Paul Koudounaris, who is also known by his nickname ‘Indiana Bones’ is an novelist, photographer and principal professional on bone-decorated sites and ossuarys. Earlier in 2013, Koudounaris published a book featuring high definition images of that 400-year-old ‘catacomb saints’ of Rome, a group of corpses that were painstakingly ornamented with gems and finery prior to being offered as remnants of saints to congregations across Europe.
Through the Protestant Overhaul of that 16th Century, Catholic church buildings were routinely stripped of these relics, symbols and finery. So as to counter this, The Vatican had ancient skeletons removed out of the Catacombs of Rome and copiously adorned as a remnants of recognized saints.
Even though typically forgotten until Koudounaris released his book, the catacomb saints still fascinate interested parties; they may still inspire religious zeal. In 1977, the town of Ruttenbach in Bavaria labored hard to gain enough funds to purchase back two of the original saints from confidential collectors, the decorative skeletons had originally been auctioned off in 1803.
The book, which Koudounaris has cautiously titled ‘Heavenly Bodies’ sees its writer attempt to locate and photograph each of these present tomb saints.
In their prime (a period that lasted over 200 years before finally coming to a close in the 19th century), the saints travelled all over the place, being transported at enormous expense by the Church. They were recognized as objects of affection, or conduits for prayer.
However the saints could appear strange to contemporary eyes (one Telegraph reporter described them as ‘ghastly’), it’s important to keep in mind that those who prayed at the feet of those gilded cadavers were considerably closer to death than their contemporary counterparts. In the wake of The Black Death (which recurred repeatedly all through Europe from the 14th to the 17th Centuries), art, literature and also worship had come to accept such ghoulish, macabre metaphors.
The remnants were regularly decked out by nuns and often located in a choice of realistic poses, before being protected in glass cabinets. Some of our scrupulous decoration took as long as five years to complete, with jewellery and costumes being acutely impressive.
Koudounaris’ book, ‘Heavenly Bodies’ is available now.
Friday, 8 November 2013
Monday, 4 November 2013
Icom Earpieces – Show Them Some I.D or You’ll Have to Leave
Flash back with me to a time in my time when I still had not gotten my act together…
At age twenty, I used to be unkempt haired, absent minded and keen on rock n roll in a huge way (waitaminute – I’m still shaggy haired, absent minded and into rock n roll in a big way…). I used to be courting a pole dancer, singing within a grotty band and telling anybody who’d pay attention that I required to get out of the crappy little city and really make something of my life. I assume, in some respects I used to be a bit like George Bailey of Bedford Falls, (if George Bailey was kind of a dick and made a point of saying the ‘F’ word in every 2nd sentence…)
In making ends meet, while I waited in frustration for George Carlin to turn up in his time travelling phone box and help me usher in a period of world concord, I worked at several careers. Specifically, one evening a week, I used to be employed as the Youth Worker.
To my shock, I found the duty to be really fun, also as very rewarding. Since I was an authority in all things media (and a Uni Certificate to show it), I began a project that may teach the kids all about film creation, music and also the media in general.
One of my best students was a rather difficult boy and a hard stare and a ‘brick sh!thouse’ build. When I wasn’t pulling him off a variety of youths who may or may not have mouthed off his sister, we got along quite well. After I left the job a couple of years later, we in fact became firm friends. He has as well become mainly close to my cousin (who was also a Youth Worker for a while) and my mom and dad.
Without a trace of sarcasm, viewing this tough, conflicted boy grow old to be a honest, hard working man has been both an honour and also a privilege. On the other hand, he floundered for a long time as he hunted for work. It just appeared that there wasn’t anything he was able to use themself to.
Then, all of a sudden, he discovered his vocation. My friend is a fully certified doorman, working the door in a variety of pubs, clubs, venues and bars.
So as to communicate easily without causing too much of a fuss, bouncers like my companion regularly use Icom Earpieces. These earphones are available in several forms, with 2-pin, multi pin, straight pin and high angled forms all catered for. You can even find an Icom earpiece for almost any type of Icom 2 way radio possible.
There is no fuss, since the earpieces can be operated simply and prudently and, being armored with Kevlar, they are every bit as hard wearing as the two-way radios they work with.
Icom has been building in quality radio equipment since 1954, so that they know what they’re doing and the way to make customers happy while doing it. Icom Earpieces are solid, reliable and high spec, so it is no wonder that so many in the security industry decide to wear them.
As for my friend, it appears like he has got himself on track; he’s found employment that he’s good for also as one which is nice for him. I might have made my share of errors in the past, but I was definitely right about 1 or 2 things.
At age twenty, I used to be unkempt haired, absent minded and keen on rock n roll in a huge way (waitaminute – I’m still shaggy haired, absent minded and into rock n roll in a big way…). I used to be courting a pole dancer, singing within a grotty band and telling anybody who’d pay attention that I required to get out of the crappy little city and really make something of my life. I assume, in some respects I used to be a bit like George Bailey of Bedford Falls, (if George Bailey was kind of a dick and made a point of saying the ‘F’ word in every 2nd sentence…)
In making ends meet, while I waited in frustration for George Carlin to turn up in his time travelling phone box and help me usher in a period of world concord, I worked at several careers. Specifically, one evening a week, I used to be employed as the Youth Worker.
To my shock, I found the duty to be really fun, also as very rewarding. Since I was an authority in all things media (and a Uni Certificate to show it), I began a project that may teach the kids all about film creation, music and also the media in general.
One of my best students was a rather difficult boy and a hard stare and a ‘brick sh!thouse’ build. When I wasn’t pulling him off a variety of youths who may or may not have mouthed off his sister, we got along quite well. After I left the job a couple of years later, we in fact became firm friends. He has as well become mainly close to my cousin (who was also a Youth Worker for a while) and my mom and dad.
Without a trace of sarcasm, viewing this tough, conflicted boy grow old to be a honest, hard working man has been both an honour and also a privilege. On the other hand, he floundered for a long time as he hunted for work. It just appeared that there wasn’t anything he was able to use themself to.
Then, all of a sudden, he discovered his vocation. My friend is a fully certified doorman, working the door in a variety of pubs, clubs, venues and bars.
So as to communicate easily without causing too much of a fuss, bouncers like my companion regularly use Icom Earpieces. These earphones are available in several forms, with 2-pin, multi pin, straight pin and high angled forms all catered for. You can even find an Icom earpiece for almost any type of Icom 2 way radio possible.
There is no fuss, since the earpieces can be operated simply and prudently and, being armored with Kevlar, they are every bit as hard wearing as the two-way radios they work with.
Icom has been building in quality radio equipment since 1954, so that they know what they’re doing and the way to make customers happy while doing it. Icom Earpieces are solid, reliable and high spec, so it is no wonder that so many in the security industry decide to wear them.
As for my friend, it appears like he has got himself on track; he’s found employment that he’s good for also as one which is nice for him. I might have made my share of errors in the past, but I was definitely right about 1 or 2 things.
Sunday, 3 November 2013
Sena SR10: Wirelessly Add 2-way Radio to Your Motorcycle Ride
Editorial – We now have said for a while, Bluetooth will be the future for two-way radios and headphones. With so many different incarnations of this tech to try and adapt it for the walkie talkie market, no one has yet got it sufficiently little to use stealthily enough. This review from a motorbike site may give us an indication of how the tech is progressing.
Sena SR10 Two-Way Radio Adapter Review with Midland Radio BT Next and Midland Two-Way Radio
I’m an admitted tech addict and enjoy looking for and finding new gadgets that enhance life’s experiences. This is especially the case for moto-related kit and, lately, Bluetooth (BT) gizmos. While writing our recent BT headset reviews, I became interested in pairing a two-way radio to my helmet’s headset.
Some riders to whom I’ve spoken eschew the use of any newfangled item that could distract them or in some way diminish the riding experience and I respect that.
Personally, I find only enjoyment and an extra margin of safety in being able to communicate with other riders, listen to music or FM radio, GPS instructions and make or take the occasional phone call.
Until now, to communicate with my buddies I’ve used the intercom function built into virtually all BT headsets on the market today. Most offer full duplex operation (like a telephone, all parties can talk at once without having to press a push-to-talk (PTT) button) and a line-of-sight range up to a mile but, often, much less.
I read that some headsets allow pairing to a two-way radio which offers not only greater range but the ability to have an unlimited number of participants on the conversation, unlike headset intercoms that have a limitation on the number of pairings.
Also eliminated would be the need to stop and pair the headsets to one another in advance. Wouldn’t it be great if our group did this and agreed upon a certain radio channel? We could shout out to one another when heading to a meeting and converse during the ride. Changes in plans could be made on the fly without waving hands in some, often misunderstood, hand signals. Then there’s “that guy” who always takes the lead on a ride just when there is a critical turn to make and he doesn’t know the way.
The solution is easier than you might think. All you need is a two-way radio and a BT adapter since no consumer priced radios to date have BT built in (that’s on the way but not yet). For this review I used Sena’s SR10 BT adapter along with Midland Radio’s BT Next headset and GXT1000 FRS/GMRS radio.
The SR10 adapter connects to most popular radios via a short cable unique to each brand, so check Sena’s list to make sure they offer one for the radio you want to use. As an added bonus, the SR10 has two AUX ports that enable you to connect non-Bluetooth devices such as radar detector, GPS navigation and non-BT MP3 player but I didn’t try that for this review.
Once all your devices are charged up the SR10 (which utilizes a micro-USB cable – my favorite for simplicity’s sake) pairs easily with the headset with just a few key presses. One important caveat to note here is that the SR10 must pair with a BT channel that supports Hand-Free Profile (HFP) on the your headset. All headsets have at least on HFP channel but that is usually paired to the phone. Some headsets, like the BT Next, have more than one channel supporting HFP and that is a key feature, allowing the two-way radio to coexist with the phone and music player. If your headset only has one HFP channel you may pair it with the SR10 then pair your phone to the SR10 as well. I tried this and it worked but I could not use the music player built into my phone. There are often trade-offs to be made in the world of BT.
For this review my buddy Rick and I each placed a radio and adapter in our tank bag. The SR10 offers VOX (voice-actuated talk) but also has a wired PTT switch included. During our initial testing we found that the VOX worked well but usually required several loud spoken words to switch over so we opted to use the PTT buttons. We zipped our tank bags to allow the antenna to peek out and the PTT cable was routed to the left handgrip and attached with the included rubber strap.
We liked the ease of use with the PTT button which allows quick back-and-forth conversations. The GXT1000 produces a soft beep upon releasing g the PTT button and advises others that you have closed the connection. Better than having to say “over” each time you end a sentence.
Priorities are important in BT as they instruct the headset as to what devices override others. In this case, when receiving from the other rider, the headset quieted the FM radio or music player to allow us to hear the other rider.
As with all BT and other moto devices, my advice is to set them up, test and get acclimated to them before going near your bike. Once we were done with that we rode the freeways for 10 miles to some hilly back roads. Operation was easy and I let Rick head out while I waited near the on-ramp. At a range of about a mile or more I started to lose him even though the radios were set in high-power mode. This is still a far greater range than the intercom but illustrates the limitations of UHF radios. In our canyon segment of the test, range was reduced further but was always better than the intercoms.
The GXT1000 is rated to 36 miles range but Midland advises that this is greatly affected by the surroundings and we proved that. I chose this FRS/GMRS static-free UHF radio because of the relative quiet as compared to CB radios.
Range can be improved by mounting the radios higher up on the bike or by buying a radio with a connector to a better, permanently mounted antenna. CB, on the other hand, while producing more audible noise, is affected less by terrain due to the characteristics of the frequencies in which it operates.
When asked about range limitations, Midland’s Emily Frame replied, “While they (FRS/GMRS radios) do have the capability to be used with the BTs, we find this is not our customer’s first choice. Our CBs are made more for use in vehicles, such as trucks, and are great for communication on the road.” Live and learn.
Our BT to two-way test was, everything considered, a success. We proved that one does not need a degree in electrical engineering to make this technology work for you. I am going to try to get my hands on a pair of CB radios and, when I do, I will do another review, hopefully, extolling their virtue.
Look for more reviews on BT headsets and gadgets in the coming weeks with Uclear’s HBC200 Force headset with boom-less microphone technology scheduled for my next review.
http://ultimatemotorcycling.com/sena-sr10-wirelessly-add-2-way-radio-to-your-motorcycle-ride/
Sena SR10 Two-Way Radio Adapter Review with Midland Radio BT Next and Midland Two-Way Radio
I’m an admitted tech addict and enjoy looking for and finding new gadgets that enhance life’s experiences. This is especially the case for moto-related kit and, lately, Bluetooth (BT) gizmos. While writing our recent BT headset reviews, I became interested in pairing a two-way radio to my helmet’s headset.
Some riders to whom I’ve spoken eschew the use of any newfangled item that could distract them or in some way diminish the riding experience and I respect that.
Personally, I find only enjoyment and an extra margin of safety in being able to communicate with other riders, listen to music or FM radio, GPS instructions and make or take the occasional phone call.
Until now, to communicate with my buddies I’ve used the intercom function built into virtually all BT headsets on the market today. Most offer full duplex operation (like a telephone, all parties can talk at once without having to press a push-to-talk (PTT) button) and a line-of-sight range up to a mile but, often, much less.
I read that some headsets allow pairing to a two-way radio which offers not only greater range but the ability to have an unlimited number of participants on the conversation, unlike headset intercoms that have a limitation on the number of pairings.
Also eliminated would be the need to stop and pair the headsets to one another in advance. Wouldn’t it be great if our group did this and agreed upon a certain radio channel? We could shout out to one another when heading to a meeting and converse during the ride. Changes in plans could be made on the fly without waving hands in some, often misunderstood, hand signals. Then there’s “that guy” who always takes the lead on a ride just when there is a critical turn to make and he doesn’t know the way.
The solution is easier than you might think. All you need is a two-way radio and a BT adapter since no consumer priced radios to date have BT built in (that’s on the way but not yet). For this review I used Sena’s SR10 BT adapter along with Midland Radio’s BT Next headset and GXT1000 FRS/GMRS radio.
The SR10 adapter connects to most popular radios via a short cable unique to each brand, so check Sena’s list to make sure they offer one for the radio you want to use. As an added bonus, the SR10 has two AUX ports that enable you to connect non-Bluetooth devices such as radar detector, GPS navigation and non-BT MP3 player but I didn’t try that for this review.
Once all your devices are charged up the SR10 (which utilizes a micro-USB cable – my favorite for simplicity’s sake) pairs easily with the headset with just a few key presses. One important caveat to note here is that the SR10 must pair with a BT channel that supports Hand-Free Profile (HFP) on the your headset. All headsets have at least on HFP channel but that is usually paired to the phone. Some headsets, like the BT Next, have more than one channel supporting HFP and that is a key feature, allowing the two-way radio to coexist with the phone and music player. If your headset only has one HFP channel you may pair it with the SR10 then pair your phone to the SR10 as well. I tried this and it worked but I could not use the music player built into my phone. There are often trade-offs to be made in the world of BT.
For this review my buddy Rick and I each placed a radio and adapter in our tank bag. The SR10 offers VOX (voice-actuated talk) but also has a wired PTT switch included. During our initial testing we found that the VOX worked well but usually required several loud spoken words to switch over so we opted to use the PTT buttons. We zipped our tank bags to allow the antenna to peek out and the PTT cable was routed to the left handgrip and attached with the included rubber strap.
We liked the ease of use with the PTT button which allows quick back-and-forth conversations. The GXT1000 produces a soft beep upon releasing g the PTT button and advises others that you have closed the connection. Better than having to say “over” each time you end a sentence.
Priorities are important in BT as they instruct the headset as to what devices override others. In this case, when receiving from the other rider, the headset quieted the FM radio or music player to allow us to hear the other rider.
As with all BT and other moto devices, my advice is to set them up, test and get acclimated to them before going near your bike. Once we were done with that we rode the freeways for 10 miles to some hilly back roads. Operation was easy and I let Rick head out while I waited near the on-ramp. At a range of about a mile or more I started to lose him even though the radios were set in high-power mode. This is still a far greater range than the intercom but illustrates the limitations of UHF radios. In our canyon segment of the test, range was reduced further but was always better than the intercoms.
The GXT1000 is rated to 36 miles range but Midland advises that this is greatly affected by the surroundings and we proved that. I chose this FRS/GMRS static-free UHF radio because of the relative quiet as compared to CB radios.
Range can be improved by mounting the radios higher up on the bike or by buying a radio with a connector to a better, permanently mounted antenna. CB, on the other hand, while producing more audible noise, is affected less by terrain due to the characteristics of the frequencies in which it operates.
When asked about range limitations, Midland’s Emily Frame replied, “While they (FRS/GMRS radios) do have the capability to be used with the BTs, we find this is not our customer’s first choice. Our CBs are made more for use in vehicles, such as trucks, and are great for communication on the road.” Live and learn.
Our BT to two-way test was, everything considered, a success. We proved that one does not need a degree in electrical engineering to make this technology work for you. I am going to try to get my hands on a pair of CB radios and, when I do, I will do another review, hopefully, extolling their virtue.
Look for more reviews on BT headsets and gadgets in the coming weeks with Uclear’s HBC200 Force headset with boom-less microphone technology scheduled for my next review.
http://ultimatemotorcycling.com/sena-sr10-wirelessly-add-2-way-radio-to-your-motorcycle-ride/
Tuesday, 29 October 2013
Xbox One unboxing – headset included with all versions
Editors Note – this year will become a colossal year for the console industry. The new generations of Xbox and Playstation, are scheduled for being released inside weeks of each other. Both are vying for our attention and hard earned cash, unlike the last generation, Sony with the Playstation 4 have put a cheaper price together compared to that xbox one, which amazed everybody at E3 in june. But recent news announced by Microsoft proves that the xbox one features kinect plus a headset, proving that xbox ones additional price is actually for additional extras.
The standard and Day One editions of the Xbox One console will both include a headset, despite Microsoft suggesting that Kinect would be used instead.
As U-turns go it’s one of Microsoft’s more minor in recent months, but Xbox Live director of programming Larry ‘Major Nelson’ Hryb has confirmed that all Xbox One consoles will be sold with a headset.
The unboxing video below is for the limited edition ‘Day One’ boxed set, although the only difference is an exclusive Achievement and a specially embossed controller.
That means the other contents of the box will also be included in the ordinary edition, namely a 4K compatible HDMI cable and the controversial Kinect sensor.
Initially Microsoft said that the Xbox One wouldn’t come with a headset, despite the console using a new audio connector port that means existing headsets need an adaptor to work.
The idea was that you were going to have to pay for that separately or just use Kinect’s microphone to speak to people. Microsoft then reversed its decision, then pretended it hadn’t reversed its decision, and has now admitted that actually, yes: it does come with a headset.
http://metro.co.uk/2013/08/08/xbox-one-unboxing-headset-included-with-all-versions-3917117/
The standard and Day One editions of the Xbox One console will both include a headset, despite Microsoft suggesting that Kinect would be used instead.
As U-turns go it’s one of Microsoft’s more minor in recent months, but Xbox Live director of programming Larry ‘Major Nelson’ Hryb has confirmed that all Xbox One consoles will be sold with a headset.
The unboxing video below is for the limited edition ‘Day One’ boxed set, although the only difference is an exclusive Achievement and a specially embossed controller.
That means the other contents of the box will also be included in the ordinary edition, namely a 4K compatible HDMI cable and the controversial Kinect sensor.
Initially Microsoft said that the Xbox One wouldn’t come with a headset, despite the console using a new audio connector port that means existing headsets need an adaptor to work.
The idea was that you were going to have to pay for that separately or just use Kinect’s microphone to speak to people. Microsoft then reversed its decision, then pretended it hadn’t reversed its decision, and has now admitted that actually, yes: it does come with a headset.
http://metro.co.uk/2013/08/08/xbox-one-unboxing-headset-included-with-all-versions-3917117/
’Earth-Like’ Asteroid Devoured by Dead Star
The Hubble Space Telescope has recorded an intriguing event some 150 light-years from Earth.
A large asteroid was pulled into the White Dwarf star (named ‘GD 61’ by astronomers) and utterly destroyed. This is not an unusual event, as even dead stars still exhibit a very high level of gravity. However, scientists are interested because the chemical signatures left in the star’s atmosphere indicate the presence of water and a rocky surface, both considered to be key building blocks for the creation of life on our planet.
Until this event was observed, water and a rocky surface had never been found together on an object outside our solar system.
The asteroid consisted of the elements magnesium, silicon, iron and oxygen, all of which are usually found in rock minerals, but scientists believe that the abundance of oxygen indicated the heavy presence of H20.
The object was at least 90KM across and as much as 26% of that is thought to have been water. Earth is considered to be just 0.02% water.
This discovery is important because it gives scientists a vindicating glimpse of how inhabitable environments may have been formed, receiving key components (such as water) from outside sources such as meteorites.
It is thought that water first arrived on our planet by similar means and that other planets in the GD 61 system would once have received water this way as well. According to BBC News, scientists consider the presence of rocky planets in the GD system to have been “very likely”.
Scientists have observed over 1,000 planets outside our solar system, but none is thought to contain water.
Closer to home, some planets and heavenly bodies are thought to contain water. Mars is considered by many to once have had liquid water, but if this is still the case, it is a greatly reduced amount.
Elsewhere, Jupiter’s moon Europa raises a tantalizing prospect that there are oceans under its icy surface. This has led to some convincing research into the possible presence of ocean currents there. However, Europa is not alone, its fellow moons Callisto and Ganymede have also been suggested as candidates for liquid water.
In addition, Rhea (moon of Saturn), Titania (moon or Uranus), Oberon (also orbiting Uranus), Triton (moon of Neptune), Pluto (dwarf planet), Eris (dwarf planet), Sedna (possible dwarf planet) and Orcus (another possible dwarf planet) are all speculated to have oceans, some of which may be in contact with the rocky core of the respective body, which would hypothetically result in a steady stream of minerals and salts into the water – an important factor in creating life.
Saturn’s moon Enceladus has geysers, which is seen as proof of the presence of water or at least water vapours. It has even been theorized by some that Neptune contains oceans of liquid diamond.
The heavy presence of water on this asteroid is a vital clue for scientists and their understanding, not only of the cosmos, but also of how our home planet came into being.
SOURCES
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24491845
A large asteroid was pulled into the White Dwarf star (named ‘GD 61’ by astronomers) and utterly destroyed. This is not an unusual event, as even dead stars still exhibit a very high level of gravity. However, scientists are interested because the chemical signatures left in the star’s atmosphere indicate the presence of water and a rocky surface, both considered to be key building blocks for the creation of life on our planet.
Until this event was observed, water and a rocky surface had never been found together on an object outside our solar system.
The asteroid consisted of the elements magnesium, silicon, iron and oxygen, all of which are usually found in rock minerals, but scientists believe that the abundance of oxygen indicated the heavy presence of H20.
The object was at least 90KM across and as much as 26% of that is thought to have been water. Earth is considered to be just 0.02% water.
This discovery is important because it gives scientists a vindicating glimpse of how inhabitable environments may have been formed, receiving key components (such as water) from outside sources such as meteorites.
It is thought that water first arrived on our planet by similar means and that other planets in the GD 61 system would once have received water this way as well. According to BBC News, scientists consider the presence of rocky planets in the GD system to have been “very likely”.
Scientists have observed over 1,000 planets outside our solar system, but none is thought to contain water.
Closer to home, some planets and heavenly bodies are thought to contain water. Mars is considered by many to once have had liquid water, but if this is still the case, it is a greatly reduced amount.
Elsewhere, Jupiter’s moon Europa raises a tantalizing prospect that there are oceans under its icy surface. This has led to some convincing research into the possible presence of ocean currents there. However, Europa is not alone, its fellow moons Callisto and Ganymede have also been suggested as candidates for liquid water.
In addition, Rhea (moon of Saturn), Titania (moon or Uranus), Oberon (also orbiting Uranus), Triton (moon of Neptune), Pluto (dwarf planet), Eris (dwarf planet), Sedna (possible dwarf planet) and Orcus (another possible dwarf planet) are all speculated to have oceans, some of which may be in contact with the rocky core of the respective body, which would hypothetically result in a steady stream of minerals and salts into the water – an important factor in creating life.
Saturn’s moon Enceladus has geysers, which is seen as proof of the presence of water or at least water vapours. It has even been theorized by some that Neptune contains oceans of liquid diamond.
The heavy presence of water on this asteroid is a vital clue for scientists and their understanding, not only of the cosmos, but also of how our home planet came into being.
SOURCES
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24491845
Saturday, 26 October 2013
Sony 42-Inches of pure perfection
Like a lot of people reading this, I enjoy the festival of Christmas a great deal.
Although I’m not religious (actually, I have frequently described myself as a ‘spiritually inclined’ atheist – despite the fact that I’ve taken to observing all 8 Pagan Sabbats over the course of this year), I still view Christmas time as the joyous time being spent with family, friends and those you consider as belonging to the adjoining ring of the ‘inner circle’.
My family is one with many continuing Christmas traditions, lots of that will no doubt be passed on to my kids (should my girlfriend and I ever decide to have any). We bring out similarly decorations year after year (a number of which have been in the household for over a century).
On Christmas Eve, my Mum will very much read ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas’ by Clement C. Moore to my brother and myself (and lately my girlfriend too), albeit we are now in our twenties. Until recently, we’d move out into the road and ring the ‘sleigh bells’ for our neighbours’ kids to hear from their window (as their mother and father did for my brother and I when we were children).
Perhaps our greatest family custom, however, often is the ritual viewing of the Frank Capra Christmas classic ‘It is a Wonderful Life’. The movie stars Jimmy Stewart as the perennial ‘nice guy fallen on hardship’ George Bailey, Donna Reed as his wife Mary, Henry Travers as Clarence, George’s guardian angel and of course, Lionel Barrymore as the truly shameful ‘Old Man Potter’.
It doesn’t matter what else goes on (or how frantic Christmas Eve can be, especially now that travel is a consideration our coming together), we ALWAYS find time to stream that specific film on that individual evening.
By the time George runs happily through the streets of Bedford Falls shouting “Merry Christmas you superb old building and loan!” My Father is welling up, by the point George’s brother Harry declares him to be “the richest man in town”, I am right there with him. There is just a certain, sparkling, honest-to-goodness magic to it, the writing is glorious, the direction is miles ahead of its time and the performances, well, (to quote Bernard Black of ‘Black Books’ fame) “Ah, they’d melt your face”.
Why am I revealing you this?
Well, considering as there is no way to boost upon the movie itself, the event would perhaps only be bettered if we had a Sony 42 inch TV. With the jaw dropping ‘X-Reality’ display, a wireless smartphone link-up feature and much more besides, this innovative 2013 smart tv is really a doozy. It might lack some of the more compulsive features of Sony’s other smart Televisions, but, after viewing the display and lustrous, ultramodern design of this Smart tv, it hardly seems to matter.
With the brand new Bluray edition of ‘It is a Wonderful Life’, a shiny Sony 42-Inch Television and a good surround sound, you’ll never be happier to view an angel getting his wings.
Although I’m not religious (actually, I have frequently described myself as a ‘spiritually inclined’ atheist – despite the fact that I’ve taken to observing all 8 Pagan Sabbats over the course of this year), I still view Christmas time as the joyous time being spent with family, friends and those you consider as belonging to the adjoining ring of the ‘inner circle’.
My family is one with many continuing Christmas traditions, lots of that will no doubt be passed on to my kids (should my girlfriend and I ever decide to have any). We bring out similarly decorations year after year (a number of which have been in the household for over a century).
On Christmas Eve, my Mum will very much read ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas’ by Clement C. Moore to my brother and myself (and lately my girlfriend too), albeit we are now in our twenties. Until recently, we’d move out into the road and ring the ‘sleigh bells’ for our neighbours’ kids to hear from their window (as their mother and father did for my brother and I when we were children).
Perhaps our greatest family custom, however, often is the ritual viewing of the Frank Capra Christmas classic ‘It is a Wonderful Life’. The movie stars Jimmy Stewart as the perennial ‘nice guy fallen on hardship’ George Bailey, Donna Reed as his wife Mary, Henry Travers as Clarence, George’s guardian angel and of course, Lionel Barrymore as the truly shameful ‘Old Man Potter’.
It doesn’t matter what else goes on (or how frantic Christmas Eve can be, especially now that travel is a consideration our coming together), we ALWAYS find time to stream that specific film on that individual evening.
By the time George runs happily through the streets of Bedford Falls shouting “Merry Christmas you superb old building and loan!” My Father is welling up, by the point George’s brother Harry declares him to be “the richest man in town”, I am right there with him. There is just a certain, sparkling, honest-to-goodness magic to it, the writing is glorious, the direction is miles ahead of its time and the performances, well, (to quote Bernard Black of ‘Black Books’ fame) “Ah, they’d melt your face”.
Why am I revealing you this?
Well, considering as there is no way to boost upon the movie itself, the event would perhaps only be bettered if we had a Sony 42 inch TV. With the jaw dropping ‘X-Reality’ display, a wireless smartphone link-up feature and much more besides, this innovative 2013 smart tv is really a doozy. It might lack some of the more compulsive features of Sony’s other smart Televisions, but, after viewing the display and lustrous, ultramodern design of this Smart tv, it hardly seems to matter.
With the brand new Bluray edition of ‘It is a Wonderful Life’, a shiny Sony 42-Inch Television and a good surround sound, you’ll never be happier to view an angel getting his wings.
Tuesday, 22 October 2013
Using Urine to recharge your devices, can it be possible
Scientists functioning at the University West of England (UWE) in Bristol, UK, have discovered one way to recharge a mobile phone with Human urine.
The team have been capable of recharge a Samsung mobile by putting the liquid through a surge of microbial energy cells. With this method, enough energy has been produced to send text messages, browse the Web and also make a brief phone call.
Based on the scientists in charge, the next phase is to fully charge the device with pee…Seemingly cleaning their hands immediately afterwards.
Dr. Ioannis Ieropoulos has labored for a long time with microbial fuel cells; he’s considered a guru in harnessing energy from abnormal options. The possibe applications of his work are very attractive from an environmental viewpoint.
Dr. Ieropoulos said, “We are very excited as this is the world’s first, no-one has harnessed energy from pee to do this so it truly is an interesting discovery. Using the final waste product as the supply of power to produce electrical power is almost as eco as it gets.” Eco-friendly tech is, seemingly, the great doctor’s main area of appeal.
The microbial cells work as the energy converter, they take the organic matter straight into electrical energy, via the metabolism of live microbes. The electrical power is the by-product of the microorganism’s natural life cycle, meaning that as they ‘eat’ the pee, they produce power the energy that powers the mobile. Now that is what we call ‘pee as you go’.
Bathroom humour aside, the team have engineered a world first, as nothing as large as the phone battery has ever been charged using this process before.
There are, at present, no plans to market this technology on a large scale, but maybe someday we can be signing a ‘P’ mobile agreement, the trick, as they say, will be pissistance.
PS – I’m sorry about this one. The task and its implications are astounding. All credit to the UWE team. On the other hand, I continuously needed to do one to those ‘And Finally’ type stories and now I conclusively get to. Please forgive me, one and all.
SOURCES:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/urine-could-charge-mobile-phones-152225132.html
The team have been capable of recharge a Samsung mobile by putting the liquid through a surge of microbial energy cells. With this method, enough energy has been produced to send text messages, browse the Web and also make a brief phone call.
Based on the scientists in charge, the next phase is to fully charge the device with pee…Seemingly cleaning their hands immediately afterwards.
Dr. Ioannis Ieropoulos has labored for a long time with microbial fuel cells; he’s considered a guru in harnessing energy from abnormal options. The possibe applications of his work are very attractive from an environmental viewpoint.
Dr. Ieropoulos said, “We are very excited as this is the world’s first, no-one has harnessed energy from pee to do this so it truly is an interesting discovery. Using the final waste product as the supply of power to produce electrical power is almost as eco as it gets.” Eco-friendly tech is, seemingly, the great doctor’s main area of appeal.
The microbial cells work as the energy converter, they take the organic matter straight into electrical energy, via the metabolism of live microbes. The electrical power is the by-product of the microorganism’s natural life cycle, meaning that as they ‘eat’ the pee, they produce power the energy that powers the mobile. Now that is what we call ‘pee as you go’.
Bathroom humour aside, the team have engineered a world first, as nothing as large as the phone battery has ever been charged using this process before.
There are, at present, no plans to market this technology on a large scale, but maybe someday we can be signing a ‘P’ mobile agreement, the trick, as they say, will be pissistance.
PS – I’m sorry about this one. The task and its implications are astounding. All credit to the UWE team. On the other hand, I continuously needed to do one to those ‘And Finally’ type stories and now I conclusively get to. Please forgive me, one and all.
SOURCES:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/urine-could-charge-mobile-phones-152225132.html
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