Krioma.net

If you thought Postman pat must have been on something in the first place then this piss-take will only go to verify this... [metacafe video]

Some really cool pictures that have you thinking, wow - well they did in my case... [haha.nu]

The debate, to stick a packet of tortilla's in your girlfriends hoddie or not? Well it seemed like a good idea at the time since then I would not have to carry them... but it turns out when she can't reach them she gets annoyed... and then a few days later you get your come upance when she makes you carry the milk... argh!

It is possible that comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 might well leave enough debris in the way of the Earth to cause a meteor shower, this is due to the Earth passing through the main clump of debris that was left behind since 1801. Theoretically if any meteors are to occur they are expected to be radiant in Canes Venatici from yesterday till tomorrow. It was clear last night but I didn't get chance to hunt out any... I might tonight. For further info take a look at the ever excellent SPA Meteor section [meteor activity guide]

Festival, Birmingham City Centre? Grass? If that shocks you then well it shouldn't. Birmingham is pretty green and last Sunday saw the first festival at Eastside park, outside the now defunct Curzon Street Station which is opposite Millennium Point. It was lots of fun and although I didn't stay to the end I got to see some quality bands.

I only stayed up to Boy Kill Boy but most of the bands up to that where pretty entertaining with the Crimea (like always) standing out miles about the rest. They played a great set, lots of fun. It was a bit of an odd start for them with their lead singer in the crowd:

... but that was good! :-) They always play a great set and have to be one of my favourite bands to see live, they really put lots of energy into it. If you haven't heard of them... go and download something(!), "White Russian Galaxy" is a good starting point.

The whole thing was really well done, well done to the organisers, do it again!! I will be there!

For further info take a look at: [sound-station.co.uk]

Sitting around in the Sun or protesting to the core about your country, what should a student do?? I personally feel I didn't do enough when the recent education reforms can into affect here in the UK, effectively up the cost of education by about doubled. I left Uni with a £16k debt to the UK government, yet they will (and society as a whole) benefit from the skills I have.. I did a useful course, Physics! Now student are looking more towards £30k.... WOW! What as students did we do, ummm, not much.. not enough. Now in Chile education is probably not taken for granted like it is by many here, so what do they do.. protest and protest in numbers, good on them. Wish we had done something more in peoples face.... and no I am not talking about rioting but something, in numbers. Well that is the past. For the present in Chile take a look at this [BBC] article.

I have said this before, I will say this again, and I say this now. The University campus is beautiful, no matter the weather (well maybe not in torrential rain!). I love the place, it is very much a factor into why I originally stayed here to do a PhD.. which for other reasons I'm very glad I did. Anyway onto the topic, the clocktower at sunset:

This was with my mobile phone so probably not the best image you could have taken of such a wonderful moment but it is still pretty cool, I love the purpley-pink colouration. Beautiful

I though this looked pretty cool... yes it is just a tree, but a tree from me lying down....

On Tuesday I travelled to sunny Wolverhampton to go to the Civic Hall to see Fall Out Boy. This was my first trip to the Civic and my first time on the Birmingham to Wolverhampton Metro (which wasn't bad...). Anyway the gig was great, we missed the first support band but the second was the Academy Is... and I really wanted to see them anyway! I wasn't going till the last minute so I hadn't checked out the support so was pretty pleased to see that they were on the lineup as well.

The Academy Is where pretty good but I do find them the sort of band that though I like I get a bit brassed off after a while as they are pretty samey. Its not always a bad thing and the main songs I like are pretty different. It is just a shame they didn't mix them around a bit, they did after a few songs sound a bit "more of the same". Well they were good and really got the crowd going, which you can't ask more of a support band. I was still really pleased to see them.

Fall Out Boy came out with a band and Lizzie showed her appreciation by screaming much louder than you would have though was physically possible for her size! :-) (yes, I think thats a compliment hun!). They played a solid set though there was a bit too much talking for my liking, I like the band engaging the crowd but I feel they did it a bit too much. Saying that though, I really enjoyed them and I feel they were only talking so much to hype up which song they were playing, it was sort of like an extended introduction. There was one problem, about 3/4 the way through the set all sound went!! Like pro's they continued on to the end of the song, I guess it is pretty feasible that they hadn't entirely noticed as there screens were definetly working. Anyway about 10 minutes down the line they had fix it and played 4 songs instead of doing an encore.

Pretty cool. I have to say it felt odd not being at the Brum academy for a big gig! For more info take a look at: [Fall Out Boy's Website]

A couple of images I took with my phone that came out quite nice in B+W whilst I was awaiting the bus home...

Wanna know what the heck I mean at times??? Why not try this [Brummie Translator]... well it works the other way around, but it might help!

A Frisbie, a lake... umm what on Earth could go wrong....

ARGH! So then I attempt to rescue it...

Eventually we succeed but we don't avoid the bubbles, nooooo...

Astrosoc recently purchased a new telescope... the other day we decided to destroy the evidence, well put the box in a skip. So to carry this big box Lizzie was voluntered. I'm not sure she was pleased but hid her annoyance well, just take a look at this:

She really hides the digust well, oh and to prove it is her and that she wasn't too impressed (I don't actually think she minded, if anything she was having lots of fun!).

This is a quite interesting / at times annoying (cause it reminds you of annoying moments) animation... [Link]

Well this fits in nicely with the talk that Mario di Maggio gave us (University of Birmingham Astronomical Society) the other night titled "Aliens on Earth".. well maybe we do have some then.... take a look at [CNN.com / red rain]

It appears a meteorite that is much larger than the previously largest recorded one in Norway (90kg) hit the country on Wed! Let me point you at this article [astromart.com news]

It looks like the HSBC building at Five Ways in Brum is going energy effiecient... cool...

Umm, now this is not something I expected as I headed to my office...

Whilst going to the cinema, to see United 93, I had to take a picture of the beautiful sunset that was descending over five ways... lovely.

Oh and United 93 was an excellent film but I do have a feeling it might have been still a bit too early to make a film about this sort of thing....

I came across the below image randomly on the web the otherday and so don't know who to credit the image to, but heck its quite funny... I just hope someone hasn't actually done this to their poor telescope - the local kids might come and kick it! lol

can't touch this...

It's about time I regave SUSE a chance and I noticed today that you can now (this probably occured ages ago) donwload a live bootable dvd. I think I shall do this later and give it a go. I'm quite happy with my fedora installation but its always fun to give something new a go. Anyway if you fancy downloading SUSE Linux 10.1 live or installable go to [SUSE Linux 10.1].

On Sat I was at the Foo Fighters gig, and wow what an encore! The Foo's were joined on stage by Brian May and Roger Taylor... !!!! What a special ending to a brilliant Foo Fighters set. Anyway this is just a quick post. More, with pics later. Oh and for more on the gig you could take a look at the [NME Review]

I brought myself a canon Ixus 55 the other day... expect lots of pictures from this soon. Anyway I was walking up the road yesterday and taking a movie, like you do when you get a new gadget. On playback the video picture is wonderful and the conversation is quite funny aswell:

heather "we are going to be killed",
me "wow wow we are going to be run over",
lizzie "if you werent looking thru your camera you would have noticed"

This is one for the astronomer newbies.... Ever wanted to know what was meant by the term prime focus camera position? Well take a look at [K3's Astronomy Pages] and you will get a good introduction to this. There are also many other good tutorials, with varying level of expertise needed.

I took loads and I mean loads of pictures and movies on my new camera yesterday, was lots of fun. I am particular pleased with a couple and though I would share a few with you, I will be sharing many more in the future but not just yet. Whilst walking around I was taking lots and lots of photos and I think Lizzie was starting to get annoyed that most of them where of her so I decided to start taking them of the wonderful buildings around us. The first I really liked was of the cube's in the bullring, well a cube, with the Selfridges building behind it, it really did capture the essence of the water (well that's what I am saying!):

The other image I took was of the big flower football outside the entrance to the Bullrign complex. I think (I'm pretty sure) the Ball is their to advertise the T-mobile fan park (I keep meaning to go, probably won't now!) down at Millennium point... lots of football going on down there, with the largest events outside of Germany, so the advertising says. Anyway the actual ball is pretty and quite artistic... so take a look below:

I was not impressed with England's display tonight. All I am going to say is sort out the defense and please give Crouch someone to play with up front!!!

Ever wanted a phone that literally does everything... [see the advert]

Take a look at this fantastic photo, wow! [nationalgeographic.com]

Ok, don't read if you don't wanna see some quite manky pictures of my tooth....

Anyway, yesterday I had my first tooth EVER removed, well their was the baby ones but they came out on their own (or by me pulling, lol!). I was a little nervous if I am honest. The only dental treatment I have ever had to have done was a scale and polish, oh and a bit of plastic being put into a tooth as a child... this nervousness meant I dragged Lizzie along, lol! :-) Yes I am a big boy! Heck I didn't want to walk down the street dribbling everywhere! Luckily I didn't but who knows. Well the tooth pulling took a while since it was the one in front of my wisdom tooth, which it had been pushing against this one for years since it came in at a 45 degree angle to the plane of the teeth. This made it harder to get out and actually cause the cavity, food at some point must have gotten caught and my dentist suggested that it was really just a matter of time before this happened, well better than having the wisdom tooth removed! So then, time to see some pics? Here is the cavity:

look at that cavity, the dentist suggests I should have been in considerable pain.. but I wasn't maybe the wisdom tooth that was pushing into it killed it?
For size, next to a penny... l

ook at the size of the cavity! I was in no pain and I generally have good teeth!

Well I'm aching now and generally relaxing, its not so bad... but I think I am allowed to be in a bit of pain.

I came across a very good page all about astronomical magnitude systems today, it is a good reference for any astronomer, not matter the level - see: [astronomical magnitude systems]

An update on the forthcoming FAS Convention 2006!

I have never seen, well not that I have really been looking for these, a noctilucent cloud. Though now I'd love to, that look absolutely beautiful. Would make a wonderful photo... oh here are some beautiful photos of these: [by Arne Danielsen]

I was wondering how someone in a wheelchair could use the below space on a bus very easily? It has a big bar in the way!

Surely is in a rather awkward spot... on the left hand side of the bus is a section marked for pushchairs with no bar, I think the otherway around would have been better!

I was wondering how someone in a wheelchair could use the below space on a bus very easily? It has a big bar in the way!

Surely is in a rather awkward spot... on the left hand side of the bus is a section marked for pushchairs with no bar, I think the otherway around would have been better!