After 4 weeks of prototyping, the music podcast goes LIVE in July and we’re celebrating with an official opening night on Tuesday July 6th. So come along to the ustream page promptly for 7.00pm UK time to get your requests in, hang out with other podcast listeners and be part of my opening night recorded for posterity here at http://andyroberts.me/ Podcast Launch Building the Opening Night It would be nice to have a bit of a crowd along for the opening night just to get the regular weekly podcasting off to a good start so I’ve created a facebook Event for this particular show which you can invite people to. I’ll also be making a post over on my long established blog site at DARnet Andy Roberts and one or tow other places if I can think of them. The podcast opening night will also be part of the Cafe Noodle July Ustream Festival, a great music community organised by Matt Stevens Loop. I think it should be possible to embed the ustream show here on this site – so that’s something I’ll be having a go at too.
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I posted to andyroberts.me
Official Podcast Opening Night – Tuesday July 6th 7.00pm
http://andyroberts.me/podcast/official-podcast-opening-night-tuesday-july-6th-7-00pm
June 30 2010, 4:43am | Comments »
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I posted to distributedresearch.net
Canal Boat Holidays
http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2010/06/27/canal-boat-holidays
Previous Canal Boat Holidays I’ve been going on canal boat holidays since a child, but none in the last few years and it has been long overdue to do something about that. The first trip I went on was a little Thames cruiser boat with my parents, before the locks were all manned. Then I went on a narrow boat with a youth club and years later took my own children on narrowboats and Norfolk broads cruisers. Ideally, I would like to spend spend summer months continuous cruising around the inland waterways of England and Wales. That’s part of the Location Independent Living idea but there are several steps which need to be taken first, and one of them was to take a gentle introduction to the joys of boating by way of a short canal boat holiday on the Kennet & Avon canal in rural Wiltshire, perfect for weekend breaks, on board the hotel boat Isabella Canal Boat Holiday Weekend Pictures
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June 27 2010, 2:11am | Comments »
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I posted to distributedresearch.net
Wild Badgers to be Culled in England
http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2010/05/22/wild-badgers-to-be-culled-in-england
There will be a wild badger cull in England.
The new Conservative Liberal coalition government has said the vaccination programme isn’t enough so badgers in TB hotspots will be killed. Culling badgers to control Bovine TB in dairy cattle is controversial with many farmers facing increased incidence of TB reactors in cattle supporting a cull, and wildlife conservationists pointing out that culling badgers is not effective anyway. New DEFRA farm minister Jim Paice, Conservative MP for South East Cambridgeshire has confirmed that badgers will be culled in England to combat bovine tuberculosis in cattle. A targeted cull of badgers will take place once the right “hot spot” locations have been identified. The Badger Trust opposes culling, which they say would be in reality an unselected slaughter. The badger is one of Britain’s best loved and iconic animals and as such is part of our National Heritage. They are a poignant symbol of the British countryside and a protected species. On culling badgers, Trust chairman Dave Williams says “The overwhelming scientific evidence and research shows that it is not the way to control bovine TB It has been tried for many years in one form or another, and it has never worked.” Badger Creative Commons Badger photo by Andreas-photographyThanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogWild Badgers to be Culled in England Related posts:St George’s Day Rowan Tree Folk Song New Routemaster Bus for London
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May 22 2010, 2:55am | Comments »
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I posted to distributedresearch.net
If Not Diane Abbott, Who?
http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2010/05/20/dianeabbott
Diane Abbot entered the Labour Party leadership contest live on radio 4 this morning. Taking the Today programme interviewer completely by surprise she said “I’m going to run”. After looking at the field she asked herself “If not now, when?” and “If not me, who?’”. So suddenly the contest is transformed from one which started off promising to be the least controversial in history, with a series of sharp suited new labour apparatchiks exchanging pleasantries, a bit like the tedious TV debates between the party leaders for the general election, and with none of them much different to the two similar stuffed shirts leading the new coalition government, into an open contest which may even see mention of the socialism word from time to time, if we hold our breath long enough. Renowned for being on the supposed left wing of Labour, Diane Abbot will inevitably make political capital out of being female and black, so that at least they don’t field a set of candidates who “all look the same” but she will also be in a position to voice an alternative perspective on issues such as immigration, tackling the budget deficit by taxing the rich instead of cutting services that hit the weakest hardest, and regaining a defensible policy on civil liberties instead of being in the embarrasing position where it is the Tory and Liberal coalition government cancelling Labour’s hated ID card plans. Diane Abbot’s surprise entry into the leadership race appears to have ambushed previous left candidate John McDonnell who has been criticising the curtailed procedure which requires potential candidates to garner support from at least 33 Labour MPs by Thursday May 27th for an election which will run until September 2010. Diane Abbott
Thanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogIf Not Diane Abbott, Who? Related posts:Harriet Harman Next UK Leader Gordon Brown Never a Frown
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May 20 2010, 6:26am | Comments »
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I posted to distributedresearch.net
Harriet Harman Next UK Leader
http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2010/05/04/harriet-harman-next-uk-leader
OK, here’s my prediction for the outcome of the general election in the United Kingdom, just for fun. New Labour have had their chance and blown it to such an extent that they come third in overall votes, a disasterous result by all accounts. But the Tories fail to win an overall majority in the House of Commons and Gordon Brown tries to stay on as Prime Minister with a minority government, daring the Liberals to vote down the queen’s speech, which they then do. Brown is forced to resign as Labour leader and the battle for a successor begins, with a timetable stretching over many weeks. Meanwhile, the Liberals enter into negotiations with the Tories to see if they can stitch up a coalition government between them. Nick Clegg demands electoral reform as a precondition to more detailed discussions, and David Cameron categorically rules it out. So no deal there. Harriet Harman the current deputy leader of the Labour Party automatically acts as a caretaker leader and approaches Clegg to see what terms he might accept to go in with Labour. A historic deal is then patched together which involves mashing up Vince Cable and Alastair Darling’s economic policies into one chancellorship, big concessions on electoral reform, and a double figure-head leadership which makes Nick Clegg and Harriet Harman both being prime minister. Cameron is thus thwarted from forming a Tory government for at least another four years and such is the jubiliation on Labour back benches that all the other contenders for leadership are persuaded to withdraw from the contest leaving Harriet Harman as uncontested leader of the Labour Party and joint Prime Minister of the UK parliament. Harriet Harman, The UK's second ever female Prime Minister Of course constitutionally, you can’t actually have a joint prime ministership in absolutely everything, there are some occasions when a single name must be applied, such as taking a seat at World Summits etc and in the EU so for these occasions they toss a coin, and Harriet wins.
Thanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogHarriet Harman Next UK Leader No related posts.
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May 4 2010, 6:10am | Comments »
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I posted to distributedresearch.net
St George’s Day
http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2010/04/20/st-georges-day
St Georges’s Day falls on April 23rd each year and has been quietly celebrated, or perhaps largely ignored in England since the 18th century. Before that it was a major feast day and national holiday dating back to 15thC. It is however, England’s national day since St George holds the position of the patron saint of England. English people tend to have mixed feeling about St George’s day and the St George cross, which is the flag of England, due in some part to the confusion which persists over the difference between identities of England and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. A sizeable proportion of English people and probably a majority of non UK citizens consider English and British to be synonymous, which causes problems particularly for the Scots and Welsh who are most definitely not English, whichever way you look at it. The 23rd April is also William Shakespeare’s birthday and his death day. In recent years there has been a resurgence of the use of the St George cross, the English flag, for events such as International football matches with the England team, and that should be welcomed as a correction of the previous use of the Union flag when it’s not a UK-wide team. Some people feel uncomfortable at the sight of the red and white though, sensing a connection with right wing nationalist politics which has not been historically aligned particularly. St George's Cross - The English flag The most effective advocates of celebrating St George’s day are the breweries, who noticed that people drink a lot more alcohol around St Patrick’s day and would like to see the same happen on as many other occasions as possible, that they can promote. The George, Wansted
Thanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogSt George’s Day
Related posts:St Andrews Day
April 20 2010, 4:24am | Comments »
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I posted to distributedresearch.net
Ash Grounds Planes, Rest Of World Cut Off
http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2010/04/17/ash-grounds-planes-rest-of-world-cut-off
The rest of the world remains isolated today as the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull eruption continues to ground nearly all flights in or out of UK airports for a third day. People are only just starting to understand the implications of this drastic shit down for the airline industries and for the wider economy, and to think twice about how reliant so many human activities have become on air freight and passenger services. If you want to get back to the UK today there are only two ways to do it – by taking to the now crowded international (eg Dover – Calais) ferry routes or through the channel tunnel by Eurostar or shuttle. @HeathrowAirport No flights arriving or departing from Heathrow until 6am tomorrow, at the earliest. Next update due at 8pm this evening #ashtag The obvious advice during this unprecedented period is not to set off without a booking, and if due to fly next week, keep checking the flight news before leaving for the airport. Nobody knows how long it will take to get everything back to normal, or how long the ash cloud will persist. The volcano is still emitting plumes of ash and the weather conditions remain stable with the dangerous (to jet engines) cloud spreading all over the UK and Europe.
For people who aren’t planning on going anywhere the skies are uniquely empty of aircraft noise and jet trails bringing a surprising tranquility to areas which don’t normally think of themselves as bothered by flight paths, and for photographers the light conditions are perceptively different, with unbroken hazy blue sky scapes. @MarinaPepper Deeply textured bird song – no deep rumbling roar or whining. Hadn’t realised how horrid Gatwick noise was even here in #Lewes #ashtag
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Related posts:How to pronounce Eyjafjallajoekull
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April 17 2010, 2:18am | Comments »
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I posted to distributedresearch.net
How to pronounce Eyjafjallajoekull
http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2010/04/15/how-to-pronounce-eyjafjallajoekull
Airports all over the UK have been closed by a volcanic ash cloud spreading from Iceland where a volcano has erupted. The fragments in the ash cloud are said to represent a serious threat to airline engines, so the closures however inconvenient, are on safety grounds, starting with Scotland and now affecting London’s Heathrow Airport as well. But how do you pronounce Eyjafjallajoekull?
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April 15 2010, 4:10am | Comments »
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I posted to distributedresearch.net
H1N1 Virus – Swine Flu Season in Full Flow
http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2009/11/26/h1n1-virus-swine-flu-season-in-full-flow
Swine Flu Season in Full Flow – H1N1 Virus check It’s been more than six months since the swine flu epidemic erupted worldwide and in that time we have seen at least two major waves of illness around the northern hemisphere. The first was in our summer as the new virus spread in pockets after international travellers returned home already infected and affected wider populations in specific areas, particularly noticable when attributed to schools. The second wave started when the schools went back in September, in advance of our real winter which is only just beginning now, but peaked within weeks as the warm autumn weather held the virus in check. November is traditionally the start of the flu season and this year is no exception apart from the fact that the flu virus in circulation is in most cases much more likely to be the new variant of type A H1N1 rather than the usual human h5n1 seasonal flu virus. Second UK Swine Flu Wave Peaked? So this is either a third wave or a reprise of the second wave if you prefer, and the signs are that this has just passed a temporary peak, with the number of new reported cases dropping week on week for the first time (UK estimate 46,000 new cases of swine flu in the last week, down from 53,000 week before.) An important question now is whether or not there are any signs of the virus mutating into a type that is more deadly as has happened previously in history with influenza pandemics caused by new strains. The pattern to look out for is one of successive waves of increasing numbers infected, followed eventually by one or more waves which are not only more deadly to victims but also more easily transmittable. Then eventually once a tragic number of fatalities have been cleared away, the flu virus mutates into a milder form that goes on to infect the rest of the world’s population who haven’t already acquired immunity, but without taking nearly such a bad toll in terms of lives. It is reasoned that it’s for this eventuality that various governments have planned vaccination programmes for whole populations, at present being implemented first only for the most “at risk” demographics - young people, children and those with underlying health problems. For the UK, another important fear is if the virus becomes resistant to the antiviral drug Tamiflu, since the government has taken the precaution of buying in huge stocks of the tablets, enough to treat one half of the country’s population. H1N1 Swine Flu in the US after Thanksgiving
The Thanksgiving holiday is typically followed by at least a modest bump in early seasonal flu cases, according to reports from the past few years. But this, of course, is not a typical year. Swine flu is a new virus that accounts for nearly all flu cases right now. Usually, seasonal flu is just getting going in late November, and holiday get-togethers allow illness to jump from small pockets to other parts of the country. Swine flu, in contrast, has been widespread for months. “It’s not like we expect to see a bunch of infected people going to uninfected cities and towns” said Andrew Pekosz, a flu expert at Johns Hopkins University. The swine flu pandemic hit the US in two waves: first in the spring, then a larger wave that started in the late summer. The World Health Organization said H1N1 flu was moving eastward across Europe and Asia after appearing to peak in parts of Western Europe and the United States. Reported Mutations of the swine flu type A H1N1 virus Mutations of the DNA of influenza viruses are typical of any pandemic and world experts are watching carefully for any first signs of a dangerous mutation. So far the indications are that early warning systems are working but that no such mutation with a deadly combination of easy transmission, deadly payload and/or drugs resistance has shown up – yet. Isolated cases of different mutations have been reported from Brazil, Norway and China and drug resistance in a hospital in Wales. from MetroNews.CA Toronto WHO’s spokeswoman in Beijing, Vivian Tan, said the agency is aware of three such cases in China that occurred in June and July that were similar to the cases being investigated in Norway. Tan said WHO had no information on the cases mentioned in the Xinhua report Wednesday. There is no evidence the mutated swine flu virus is circulating widely in the world, Tan said, but since it has been linked to deaths in Norway and elsewhere, investigators are focusing on whether this mutation could be a marker for more severe disease. “We are concerned, but realize that influenza viruses, including A/H1N1, are relatively unstable and change easily, especially as they infect more people,” Tan told The Associated Press. “Some mutations can have minimal effects on how a virus functions, while other mutations can create important changes with significant public health impact.” Several troubling outbreaks of drug-resistant H1N1 have been documented but it has been noted they are limited so far and there are no indications yet that the virus is mutating in a sustained way. Swine Flu Deters Pilgrims to HAJJ
Saudi authorities announced four pilgrims have died of the H1N1 swine flu virus in the days leading up to the pilgrimage which began on Wednesday 26th November 2009. A Moroccan woman, a Sudanese man and an Indian man, all 75, and a 17-year-old Nigerian girl, died from H1N. The Saudi Health Ministry said the four had not followed ”recommended procedures, especially vaccination against swine flu”. All the victims so far had been suffering from underlying health conditions with 16 other cases of swine flu infection among pilgrims. Health authorities in Saudi have mobilised for the world’s largest gathering since swine flu began spreading across the globe, but the number of pilgrims going on Hajj is likely to be lower this year due to rainstorms, and local officials admitting that fears of swine flu may keep away at least 40 percent of local pilgrims. Tamiflu resistant swine flu A Tamiflu resistant strain of the swine flu has spread between hospital patients in Cardiff, Wales. They are thought to be the first confirmed cases of person-to-person transmission of a Tamiflu resistant strain in the world. Five patients at Cardiff’s University Hospital of Wales appear to have acquired the infection while being treated for other conditions, and these have now been joined by a sixth related case of the drug resistent flu strain. The H1N1 virus has been remarkably stable since it emerged in April, but virologists had been half expecting new resistant strains to emerge somewhere in the world, and it appears to have happened first at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. Norwegian Swine Flu H1N1 variation Scientists in Norway announced recently that they had detected a mutated form of the swine flu virus in two patients who died of the flu and a third who was severely ill. The Norwegian mutation could possibly make the virus more prone to infect deeper in the airways and thus cause more severe disease, such as pneumonia. Influenza is a mutable virus, and changes are to be expected, this is typical early in the spread of a pandemic virus. Some 680,000 Norwegians are estimated to have been infected with swine flu to date, of which 23 have died. WHO says there have been over 6,750 deaths worldwide so far. Vaccine programmes, limited and late Although the world was alerted to the new strain of flu virus spreading in Mexico City back in April, the preparations made for a vaccination programme have been effected later than was originally hoped. Last week in the UK for example, it was announced that more than three million healthy children under five across the UK will be offered the swine flu jab, whereas the announcements back before the summer were that a widespread vaccination programme would begin in September. Over in France, the first cases of a vaccine induced illness have been reported, reviving fears of a repeat of the terrible situation in the US during the 1975 pandemic when a vaccination programme was halted due to large numbers of tragic side effects. Further Information: Swine Flu H1N1 Virus Symptoms Click here to view the embedded video.
Thanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blogH1N1 Virus – Swine Flu Season in Full Flow
Related posts:Symptoms of Swine Flu – H1N1 VirusSwine Flu Vaccination PlanNew Brazilian Swine Flu Discovered
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November 26 2009, 11:31am | Comments »
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I posted to distributedresearch.net
The Forth Road Bridge
http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2009/11/20/the-forth-road-bridge
Forth Road Bridge Scotland
Originally uploaded by AndyRob
I don’t have anything in particular I wanted to say about the Forth Road Bridge really, just to post this photograph I took from a vantage point on the south bank of the Forth, just outside the town of Queensferry. Anything you wanted to know about the Forth Road Bridge you could find out in the rather dull Wikipedia entry: The Forth Road Bridge is a suspension bridge in east central Scotland. The bridge, opened in 1964, spans the Firth of Forth; connecting the capital city Edinburgh, at South Queensferry, to Fife, at North Queensferry. The bridge replaced a centuries-old ferry service to carry vehicular traffic, cyclists, and pedestrians across the Forth; rail crossings are made by the adjacent and historic Forth Bridge. Issues regarding the continued tolling of the bridge, and those over its deteriorating condition and proposals to have it replaced or supplemented by an additional crossing, have caused it to become something of a political football for the Scottish Parliament, which eventually voted to scrap tolls on the bridge with effect from 11 February 2008. Just whatever you do, don’t get it confused with the much more spectacular but more difficult to photograph “Forth Bridge” which is a railway bridge running parallel, in much the same way as the Tamar road bridge and Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s famous Saltash Bridge ( The Royal Albert Bridge) between Plymouth and Cornwall. Neither the Forth Bridge nor the Forth Road Bridge is painted continuously.
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November 20 2009, 9:33am | Comments »
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I posted to youtube.com
Greenfinch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6uuozRhuNQ
July 19 2009, 5:23am | Comments »
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I posted to distributedresearch.net
Swine Flu Pandemic Level 6 to be Declared
http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2009/06/02/swine-flu-pandemic-level-6-to-be-declared
Swine Flu at Level 6 - Pandemic The World Health Organization today said it was getting closer to officially declaring a Swine Flu Pandemic Level 6 and level six is the highest level you can get, reflecting the global spread of the type A H1N1 Virus. So it’ll be a pandemic, meaning it’s now everywhere, but the new strain of flu virus itself is proving to be a lot less severe for sufferers of swine flu symptoms. The percentage of deaths is remarkably low for a completely new strain. The WHO’s six phase system for declaring a pandemic focuses on how widespread the disease is, not how dangerous. The organization’s flu chief says the disease has reached 64 countries and infected nearly 19,000 people, so it’s well on the way to becoming endemic everywhere. The danger then, is of the new virus mutating further into a strain that is more deadly than that currently spreading. While the overwhelming majority of cases have been reported in Mexico and the US, the swine flu is increasingly spreading from person to person all over the globe, causing more than 100 deaths worldwide. The WHO calls the situation “moderate” rather than “mild” while some experts have reported patients with symptoms different from those expected and the virus is causing severe infections in some healthy, young adults. A worrying sign. What is a Pandemic Level 6?
Phase 1: virus discovered in animals but not infecting humans. Phase 2: Animal influenza virus known to have spread to a human, indicating a potential threat. Phase 3: Sporadic cases or small clusters of influenza disease in people, no sustained human-to-human transmission. The virus has not yet reached a level of transmissibility among humans to cause a pandemic. Phase 4: Verified human-to-human transmission with “community-level outbreaks”. This marks an increased risk of pandemic, but not yet inevitable. Phase 6: Pandemic phase. Community level outbreaks in at least two countries in different WHO regions, on top of level 5. A global pandemic is now under way, and probably has been for some time already.
Swine Flu has been spreading geometrically from human to human in both North America and Japan in Asia for more about two weeks so why is the WHO still waiting to declare a level 6 pandemic? Well, at a World Health Organization meeting on May 18th, 2009, several countries urged the agency to use great caution in deciding whether or when to declare a full-scale pandemic. UK Government Health Minister Alan Johnson was the leading voice for caution, according to press reports from that meeting. He warned that moving to phase 6 could unnecessarily trigger costly and risky actions such as switching from production of seasonal flu vaccine to pandemic vaccine, even though the virus so far seems mild. Johnson said a pandemic declaration should also reflect the severity of the disease, not just its geographic extent, thus changing the agreed protocol designed exactly for such a situation. ”It’s very important that that’s reflected in your ability as to whether to move from 5 to 6,” he said. “So I would like to propose that you have more flexibility in that rather than follow a mechanistic process.” Johnson was backed by New Zealand, Switzerland, and the head of the Pan American Health Organization, according to reports.
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Related posts:Symptoms of Swine Flu - H1N1 VirusSwine Flu in London, UK
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June 2 2009, 3:55pm | Comments »
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I posted to distributedresearch.net
UK Online Communities
http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2009/05/03/uk-online-communities
The wiki called WorkNets has a project collating a list of UK Online Communities. UKOnlineCommunities, WorkNets. A culture for independent thinkers.
The list is young and obviously has huge gaps, as well as probably many entries which are listed more out of optomism than evidence of community, but it’s going to be well worth watching and contributing to.
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Related posts:How Not To Use Online CommunitiesTwitter lists gathered on a wiki blog or forum
May 3 2009, 4:09am | Comments »
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I posted to distributedresearch.net
Figure of Eight Banger Racing
http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2009/04/24/figure-of-eight-banger-racing
Here’s an aerial picture of The Coombe Valley Raceway Banger Racing stadium in Dover Kent where I used to go on alternate Sundays to watch the banger racing, stock cars, hot rods and mini rods. They also hold special two day meetings to give people something to do on bank holidays. I don’t know how many other figure of eight racing circuits there are in the world but this is the only one I’ve ever heard of. The banger racing takes place in beautiful valley surrounded by wooded hillsides, typical of the East Kent chalk downs.
Here’s an amateur video of a big van bangers race which I think captures some of the excitement and chaos of standing on the bank near the approach to the pits bend.
Another one of a Bangers Destruction Derby
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April 24 2009, 5:34am | Comments »
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I posted to distributedresearch.net
Have you Registered for your hour on the Fourth Plinth?
http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2009/04/22/oneandother-fourthplinth-antonygormley
I’ve registered for a chance to spend an hour on the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square this summer, have you? The One & Other website opened for registrations yesterday and the idea is to get “representatives” from all areas of the UK to spend an hour each on the plinth to do whatever you like, as a piece of art lasting three months with a permanant archive. It really is an opportunity of a lifetime: your chance to become a living monument; to join the likes of Horatio Nelson, George IV and those enormous lions. Antony Gormley’s One And Other at the Fourth Plinth Trafalgar Square The Fourth Plinth Series The Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar square has been empty for some historical reason until it was decided to put on a series o temporary exhibitions and One and Other is just part of that series. Then when Mayor Boris replaced Ken Livingstone in an unfortunate electoral joke, the intention has been declared to end the series and erect another equestrian statue. Personally I would have been delighted if Alison Lapper Pregrant could have been secured as a permanant placement but that was not to be. The current piece of coloured glass “Hotel” is less impressive when not in full sunshine.
One & Other on the Fourth Plinth by Antony Gormley One And Other is the title of the event created by sculptor Antony Gormley this summer on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, London. One & Other is the brainchild of the artist Antony Gormley, best known for iconic statues such as The Angel of the North and the figures on the beach at Crosby, Merseyside. He is asking people from all over the UK to help create an incredible living monument by standing on the Plinth, for an hour each, 24 hours a day, for 100 days without a break. We need 2,400 participants to make the Plinth their own, and we want to represent every corner of the UK in proportion to its population. So we’re looking for 277 participants from the North West, 71 from Northern Ireland, 304 from London and so on. I’m actually a big fan of Gormley’s work. I’ve not seen the Angel of the North but I admires the sculpture outside the Millenium dome (now the O2) called Quantum cloud which I photographed from a boat on the river Thames:
And also the collection of humanoid sculptures ‘Event Horizon’ which adorned many riverside rooftops along the river Thames in centreal London a few years back. So that’s why I’ve applied to be on the plinth, because I’d be honoured if drawn, to have the opportunity to take part in a great work of art. I’m not so sure about the idea of representation involved in the selection process though. Over on the One And Other Facebook group I contributed this comment: “I’ve registered as an individual because I don’t really understand how one person who happens to live in a particular postcode can be said to ‘represent a community’ in any meaningful way.” But never mind that, the big question is: If picked What should I do with my Hour? and what will you do with your hour on the plinth?
Thanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blog Have you Registered for your hour on the Fourth Plinth?
Technorati Tags: antony gormley, fourth plinth, hour, London, Plinth, sculptor, trafalgar square, trafalgar square london
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April 22 2009, 7:09am | Comments »
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I posted to flickr.com
UK Songbird Unidentified
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aroberts/3398986603/
Andyrob
UK Songbird Unidentified
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March 30 2009, 4:07pm | Comments »
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I posted to distributedresearch.net
Big Garden Bird Watch results are out
http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2009/03/25/big-garden-bird-watch-results-are-out
It was one of the biggest pieces of distributed research ever conducted outside of official human population census, with over half a million people investing an hour of their time to watch garden birds and then input data via the RSPB garden bird watch website. The results are now published. I wasn’t surprised to see the long tailed tit rising up the charts, having spotted a few around and about and in our garden recently for the first time since I moved here. Long Tailed Tit With half a million people caring enough about wild birds to take part, the garden habitat is set to become increasingly important for UK wildlife in general, with bird feeders and ordinary wild bird food now being available in so many more outlets such as supermarkets and hardware stores, not just garden centres and pet shops. The 2009 garden birds top ten UK looks like this:
Position Species Average per garden
1 House Sparrow 3.70
2 Starling 3.21
3 Blackbird 2.84
4 Blue Tit 2.45
5 Chaffinch 2.01
6 Woodpigeon 1.85
7 Collared Dove 1.44
8 Great Tit 1.40
9 Robin 1.36
10 Long-tailed Tit 1.34
The 2009 garden birds top ten Greater London looks like this:
Position Species Average per garden
1 Starling 2.78
2 Woodpigeon 2.77
3 House sparrow 2.41
4 Blue tit 2.05
5 Blackbird 1.87
6 Feral pigeon 1.53
7 Robin 1.29
8 Great Tit 1.21
9 Magpie 1.36
10 Collared Dove 0.88
Outside of the UK top ten, there are 63 other species mentioned starting with the Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Dunnock, Magpie, Coal tit , Jackdaw , Feral pigeon , Carrion crow ,Wren, Song thrush, Pheasant , Great spotted woodpecker , Common gull , Rook , Nuthatch , Siskin , Tree sparrow , Bullfinch ,Pied wagtail , Jay , Blackcap ,Fieldfare ,Black-headed gull, Goldcrest and Mallard ending with the rarest observations of Little owl , Meadow pipit , Skylark and Black redstart.
Thanks for subscribing to Andy Roberts blog Big Garden Bird Watch results are out
Technorati Tags: bird watch, birds, garden bird, London, rspb, wild bird food
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March 25 2009, 7:30am | Comments »
