The amazing life and chronicles of Christian BS.

A Brief Musical Interlude

Mon, 11 May 2009 22:56:00 +0100

I am writing this entry in a rather discontinuous fashion to what I have promised in my previous entry. Rest assured however, that the series on PeTA, their flaws, their hypocrisy, and trickery, shall continue; I daren’t let you all down for fear of what it is that you may wreak upon me!

Unfortunately, examination revision has become something of a time-filler, meaning that my blog entry writing has been put in a box, so to speak.

I just wished, however, to share with you my thought:

Why is it that vegans see fit to enforce (sometimes violently or cruelly) their views and beliefs upon others, yet omnivores take no action back? I say that we round up these vegans (only the ones who have partaken in these actions, mind you) and inject them with test drugs. After all, they seem so keen to stop their beloved rats and other pests from dying at the hands of the “evil scientists” as they would have them branded.

I do not normally support the ideology of a tooth for a tooth, and eye for an eye, but these people, arguing on such unbelievably senseless grounds, ignoring the fact that they owe their very existence to ancestors who would have worn fur and eaten meat to survive, in my opinion renders them not only arrogant, self-centred, and intolerant, but ignorant too; possibly the worst quality of all those listed.

On that rather flat note, I end today’s brief interlude. I would like to take this chance to apologise for how horrifically out of tune it was, and to assure you that I shall have the pianist shot.

Sincerely,

Christian BS

Pillar of Light I took this photograph quite recently (24th...

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:51:00 +0100

Pillar of Light

I took this photograph quite recently (24th March), on a school trip to The Natural History Museum. This lantern is in the grand atrium to the left of the Statue of Charles Darwin at the top of the first flight of stairs.

"We feel that animals have the same rights as a retarded human child"

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:57:47 +0100

““We feel that animals have the same rights as a retarded human child””

- Alex Pacheco, then Chairman of People for the ethical Treatment of Animals.

What is PeTA?

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:24:00 +0000

PeTA, for those of you who may not already be aware, stands for People for the ethical Treatment of Animals (quite a hypocritical title as you shall find out). It is a group, that on the suface claim to be an animal rights group, with the intention of total liberation of animals, proclaiming in their motto “Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment.” As you could probably guess, I already have qualms with the motto, which I shall disect here:

Animals are not ours to eat It must be said, I can be a little of a gourmand, but I will eat what I want, and who are they to stop me or anybody else from doing so? The fact that they think that it is cruel, and that in some dodgy abattoirs they have found reasonably horrific methods of killing the animals does not constitute that every slaughterhouse in existence also follows the poor standards of hygiene and lack ofskilled workers. This idea of not eating animals, however, does not apply only to meat. It also applies to any animal-made products, including (but not limited to) honey, milk (and naturally all dairy produce, so no cheese, butter, cream, curds or whey, yoghurts, or ice cream), eggs, shellac (a colour), gelatine (used in the manufacture of medication), or isinglass (used in the purification of beer and wine). They would probably have us eat a diet of dried mushrooms and moss.

wear If they do not think that it is kind to kill animals for the sake of the æsthetique, then they shouldn’t buy clothing which are derived from animal. This part of the phrase essentially means, no leather (including animal skins such as snakeskin, crocodile skin, etc…) shoes, jackets, bags, or watch-straps, no fur coats or shawls, no silk products, no woollen mittens, caps, hats, sweaters (or any other woollen products), no down (so no quilted jackets or down duvets), no pashmina, angora, cashmere, camel hair, shearling, or moahair. Synthetic fibres do not breathe properly which leads to over-heating, and real fur does not melt snow on contact and cause it to re-freeze to the fibres, forming clumps of ice on coats. Another problem with faux fur is that many people have reactions to synthetic fibres.

experiment on The fact that the head (Ingrid Newkirk) of this profiteering, blackmailing, vandalising, slandering, and abusive company has said “Even if animal research resulted in a cure for AIDS, we would be against it.” speaks volumes in itself. Anyone that can remain in such incredulous opposition which would without a shadow of a doubt benefit man-kind so much, is reason-enough to have them deemed a public nuisance (or in my opinion, a criminal group, even), as they would rather let thousands if not millions of people die.

Conditions which have been vastly helped in terms of understanding them or being able to cure them, include (but are not limited to): Anthrax, Chicken Pox, Cholera, Diphtheria, Flu, Influenza, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Polio, Rabies, Smallpox, Cowpox, Tetanus, Yellow Fever, and Whooping Cough.

Medications helped by animal research include Insulin, Penecillin, Streptomycin, Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, Pain killers, analgesics, Cyclosporine, and Chemotherapy.

Some devices which have been tested on animals to make sure that they are both safe and operational in humans: Pacemakers, many artificial bones & joints, and artificial hearts.

Medical procedures which have benefited from animal testing: Transplants of various parts of the body (including, but not limited to: Cornea, Heart, Kidney, and Liver), and angioplasty.

or use for entertainment This basically means, no circuses, no animal shows, no horse-riding, no guide dogs for the blind, no zoos, no pets, no hunting, no fishing, and (literally) no pest-control. Animals would only be seen in their natural habitat, which in all fairness, is nice to see. Certain animals however, are nicer to see from close-up, for example in the home. Keeping animals in the home is fine in my opinion (as is in the vast majority of the general public who thankfully who have not succumbed to PeTA’s misleading advertisements, coercion and brain-washing techniques), as long as they can be adequately cared for. PeTA however, believes that it is physically impossible to be able to take care of an animal. They, as you will read in an ensuing instalment in this series, have truly mastered the art of animal care.

I do hope that you will continue to this this series of posts regarding this money-laundering “charity”. The articles about this group of people will be roughly as follows:

~~1. What is PeTA? - Who they are, what they want, and what they believe in.~~

2. PeTA’s pet Guerillas - How PeTA reaches out to ever-younger audiences and gains support.

3. Still thinking of a title - PeTA’s acts of violence, slander, vandalism, terrorism, and arson.

4. Freedom, Freezer, Furnace; PeTA’s liberation - How PeTA really deals with animals; the biggest hypocrisy of all.

On the Origins of Locutions: Mad as a March Hare

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:38:41 +0000

Mad as a March Hare

This is an expression used to refer to someone’s peculiar behaviour. It is believed to have originated from Desiderius Erasmus’ “Mad as a Marsh Hare”.

In Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll gave the phrase its popularity with the current spelling of “March Hare”, as the Cheshire Cat famously described Alice and the Hatter.

This turn of phrase does not bear any link to truth; hares are no more peculiar than usual during the month of March, or any other month of the year for that matter; the chasing and boxing of the females by the males is nothing out of the ordinary.

Review - Bistro Français on the Hill

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:00:04 +0000

Yes, it has been a fair while since my last restaurant review (the last was on the seventeenth of August, to be precise), owing largely to my January examinations, and straight afterwards, having put myself unreservedly in the hands of the bottle. Moving swiftly, on, I hope that this satiates your appetite for a fresh review (if you have one).

Information

Telephone: 0208 4232 598

Bistro Français on the Hill,

40 High Street,

Harrow, Middlesex,

HA1 3LL

Food: ★★★★½

The food, I thought to be very, very refined and definitely more sophisticated than many many other eateries whose threshold I have graced with my custom. I ordered here, escallops of veal which were very tender. They were served in a flavoursome yet subtle sauce rich in mushrooms. On the side were roast potatoes, French beans cooked in garlic butter, and broccoli in a Mornay sauce with diced peppers.

For desert I ordered Créme Brulée. It was prepared to the true origins; with a sugar carameliser, and not just put in an oven. It was lovely and creamy with a perfectly crunchy layer on top which broke like ice on a lake.

Atmosphere: ★★★★★

The restaurant had a distinctly quaint feel about it; unplaceable, yet still wonderfully homely with a fireplace and canary which added to the music which quietly babbled away in the background much like a brook or a mentally ill relative.

Service: ★★★★½

The service was very good here; it was fast, constant, and friendly. If there is one thing thought that I would change (although it is not strictly service related), it would be the location of the coat-hook. Having it next to a cactus is not such a wise idea. Also, the waiter showing us pictures taken on his mobile phone is not really suitable.

Price: £66 ★★★☆☆

Whilst the food here was very good, I must say that I have eaten elsewhere almost as good for a fair amount less. However the food on offer here is considerably different from other places.

Overall:★★★★☆

Yes, I would recommend this restaurant very highly, although I must warn you first, it is far more formal than any others that I have reviewed here, so smart dress would be necessary.

A brief interude from the silence

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 21:34:00 +0000

Dearest readers,

This is but a short note to wish you all a very much belated Merry Christmas and happy New Year. All is well here, I am at the moment though, tied down by the ropes of revision ahead of my Biolody and Chemistry Examinations on the twenty-second and twentieth respectively. Should any of you be in a similar situation, I wish you the very best of luck, and look forward to posting an entry of substance here once more.

Kind regards and best wishes,

Christian BS.

A letter to British media organisations.

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:27:00 +0000

Dear Media Mogul,

As a British citizen, I have a few comments regarding the quality and content of the programmes that constitute British television broadcasting today. Kindly be so kind as to see to the ensuing points:

• US elections. Because there is an election taking place in another major country in the world, it does not mean that we have all spontaneously lost interest in the social malfunctions and political shenanigans of our own country.

• Bleeping-out swear-words. If it is not yet the water-shed, do not broadcast programmes containing expletives.

• The volume of advertisements. Whilst we appreciate your efforts to wake us up during intermissions at volumes which are around three times as loud as the programme for which we switched on the TV, those of us who are already awake, do not take kindly to having advertisements being blasted at us for no apparent reason in order to endorse a product for which no one outside of your test-screening audience has any desire for whatsoever.

• The decency and general comportment of presenter could be greatly improved. A good presenter is like manners; you do not notice them. They are simply something that makes the progress of the programme more enjoyable, smooth, and informing.

• It is not necessary for presenters to impersonate the subject/s of the show (to the point of self-ridicule).

• It is not very civil when a presenter phones fellow actors (or anyone really, they should be setting a good example), leaves a rude message on their phone live on air, and then causes a scandal of elephantine proportions which leads to an onslaught of suspensions, and resignations.

• It is not particularly pleasant so see a presenter/narrator try and dramatise a perfectly calm scene such as cattle in a farm, or someone sewing.

Yours sincerely,

Christian BS.

Moisture on the glass

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 18:52:00 +0100

I must apologise for not having shown any signs of life here recently, as I have been tied down with the ropes of UCAS and all manner of wonderful school-related chores. Not a lot has changed since my last entry; I have finalised my university choices, sorted out my stamp collection a little more, and I am now on my way to completing Grade 5 theory. The only thing that has really changed here is the weather. The temperature has suddenly plumetted to a maximum of fifteen degrees Celsius during the day with quite a severe wind chill factor; an ideal excuse for wearing my new Aquascutum duffel coat and leather gloves. This colder weather some of you may have noticed, serves as the undertone for the title of this entry; the water which commonly accumulates on single-glazed windows due to the condensing effect of the glass on moisuture in the warmer air - something that I shan’t go into the details of now, as I do not wish to bore you on this particular occasion.

I have not given up on this blog; I am in fact in the process of (albeit intermittently) writing an entry based upon my visit to the British Museum which should appear here within the next week should I not cast it aside for some other activity which is, no doubt going to happen quite soon.

Kind regards and many thanks for bearing with me,

Christian BS

Numerical bibliophilia

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 23:06:00 +0100

I have attempted to collect all the numbers regarding all the major world libraries:

5 - Museum artefacts in the Austrian National Library.

8 - Incunabula in the National Library of Estonia.

35 - Corvina Cordices from the Library of King Matthias in the National Library of Hungary.

45 - Microfilm reels in the National Library of Pakistan.

47 - Incunabula in Colombia’s national Library.

74 - THe number of newspaper titles in the Central Lending Library, Singapore.

135 - Newspaper titles in the National Library of Pakistan.

150 - persian codices in the Bulgarian National Library.

150 - Manuscripts in the National Library of Estonia.

170 - Incunabula in the National Library of Mexico

200 - Greek and other foreign scriptures in the Bulgarian National Library.

500 - Ottoman scriptures in the Bulgarian National Library.

610 - Manuscripts, and rare and curious books in Colombia’s national Library.

555 - Microforms in the Austrian National Library.

555 - Manuscipts in the National Library of Pakistan.

726 - The number of magazine titles in the Central Lending Library, Singapore.

845 - Magazine titles in the National Library of Pakistan.

946 - Urdu in the National Library of The Maldives.

1,500 - Publications from the 16th & 17 centuries in the National Library of Estonia.

1,500 - Slavonic scriptures in the Bulgarian National Library.

1,662 - Arabic items in the National Library of The Maldives.

1,700 - Incunabula in the National Library of Hungary.

1,800 - Herculaneum papyri in the National Library of Italy.

1,852 - Electronic materials in the National Library of Estonia.

2,000 - Old print books from the Orient in the Bulgarian National Library.

2,292 - Audiovisual materials in the Austrian National Library.

2,635 - Items of standards in the National Library of Estonia.

3,100 - Arabic scriptures in the Bulgarian National Library.

3,500 - Periodicals in the National Library of Luxembourg.

4,500 - Greek Manuscripts in the national Library of Greece.

4,500 - Incunabula in the National Library of Italy.

7,203 - manuscripts and Archive documents in the National Library of Estonia.

8,000 - Periodicals in the National Library of Italy.

8,600 - Works published before 1711 in the National Library of Hungary.

8,860 - Dhivehi items in the National Library of The Maldives.

16,944 - Picture documents in the Austrian National Library.

18,000 - Manuscripts in Malik National Museum of Iran.

18,415 - Manuscripts in the National Library of Italy.

20,000 - Periodicals, audiovisual materials, maps, scores, engravings, water colours, photographs, and manuscripts in the national Library of Uruguay.

20,954 - Cartographic Materials in the National Library of Estonia.

25,000 - Manuscripts in the National Library of Turkey.

25,000 - Rare books in the National Library of Kazakhstan.

25,000 - Manuscripts in the National Library of Spain.

26,000 - Handwritings in the National Library of Poland.

27,198 - Microforms in the National Library of Estonia.

28,000 - Rare publications in the National Library of Estonia.

30,000 - Old prints, rares, and valuables in the Bulgarian National Library.

34,263 - English items in the National Library of The Maldives.

40,000 - Items in the National Library of Syria.

40,100 - Pakistani publications in the National Library of Pakistan.

43,477 - Audiovisual materials in the National Library of Estonia.

48,000 - Microfiches in the National Library of Pakistan.

50,769 - Archaeological documents (without papyri) in the Austrian National Library.

57,000 - Manuscripts at Egypt’s National Library

60,000 - Items in the National Library of Mali.

75,000 - Codices in the Vatican Library.

80,000 - Portraits and photographs in the Bulgarian National Library.

92,960 - Posters in the Library of Congress.

95,000 - Items in the original Collection in the National Library of Mexico.

100,344 - Non-Textual Materials in the National Library of Turkey.

117,777 - Pieces of sheet music in the National Library of Estonia.

130,000 - Books in the National Library of Pakistan.

137,864 - papyri in the Austrian National Library.

150,000 - Maps in the National Library of Russia.

160,000 - Volumes printed before 1801 in the National Library of Poland.

180,000 - Graphic art pieces in the National Library of Estonia.

200,000 - Items in the Reserves Collection in the National Library of Mexico.

200,000 - Maps in the National Library of Hungary.

200,000 - Items in the Central Lending Library of Singapore.

230,000 - Items in the National Library of Mauritius.

240,000 - Rare books in the National Library of Spain.

269,826 - Items in the National Library for Children and Young Adults in Korea.

270,000 - Written and audio music documents in the National Library of Hungary.

272,000 - Microfilm copies of documents in the National Library of Hungary.

302,988 - Annual sets of periodicals in the National Library of Estonia.

319,187 - Pamphlets in the National Library of Italy.

320,000 - Pictures and engravings in the National Library of Hungary.

320,000 - Items in the National Library of Monaco.

330,000 - Broadsheets, posters, and Ex Libris in the Austrian National Library.

350,000 - Pieces of sheet music and recordings in the National Library of Russia.

385,000 - items in the National Library of Brunei.

385,000 - Serial publications in the National Library of Hungary.

481,088 - Booklets in the National Library of Estonia.

530,000 - Items in the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, Singapore.

544,142 - Prints and drawings in the Library of Congress.

581,763 - Periodicals in the National Library of Turkey.

750,000 - Items in the National Library of Luxembourg.

800,000 - Items in the National Library of Kenya.

884,000 - Foreign books in the National Library of Korea.

900,000 - Items in the national Library of Iceland.

900,000 - Books in the national Library of Uruguay.

993,904 - Books in the National Library of Turkey.

1,000,000 - Manuscripts in the National Library of Hungary.

1,000,000 - Items in the National Library of Albania.

1,100,000 - Items in the Central Library of Astan Quds Razavi, Iran.

1,204,781 - Moving images in the Library of Congress.

1,250,000 - Items in the National Library of Mexico.

1,480,747 - Printed volumes in the National Library of Italy.

1,500,000 - Items in the National Library of The Republic of Montenegro.

1,500,000 - Bulgarian Historical Archive documents in the Bulgarian National Library.

1,500,000 - Items in the National Medical Library, USA.

1,515,172 - items in the General Collections in the National Library of New Zealand.

1,600,000 - Maps in the national Library of Scotland.

1,701,377 - Items in the National Library of Turkey.

1,975,981 - Books in the National Library of Estonia.

2,000,000 - Items in Colombia’s national Library.

2,101,816 - Items in the National Library of France.

2,200,000 - Books in the national Library of India.

2,300,000 - Items in the Hong Kong Central Library.

2,500,000 - Books in the National Library of Hungary.

2,500,000 - Items in the National Library of Croatia.

2,955,493 - Audio materials in the Library of Congress.

3,000,000 - Items in the National Library of Serbia.

3,000,000 - Items in the National Library of Catalonia.

3,000,000 - Posters and small prints in the National Library of Hungary.

3,300,000 - Items in the National Agricultural Library, USA.

3,400,000 - Items in the National Library of Estonia.

4,000,000 - Items in the national Library of Wales.

4,100,000 - Items in the National Library of Latvia.

4,500,000 - Items in the Akhundov National Library.

5,100,000 - Items in the National Library of Switzerland.

5,317,279 - Maps in the Library of Congress.

5,333,500 - Items in the Alexander Turnbull Library, New Zealand.

5,500,000 - Items in the National Library of Kazakhstan.

5,517,882 - Pieces of Sheet Music in the Library of Congress.

6,000,000 - Books and journals in the National Library of Spain.

6,500,000 - Items in the National Library of Korea.

6,912,266 - Items in the National Library of Lithuania.

7,131,660 - Books in the National Library of Venezuela.

8,000,000 - Items in the National Library of Belarus.

8,000,000 - Items in the National Library of Hungary.

8,000,000 - Books in the National Library of Scotland.

8,200,000 - Items in the National Library of Poland.

8,500,000 - Items in the National Library of Norway.

9,000,000 - Items in the National Library of Brazil.

11,478,022 - Books in large type, raised characters, incunabula, monographs and serials, music, bound newspapers, pamphlets, technical reports, and other printed material in the Library of Congress.

12,100,000 - Items in the Hong Kong Public Libraries System.

12,520,442 - Number of photographs in the Library of Congress.

13,000,000 - Printed items in the national Library of Scotland.

13,000,000 - Journals in the National Library of Russia.

14,364,982 - Visual materials in the Library of Congress.

14,833,797 - Microforms in the Library of Congress.

15,000,000 - Items in the National Library of The Ukraine.

15,000,000 - Items in the Vernadsky National Scientific Library of Ukraine.

15,458,022 - Items in the Boston Public Library.

15,555,333 - Items in the Harvard Library.

17,000,000 - Books in the National Library of Russia.

18,000,000 - items in the Library and Archives Canada.

20,500,000 - Items in the Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

20,854,810 - Books in the Library of Congress.

22,000,000 - Items in the National Library of China.

23,500,000 - Items in the German National Library.

25,000,000 - Items in the National Library of Sweden.

42,000,000 - Items in the National Library of Russia.

51,274,648 - Items in the New York Public Library (and its branches).

61,432,879 - Manuscripts in the Library of Congress.

105,980,595 - Items in the special collections in the Library of Congress.

138,313,427 - Items in the Library of Congress.

150,000,000 - Items in the British Library.

CERN's LHC in numbers

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:54:00 +0100

This also includes other stats for comparison.

-271.3 - The temperature (in degrees Celsius) of the magnets after being filled with Helium superfluid.

-193.2 - The temperature (in degrees Celsius) to which the magnets were cooled.

10⁻¹³ - Air pressure (in Pascals) inside the LHC.

10⁻¹² - Air pressure (in Pascals) on the moon.

0.00000000047 - The total mass (in grams) of protons circulating the LHC at any given time.

0.000000002 - Amount of Hydrogen used (in grams) per day by the LHC.

0.0001 - The time taken (in seconds) for a proton to circle the LHC.

0.75 - The amount (in grams) of Hydrogen needed to fill an average balloon.

0.999997828 - The number of times at the speed to light at which the protons move in the LHC.

0.999999991 - The number of times at the speed to light at which the protons move at top energy in the LHC.

1 - The typical strength (in telsas) of a scrapyard magnet.

1.9 - The temperature (in degrees Kelvin) of the magnets after being filled with Helium superfluid.

4.8 - The height (in kilometres) of Mont Blanc.

5 - The length (in metres) of some of the quadrupole magnets used in the LHC.

6.9 - The height (in kilometres) of 4 million stacked DVDs.

7 - The maximum energy at which the protons (in Tera electron volt) will travel in the LHC.

7 - The length (in metres) of some of the quadrupole magnets used in the LHC.

8.3 - The strength (in teslas) of the LHC’s super-conducting magnets.

10.4 - The height (in kilometres) of six million stacked DVDs.

13 - Time taken (in years) to build Big Ben.

14 - Time taken (in years) to build the LHC.

14 - The energy of the head-on collisions (in Tera electron volts) of the protons in the LHC.

15 - The estimated life-time (in years) of the LHC.

15 - The length (in metres) of the super-conducting dipole magnets.

15 - The information (in petabytes) produced by the LHC each year.

27 - The circumference (in kilometres) of the LHC.

32 - The time taken (in minutes) to circle the LHC at 50 km/h.

33 - The number of countries with which CERN is collaborating to install The Grid.

50 - The speed limit (in km per hour) for driving around the LHC.

60 - The amount (in tonnes) of liquid Helium used to bring the magnets’ temperature down to -271.3°C.

80 - The temperature (in degrees Kelvin) to which the magnets were cooled.

100 - The approximate depth of the LHC underground.

361 - The energy (in megajoules) of the USS Ronald Regan cruising at 5.6 knots.

362 - The collective energy (in megajoules) of the LHC’s protons at top speed.

392 - The number of quadrupole magnets used in the LHC.

1,232 - The number of super-conducting dipole magnets in the LHC.

2,808 - The number of proton bunches per beam at full intensity.

4,650 - The interior volume (in metres cubed) of Big Ben.

9,000 - The rough volume (in metres cubed) of the LHC’s major vacuum system.

9,300 - The total number of magnets on the inside of the LHC.

10,080 - The amount (in tonnes) of liquid Nitrogen used to cool the magnets.

11,245 - The number of times a proton will circle the ring in one second.

12,000 - The current (in Amps) that runs through a super-conducting magnet.

26,659 - The circumference (in metres) of the LHC.

88,000 - The total weight (in tonnes) of the USS Ronald Regan.

100,000 - The number of times hotter than the sun the collisions will be.

1,000,000 - Rough number of years needed for the LHC to use a party balloon’s worth of Hydrogen.

1,700,000 - The number of dual layers that can be filled with data produced by the LHC each year.

6,000,000 - Number of DVDs needed to hold the data produced by the LHC.

15,000,000 - The amount of information (in gigabytes) produced annually by the LHC.

600,000,000 - The rough number of collisions that will occur every second.

1,000,000,000 - The rough maximum speed (in metres per second) of a proton going around the the LHC.

4,100,000,000 - The cost (in £) of building the LHC.

4,500,000,000 - The cost (in US$) of building the USS Ronald Regan.

7,199,190,000 - The cost (in US$) of building the LHC.

115000000000 - The number of protons in each bunch.

Relevant Wikipedia articles: Absolute zero, Big Ben, CERN, LHC, proton, speed of light, USS Ronald Regan.

London 2012 Olympics handover "show"

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:03:00 +0100

Well, it was called a show, but I would like to contest that naturally (you should know me well enough by now). A show is supposed to entertain people. Seeing as The Olympics is a very large undertaking, perhaps we can be a little forgiving if the entertainment is more mediocre than spectacular, as there is so much eslse to co-ordinate and organise.
The opening ceremony, not even I can bash. It was quite simply unbelievable. It was quite clear that not only had a lot of effort been put into the execution of this spectacle (especially how many thousands of people had to be co-ordinated), but a great deal had been put into impressing audiences, not just in China, but around the world, by showing off a lot of the Chinese cultural heritage and rich history. I know I should really be talking about the hand-over ceremony, but I just want to add my thoughts on one particular part; the carrying of the Olympic flag in the Opening Ceremony. First it was carried by previous gold medallists, then a group of young Chinese children, and then finally, Chinese military personel. That final one I find was quite a subtle reminder of the “don’t forget, we’re still here” attitude of the various law enforcement teams - (be it the blue-coated paramilitary police who followed the torch on its path around the world before it was stopped, or these soldiers). Our appetites, suffice it to day had been severely whetted by the opening ceremony, if not spoilt.
And then came Boris Johnson; looking hot and flustered as though he were late for a cabinet meeting of some sort or another. This was not quite the image which really fit in with quite an elaborate performance: a middle-aged man, fighting his belt size, donning a suit and dishevelled blond hair. Granted, this is his image and if he is there to represent himself, then it is fine for him to have such an appearance, but he is supposed to be representing the UK, or “Team GB” as it were, so the least he could have done, was combed his hair.I also found it quite hard to believe that so little thought had been put into what we would do. The Chinese have put on a magnificent show, and what do we do? We get a footballer (who, quite frankly, looks like a yob) and get him to kick a football off of the top of a double-decker bus. They could not even use the old-fashioned route-master buses which are the ones that people internationally recognise. Instead, one of these new, tacky-looking, almost plastic-y looking buses was used. After this, various members of “stereotypical” British society in their appropriate British dress code (eg: a policeman in full garb) began dancing around the bus. I could not help but notice the absence of a quite a major part of British society; the inebriated, knife-wielding 17 year old which seems to account for roughly half of the population.
In closing, I hope that it suffices to say that this gives me very great concern for our own Olympic opening ceremony, which is supposed not to compete with the extravagance of the Chinese one, but involve members of the general public…An idea that sounds flawed from day one.
Best regards, Christian BS.

Review - The Two Brewers Inn

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:02:00 +0100

Information

Telephone: 01923 261 884

The Common, Chipperfield

Kings Langley, Hertfordshire

WD4 9BS

Food: ★★★★★

The food here, I found to be very, very good indeed. I ordered roast chicken breast stuffed with mozzarella, and served in a tomato sauce, accompanied by roast potatoes mixed British vegetables. The chicken was done to perfection; and the tomato sauce was sharp without being to acidic and giving me heartburn (something that I am quite prone to). The desert, I can say without a shadow of a doubt, was the best rendition of a chocolate fudge cake with cream that I have ever had. The cake was warm and soft without being mushy, and the Jersey cream with which it was served mellowed the flavour marvellously. It was very nicely served with a good helping of a thick, rich chocolate sauce, and a dusting of icing sugar. It was the perfect end to a very, very good meal.

Atmosphere: ★★★★★

Being a pub, there was of course the traditional atmosphere. However, even though it is probably twice the size of the average pub, there was no sensation of being just another customer even when the establishment is packed (as it was when we went, and it is easy to see why). The interior is softly lit, and is in original Tudor style, with dried hops adorning the beams - quite fitting for a pub, really.

Service: ★★★★☆

Your order is verified twice here; once when you make it, the waiter repeats it to you, and shortly afterwards, when another waiter lays the table for you.

Price: £44.34 ★★★★☆

Yes, it is possible to feed 3 people for less elsewhere, but at the same quality, I think not.

Overall: ★★★★★

This restaurant was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, not just for the taste buds, but for all the senses.

A Trip to Buckingham Palace

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:30:29 +0100

I found myself today (the date of writing being Monday, the 4^th August) on a somewhat impromptu visit to Buckingham Palace. Whilst having heard word of the trip the previous week, I only found out the date and time this morning when I was on the rounds picking-up the clients.

We boarded the minibuses and left the premises of the Neighbourhood Centre at a little past 13:00 and arrived at the gates of Buckingham Palace at roughly 14:40. Our entrance however, was not that of the regular tourists. We entered through one of the main perimeter gates at the front, and fro there proceeded through a subsidiary arch on the façade of the building. We entered the quadrangle and from there were escorted via wheelchair lift, after being given our entrance stickers and audio guides, and entered a corridor adjacent to the quadrangle. From there, we took a lift up, and entered the first floor through a burgundy tapestry room, home to some if the palace’s elaborately woven tapestries.

From here, we continued into a small room whose walls were covered with gilded mirrors, giving the illusion that the room was far larger than it in fact was. The next room in store for us, was the state ballroom, which for the first time ever was open to the public whilst set-out for a royal state banquet. This was an enormous room, probably able to seat around 150 people. It was dimly lit, but elegantly decorated with in the royal colours: carmine, cream, and gold. The coving and walls were covered in relief work, mirrors and portraits adorned the walls, and Sevres porcelain sat upon the ledges around the room. Each table was laid with delicately with fine silverware. It was by far the most imposing room yet with 6 chandeliers the widths of which were that of a small car; showing the money and therefore power that the Royal family held and still hold today.

The ensuing rooms were the various ballrooms; used to entertain foreign diplomats on state visits. Each of which had a marvellous pair of chandeliers and designated colour scheme which matched the limited colours in which Sevres porcelain is made: blue white, yellow and green. Attached to these rooms was the music room; semi-circular with a cupola in the way of a roof, and a jet black baby grand piano near the windows. Two pillars also flanked wither side of the doors„ which used scagliola (a method of coating a stone surface with a pigmented mixture which hardens and solidified to look like marble) in order to give the pillars the colour of lapis lazuli. The throne room, located at the end of the chain of drawing rooms, was one decorated in silk burgundy wallpaper, with a relief-worked archway behind which sat the two thrones; identically constructed chairs perched upon a raised section of the floor. The frames of the chairs were made of a dark - almost black - wood with pads and backs made from a fabric in the same colour as the wallpaper.

We then went once again through corridors whose walls were laden with art pieces, in particular Dutch interiors, before going downstairs for a final visit to the bow room; a turquoise room with large windows that open up on to the terrace where we proceeded to, and handed in our audio-guides. From here we made our way back to the minibuses, and headed back to the centre, dropping off the clients along the way.

All in all, we had a thoroughly enjoyable day, being neither too rushed nor too busy which gave us plenty of time to absorb the rich surroundings and history of the building we were in.

Review - Café Café

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 14:34:00 +0100

Information

cafecafe-onthehill.com - 020 8864 8456

51 high St.

Harrow, Middlesex

HA1 3ST

Food: ★★★☆☆

Good, food, nicely presented, and good size portions.

Atmosphere: ★☆☆☆☆

Whatever atmosphere that there could have been in the restaurant, was drowned-out by the music blaring from the bar/café area, which quite frankly, sounded like something out of a five-year old’s party. The lighting was dim (as it should be in a restaurant), but to the point at which you almost had to feel your way around. I came as part of a party of 3, but we were still seated at a table which was only designed to be able to take 2; as a result every time that the menu was moved, you risked it catching alight on the candle. The wallpaper was a dark burgundy, almost black, making the entire restaurant part feel small and cramped (which in all fairness is not far away from the truth).

Service: ★★★☆☆

The service was, good, the waiters were polite, friendly, and fast. The only suggestion I could make is that they ask you whether or not you enjoy your meal when you have actually started eating.

Price: £56.49 ★★★☆☆

Service charge was included in the bill; something I despise. I have eaten at a better price at various other establishments.

Overall: ★★★☆☆

I would not recommend this restaurant very highly, and I hope that the aforementioned points outlined can be used to better the experience of the clientele.

Cryptography

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 22:45:00 +0100

Within this message is a secret message, hidden. There aren’t any prizes for the person who can figure it out, but it’s just a little time filler for you code-breakers out there.

Here:

“MacThemes is a community of developers and designers who share alike a great enthusiasm for the Mac OS X experience and desktop environment as well as a general passion for Apple.”

Best regards,

Christian BS

Greetings from a place far away

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:49:00 +0100

At the moment, as the title suggests, I’m on holiday in Haifa, Israel which as you can probably guess means that I shall be updating my blog (even) less often. I started this blog in the hope that I would update it fairly regularly on topics that some people would find interesting. Obviousy I was wrong. I do not know why, but I had these sickeningly idealistic visions of this blog attracting hordes of people, replicating some form of lonelygirl15-esque success. A bit of a tall order for a finnicky, condescending, pessimistic, temporarily bespectacled, and (according to many at the state school he attends) spoiled teenager. Best regards, and I sincerely hope that I am not boring you even more than I do on other occasions, Christian BS

Lego in numbers

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:07:00 +0100

1.5 - The speed of lego brick transporting robots in the old warehouses.

2.5 - The speed of lego brick transporting robots in the new warehouses.

2.5 - The average storage time for lego bricks (in months).

4 - The number of warehouses.

4 - The number of robots per warehouse (old or new).

4 - The number of aisles per warehouse (old or new).

7 - The number of lego sets sold around the world per second.

13 - The height of the old warehouses (in metres).

20 - The height of the new warehouses (in metres).

62 - The number of Lego bricks per person of the Earth’s population.

65.6 - The shelving area of all four warehouses (in square miles).

65.6 - The height of the warehouses (in feet).

130 - The number of new Lego sets launched annually in the U.S.

170 - The shelving area of all four warehouses (in kilometres squared).

4, 720 - The number of Lego sets produced to date.

36, 000 - The number of lego bricks produced per second.

162, 240 - The number of storage boxes per old warehouse.

262, 240 - The number of storage boxes per new warehouse.

424, 000 - The number of boxes in storage in all the warehouses (at 80% capacity).

2, 160, 000 - The number of lego bricks produced every hour.

900, 000, 000 - The number of lego bricks collectively stored in all four warehouses at any given time.

19, 000, 000, 000 - The number of lego bricks produced and moved per year.

400, 000, 000, 000 - The approximate number of lego bricks ever produced.

Thanks to Gizmodo and their wonderful enthusiasm for Lego.

School pt. 1

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:04:13 +0100

School pt. 1

School pt. 2

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:03:54 +0100

School pt. 2