosges du Nord

Crête de Valenciennes August 2005

Greenland:

Watkins Range

Watkins Range from the air November 2006

*= Geographically the same range

#=Strictly speaking not ranges but still peaks of elevation

Bloody Yuppies.

2007-03-14T21:55:00.000Z

This has to be a defining photo of the changing face of Pakistan- a human rights lawyer after being whacked with a police trucheon. He was protesting over the senior Pakistani lawyer being put in prison. He has ruined his nice suit.

Last Day at the Smart Centre

2007-03-10T15:30:00.000Z

Friday the 9th of March was my last day at the Smart Centre, Morden. The children made me a card, the adults bought me a card and gave me a box of celebrations. Also 4 people gave me their phone numbers. I had only worked there for 3 weeks.

Lunar Eclipse

2007-03-10T15:20:00.000Z

On Saturday evening of March the 3th there was a lunar eclipse. Robyn and I drove out across the Hoo penisula until we reached Northwood Hill RSPB Reserve near High Halstow. It was very dark and there were plenty of stars. Slowly we saw the earths shadow cover the moon until it was blood red. It went red at around 11:15pm. Below is a photo of the lunar eclipse and the picture of Northward Hill during the day.

Plastic Cup Politics. Part One

2007-02-22T03:15:00.000Z

Blair and Bush divide?

Is Tony Blair edging away from George Bush's stance on the war in Iraq? For starters Tony Blair has reduced funding for the Ministry of Defence and increased funding for domestic anti-terror organisations including SOCA and MI5. There have been complaints about the poorly funded army but could this be a shrewd decision in the long term? When all British troops have left Iraq the British Army will be bolstered in Afghanistan. With less financial pressure on the British Army in Afghanistan their effectiveness will rise. So from a fiscal standpoint underfunding the army for a year or two will save money in the long run. Tony Blair has obviously known he would make the announcement below for some time.

Today Tony Blair announced that 1,500 UK troops would be coming back from Iraq for good in the next couple of months. By summer 2008 they should all be back. The UK currently has 7,100 troops in Afghanistan. Lets look at the list of nations with troops in Iraq:

COALITION FORCES
US -132,000
UK - 7,100
South Korea - 2,300
Poland - 900
Georgia - 800
Australia - 900
Romania - 600
Denmark - 460
El Salvador - 380
Bulgaria - 150

A few weeks ago George Bush announced that the US was sending 21,500 more troops to Iraq later this year. With the UK pulling out I predict most other European nations and Australia will pull out as well. I believe they joined the coalition because they thought that the UK was making a good decision in trying to stay economically aligned with the US (a bloody huge economy). Now the UK have decided to withdraw troops other European nations and Australia (which has very close ties with the UK don't forget) will pull out. Then in the future they can say to the USA "We were in Iraq as long as your biggest ally (the UK) was. Because we were so loyal to you, you must invest in us". I predict Poland, Denmark, Bulgaria and Australia's governments will announce in the next month a full troop withdrawal plan. The other countries have other motives for keeping the US sweet but theirs are slightly different. El Salvador is the only Latin American country with troops in Iraq. El Salvador are basically saying to the US "All the other Latin American countries hate you but we like you. Can you please build all your South American factories and headquarters in our country please"? South Korea's motive is to try and prove to the US that they are close allies to reassure them over the North Korea factor. Georgia and Romania are former communist countries which are trying to boost ties with the US as if to say "We are your friends now. Please trust us, defend us and invest in us".

So why is George Bush sending in more troops? Perhaps he is predicting that with the coalition disintegrating he needs to make up for the lost of future troop numbers. Also, as has been proven, non-US coalition forces pacify the Iraq population much more than the American army. A good example is British Basra or Polish Najaf which sees relatively low insurgency compared to Baghdad and Falluja which are US controlled. The military planners at the Pentagon expect a rise in violence when the UK and others leave.

But clearly George Bush and Tony Blair have very different stances. On the surface they shouldn't. They are both in their political twilight years. But with Tony Blair bringing troops back from Iraq, cutting military funding and increasing domestic security funding George Bush is doing the exact opposite. George Bush seems to think that because he has 100s of thousands of troops sitting in sandy countries that he can't pronounce they are safe. So he cuts domestic security funding in the US. He then sends 21,500 more troops to Iraq and increases US defence funding 'again'. The US has a bigger defence budget of the entire countries of Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg combined!

To basically it looks like 'the special relationship' is crumbling. Whitehall and Washington are drifting apart.

Also a quick message to ignorant tabloid-readers. When you scream: Get Our Heroes back! you seem to miss facts.
In 2003 the UK had 47,000 troops in Iraq (half of the total army). It now has 7,100. The troops numbers have dramatically fallen over the past few yet nobody notices that.

I would very much appreciate comment on the above topics.

The above opinions are my own and nobody else's. Most of the facts are from memory so there may be incongruities.

It did snow!

2007-02-09T12:29:00.000Z

Yes 10cm of snow fell on London. It was the worse snow since 1996. I can remember the 1996 snow- building a snowman in my front garden when I was 11. By why do all the papers have to have as the headline "Winter wonderland". Also "Its snow joke" is another one. No editorial imagination. Of course the whole country was brought to its knees as per usual. 1 million people didn't show for work in London and the UK economy lost 400million pounds because of the snow. But what about the extra porridge, gloves and tobboggan sales?My road at around 8:30am. My local park covered with snow in the morning.

A blizzard whipped up while we were in the park
An evergreen tree covered with snow.
A brave crocus pushes its way through the snow.

Blanket of snow over the park.

Weird snow/hoar frost patterns.

Also goto http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv3M2veoR2M to watch 1 of my movies I filmed in the park during the blizzard. There is no sound. A 1 point I wipe some snow off the lense. Also look out for the flashing lights of gritter trucks.

Will it snow?

2007-02-08T01:04:00.000Z

The UK met office has forecasted up to 15cm of snow in London tonight and tomorrow. Its 1c so its cold enough. I hope it does snow! Then Robyn and I can have a snowball fight in the park!

Me holding a snowball at the top of Sulphur Mountain, Alberta in October 2005

Almost terrorism.......

2007-02-08T00:13:00.000Z

I forgot to post it at the time but a couple of weeks ago I was coming home from work as usual. In fact I was making good time. I was on the Hammersmith and City line at Aldgate East when the following event unfolded:

The train doors opened as usual and few people got in and out. The train wasn't very busy for the time of day and most of the seats were full with the odd person standing. The doors shut as normal. The train started moving then after about 5 seconds it lurched, there was a loud bang and all the lights went off in the train. It was at that moment, to everyones horror, that smoke was pouring from the tunnel in front of us. The driver came on the tannoy and said in a shaky voice "There is smoke coming from the tunnel ahead and we are unable to proceed". I was in the front carriage so the smoke was pretty bad. Everybody was looking at everybody else ashen-faced. Don't forget that it was nearby that Shehzad Tanweer detonated his bomb which killed 7 people and injured 171 on the 7th of July 2005.

We sat there for 20 minutes in grim silence. Then the driver came through the train and asked if everyone was feeling alright and if there were any pregnant women or anything. It was an experienced, short chap in his 50s and he had a strong London accent. He was desperately trying to keep everyone calm but the fact that the driver was coming down the train alarmed everybody. After going the length of the train he went back to his cab. Shortly he came on the tannoy saying "The Fire Brigade are at the scene". Through the clearing smoke on the platform I could make out firemen on the platform. They were standing in a circle discussing what had happened. I remembered that I had my camera so I took some photos of the firemen on the platform through the window of the door.

Later on the driver announced that the fire was caused by rubbish inside the tunnel that had somehow caught alight. Then we were off. But its nice to know if it had been a terrorist attack we would have been in safe hands.

Fireman talking on the platform.

Firemen on the empty platform

A policeman gives the firemen the all clear.

A Test of Nerve For Thee

2007-01-19T00:06:00.000Z

Please read this sentence and count the Fs:

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE-

SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIF-

IC STUDY COMBINED WITH

THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS.

Email me at cowana00@gmail.com to let me know how many Fs you saw.

Trip to Camulodunum

2007-01-16T02:21:00.000Z

On Saturday Robyn and I went to Colchester with Robin and Jonathan (Robyn's betrothed friends). We went to a quaint teashop/resturant (twice), the Natural History Musem, the Castle and the old priory. The castle was actually a museum and it was easy to forget one was in a Norman castle. Also Roman mosaics remained, displayed on the walls. We all walked down the narrow winding medieval streets, with the gloamy sky ever-threatening rain. But it didn't rain. And of course no trip to a historic city would be complete without visiting 'ye olde' Wilkinsons.

The old priory.

Waynes Surprise 21st Birthday Party

2007-01-16T01:55:00.000Z

On Friday I went to a surprise party for an old primary school friend of mine: Wayne O'Docerty. The party started at 7pm and Wayne turned up at 8:30pm. Everyone jumped out at him and he was so overwhelmed that he took several steps back. He recognised me and made a beeline for me, thanking me for coming. He then confessed to me that he was shaking and showed me his trembling hand. I also met other old friends; Micheal Scott and Adam Ivory. Micheal and Waynes brothers were also there, as was my brother. Anyway I danced until my muscles ached and talked until I nearly lost my voice. A fun time was had by all. It did take me 3 hours and 40 minutes to get home though because someone was under a train at Barking and they had to close the Hammersmith and City Line and the District Line.

Wayne (centre) shortly after being surprised.

My brother (left) and Micheal Bluetoothing it up until........

.......the party really got going.

Rochester on a shoestring.

2007-01-09T00:07:00.000Z

On Saturday Robyn and I went to Rochester. After the secret free-parking place I found we went to the catheral for free, the Guildhall museum for free, the largest 2nd hand bookshop in the UK, a pub for a vegetarian lunch (for me) then the Castle for free. It was rainy, misty and water dripped from the ancient stones. But I didn't take any photos of ghosts, unlike last time:

Global Warming strikes! (All the terrorists are on holiday)

2007-01-08T23:52:00.000Z

Last night Robyn and I noticed it was 12c (56f) outside at midnight. Tonight it was 16c (61f)outside at 9:30pm. Thats way warmer than it should be for January in England (2-6c in January*). Fancy not wearing pyjamas and having the window wide open all night in January! What would my grandmother (80) say?

*SOURCE: UK Met Office

Which London photo goes? You decide. (In a distinct Northern English accent)

2007-01-08T23:35:00.000Z

I have lived in London for a month and a half and I have taken some pretty top-notch pictures. Here are the 5 best. Vote for your favourite by sending LONDON PHOTO COMP+ 1,2,3,4 or 5 to: cowana00@gmail.com to stand the chance of winning a prize. Winners won't be selected at random as it's rigged. (Cue Match of the Day Goal of The Month competition music)

Foggy Old London

2007-01-08T22:56:00.000Z

Just before Christmas 2006 it was very foggy in London. 1000s of people were delayed at all the aiports in the UK. I went to Hampstead Heath that day to see the view across London. Here it is:

Also it was 3pm and there was frost because no sunlight could penerate the dense fog:

Also a little know fact is that Hampstead Heath is actually until the control of The City of London (The Square Mile) even though it is many miles from its boundaries.

Welcome To the New South

2006-11-15T19:03:00.000Z

My blog has been updated with help from Robyn. This is my oath to keep it up:

cross my heart and hope to die,
stick a needle in my eye

Canada 5

2006-10-27T06:29:00.001+01:00

It was a long drive up to Ucluelet from Victoria. I went through
Parksville and Nanimo. After seeing 1000 year old rainforest's, shops
with goats on the roof and having the terrain get so remote that there
were no radio stations on FM or AM for half an hour I was at Ucluelet.
Ucluelet is a very small town. First Nations and settlers live and
work together. Whilst in Ucluelet/Tofino I saw long sandy beaches,
mounds of sea kelp, whirlpools, lighthouses, craggy cliffs and rocky
shorelines. I also went rowing on the sea. It was a bit dodgy in a
small plastic rowing boat bobbing up and down on the waves.

A few days later I went to Denman Island and Hornby Island on the
ferry. There was cougar loose on Hornby Island which had swum across
from Vancouver Island. Hornby and Denman Island are very small and
have very small communities. The place I was staying was really out in
the middle of nowhere. It even had deer around it which is perfect
bait for the cougar. It also had a hot-tub and jacuzzi though so I
guess alls well that ends well. Hornby Island had white sandy beaches,
black sandy beaches and strange, alien-like holes and honeycomb
structures caused by eroded limestone. I also saw live jazz on Hornby
Island.

After going to Comox, Courtenay and Black Creek I was on my way back
to Victoria looking at the Elk warning signs next to the
road................

Canada 4

2006-10-27T06:27:00.001+01:00

It was a sunny day in Victoria when I set sail on the Victoria Clipper from Victoria to Seattle but by the time we are out at sea the heavy sea mist came down. I had a visa (see picture) stapled in my passport for entry into the US. It was dark when I got to Seattle and drizzle was in the air. The monorail snaked its way around the soggy Pacific city. The taxi pulled up the steep streets and I was at my hotel. The next day I went to the Space Needle. I went to a Science-Fiction Museum, the Music Museum and walked around the downtown area of Seattle. I then went to the Science and Natural History Museum. I went in a simulator and in a planetarium. Then, as it was getting dark, I went to the top of the Seattle space needle and had dinner. After that I went to the very top and looked at the dark city spread out below me. The next day I went to the Pike Street Market which is the oldest market in North America. In the evening I went to a play/show/restaurant called Teatro Zinzanni ( http://dreams.zinzanni.org/ ).

The next day I went to Mount Saint Helens Volcano. As I climbed higher and higher into the Cascade Mountains I could see increasing evidence of the huge impact of the volcanic eruption. The ground was littered with dead trees 15 miles from the volcano. In some areas humans have replanted the forest and some areas it has been left to grow. The eruption in 1980 created new lakes, streams, hills, forests, wetlands and habitats. There were various viewing points as I got higher up into the range. At 4000ft low cloud took over and visibility was only about 30ft. That was when I was 5 miles from the volcano which is the closest non-scientists can go. In the parking lot of the Johnson Ridge viewpoint (the closest point the public can get to) the ground vibrated in a really odd way. It was an earthquake caused by the volcano. It was like standing in a house in London with an underground train going through a tunnel below. It was just under 4 on the Richter scale. I was told by a US GS guide that they happen every few days since the 1980 eruption. They are usually quite weak. He also said that the volcano has been slowly oozing lava for the last 2 years. There were signs around advising what to do if there is an ash cloud eruption and warning of huge fines if any flora or fauna is damaged. I descended the mountain and the cloud cleared. I picked up some pumice, took some photos and headed back to Seattle.............

The next day (today) I went back to Victoria on the clipper. The weather was clear but very windy. Tomorrow I am going to Parksville, Tofino and Comox which are towns on Vancouver Island. Tofino has strong storms this time of year so I will be doing some storm chasing. More soon.

Canada 3

2006-10-27T06:27:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I went to Goldstream Provincial Park. It had trees that were 800 years old and they were huge- bigger than any British species I have ever seen. Its also salmon spawning season. It is banned for people to fish for the salmon in protected streams and rivers save for the First Nation peoples. And they are only allowed to catch salmon using their traditional method which is a pole with a hook at the end. While walking along the stream I saw a group of 4 young First Nation peoples. 2 had poles and 1 was carrying a huge salmon by its mouth. After seeing that dead fish I had to go and have sushi! It was as much as you can eat sushi for $22 (£11) I also looked round Victoria in depth today. I saw lots of totem poles. I also went to the IMAX theatre and saw Survival Island and Journey Along the Nile. The screen was 6 storeys high. I also looked around the museum of British Columbia, Naval museum of British Columbia, Madame Tussuad's of Victoria and Chinatown. Tomorrow after swimming and yoga I will be getting the ferry from Victoria to Seattle.

Canada 2

2006-10-10T01:31:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I went to the Pacific Ocean. It was very calm and people were even kayaking in it! The shoreline was strewn with extraneous logs that had been sweep down the rivers from industrial logging. In the distance was the US and up the coast was the rest of Vancouver Island. It wasn't windy standing on the shore and the tang of salt was not as strong as on British beaches. The mist hung low in the distance. People were living in earthquake-proof houses right on the edge of the largest ocean in the world. There was a large amount of plants and trees that could survive so close to the sea. Look at the attached photos to see the view.

Alexander Cowan

Canada 1

2006-10-10T01:29:00.000+01:00

The following is an account of what I did on the 05/10/06 on my 21st birthday going to Canada.

I got through the security at Gatwick airport very quickly considering how long the queue was. I didn't even have to take my shoes and belt off! Eventually I got onto the plane after a slightly shambolic boarding. I had a window seat in the middle of the plane over the wing (which is the safest part according to BBC2s 'How to Survive a Plane Crash'). The plane was an Airbus A320. Everybody had their own TVs in the seat in front. The plane was about half full so I could stretch out quite a bit. It was direct from Gatwick to Vancouver.

We had no turbulence. There were 12 TV channels and 12 radio stations to watch whilst on the plane. The TVs were touch-screen. There was also a camera on the front and on the bottom of the plane which could be viewed at any time from the TV screen. The journey passed uneventfully for most of the time. It was sunny for the entire 10 and a half hour flight. I switched the camera on the bottom of the plane over Greenland/Baffin Island/Nunavut and could see the snowy, icy Arctic wastes. There were snow-covered islands in a bizarre jumble everywhere. Every mini island was a totally different shape. They looked like shards of a broken eggshell floating. After I crossed Hudson Bay I could see the snow suddenly end and green islands took over with snow only on the higher parts. Then there was cloud.

Over Alberta the clouds cleared. Below I could see the arid grasslands of the Alberta plains and Badlands. Soon after habitation appeared. I then recognised the city as Calgary- the last place where I had been on Canadian soil. I could clearly see from 36000 feet Fish Creek Provincial Park and downtown Calgary. But we were soon over Calgary and flying over the Rocky Mountain foothills. Then the mountains started and I could see from the camera on the bottom of the plane and from the window that there was a light dusting of snow on the peaks. I saw the lakes and the forests and I could also see Canada Highway 1 snaking through narrow passes. I saw Banff and realised that I was in Banff exactly a year ago to the day. It looked like a small speck of civilisation in the vast wilderness of the Rocky Mountain National Parks. A few minutes later I realised I was further than I had ever gone before. I was over the Rocky Mountains and flying over British Columbia. It was a stark difference to Alberta. It was totally covered in trees save for the rocky craggs and tiny areas of deforestation and forest fires. It has many rivers snaking towards the Pacific Ocean. Then the descent into Vancouver started but I hadn't seen any human habitation for hundreds of miles. I came over the Coast Mountains and could see lakes in the calderas of extinct volcano's. A legacy of the ring of fire. The plane was only a couple of thousand feet over the mountains. Then the terrain smoothed out and a solitary farm appeared. Then a road. Then another farm. Gradually human habitation developed. I could see thousands of logs floating in neat stacks down the length of the river. They looked liked matches in a matchbox. The plane descended lower and lower until it bumped onto the tarmac of the airport. After a lengthy wait through customs and immigration I was on my way to the Vancouver-Victoria ferry. I boarded the ferry and it set out on the very flat waters of the Georgia straights. Many small islands appeared and some were dotted with lighthouses and houses. Most were empty. (All photos are taken from the ferry). The entire journey I could see the Coast Mountains in the north and the Olympic Mountains (in the US) to the south through the mist. It was overcast and chilly on the ferry but the boat hardly rocked at all. Soon the boat docked into Victoria harbour and I was on Vancouver Island...............

More to come.

Alexander Cowan