Old Lucky Strike Ad

I just came across this old ad for cigarettes which is apparently from 1948 – it has to be seen to be believed!!
But wait … it gets worse!

and another one (yes this is Steve McQueen) …

and again …

and the one that left me utterly slack jawed …

ok there are more but you will have to check them out for yourself! it really is odd to see these videos. how different things were back then …

Americans Not Allowed to Visit Cuba!!

I was just watching a video on youtube – a recent episode of Jay Leno featuring Michael Moore who was promoting his latest movie Sicko. He said that americans were not allowed to go to Cuba by law!! Is this really true?? From some google searching I have seen websites saying that you can be heavily fined for going to Cuba!! Does anyone know if this is really true? Can anyone tell/show me if/how this is actually punished? If I was American this would really make me mad – after all many americans do claim that their country is “free.”
The “US Embargo on Cuba” is a long-standing policy whereby the US does not trade with Cuba because the US wants “to bring democracy to Cuba” (hmmm …) as Communism is abhored by the US*. The fact that the structure of Cuba’s government is none of the USA’s business appears to mean nothing. The US even passed a Cuban Democracy Act!
The embargo all stems from the failed US invasion of Cuba in 1959 known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Relations between the coutries soured and have remained so for almost half a century now.
This seems very silly to me. Indeed the UN has (almost) unanimously criticised this policy and the General Assembly has voted by huge margins in favour of lifting the embargo in recent times: 173 votes to 3 in 2002; 179 votes to 4 in 2004 and similarly in 2006. The only nations voting in favour of the embargo were the US, their ally Israel and the tiny isand nations of Pilau and the Marshall Islands (combined populations of < 90,000 people and only very recently independent nations from the US – Pilau in 1994 and Marshall Islands in 1986).

Apolgies to everyone reading this – I am feeling in a ranting kind of mood today!

* except when loans are needed from China!

Baby Panda Sneezing

I’ve watched this video many times and I am still in no way tired of it! So much so that I had to add it to my blog!

Evan

Manchester Irish Language Group

Inniú bhí mé ar suíomh idirlíonn den ionad teangacha ollscoil manchester. Chuardaigh mé le haghaidh cúrsaí Fraincis nó teanga an tSín, nuair a thosaigh mé ag smaoineamh faoi Gaeilge i Sasana(!). Agus cad a cheapann tú?! Tá grúpa ann i Manchester a thabhairt ranganna Gaeilge agus a eagrú imeachtaí sóisealta! Manchester Irish Language Group (Milg) is ainm dóibh. B’fhéidir nach mbeidh mé as cleachtadh le mo chuid Gaeilge i mo chathair nua!

[Today I was on the website of the University of Manchester's Language Centre. I was looking for courses in French or perhaps even Chinese, when i started thinking of the Irish Language, in England. And what do you know - there is a group in Manchester which gives Irish classes and organises social events! The group is cakked Manchester Irish Language Group (Milg). Maybe I will not be out of practice with my Irish in my new city]

Evan

Starting My PhD I

So the time is upon me: I am starting my PhD.

Technically I start on September 1st but before this I have a summer school to attend – the STFC Astronomy Summer School (STFC is the new name for PPARC – remember Swindon Town Football Club) which this year is held in Durham University. This is a week long course held annually about this time of year. There will be classes based on some of STFC’s ‘big questions‘ and most importantly a chance to meet and mix with my contemporaries across the UK. The school is attended by all UK students just commencing their PhDs in astronomy/astrophysics. I am no stranger to the hills of Durham and am looking forward to what will no doubt be a good week and a pleasant introduction to life as a researcher.
As i mentioned my PhD will then start officially from Sep. 1st. My first week will no doubt be a busy one! I will meet the other postgrads, find a desk, get my computer working, print a large stack of reading material and other such things and basically try and find my feet in my new university!
After this first week I will be heading to Bonn in Germany for a week long conference in Radio Astronomy. This looks set to be an even more hectic week(!) with many a crash course on all things radio astronomy (interferometry for dummies, aips for dummies, etc. …). Of course besides from the lectures and talks I will once more have the chance to mix with contemporaries! From looking at the participants list I can see that the crowd will be very international indeed with people from the UK, Ireland, Europe and the US in attendance as well as people from China, South Africa, Russia and plenty of places in between! Exciting stuff!
I will then return to Manchester (with a HUGE stack of work to do already no doubt!). I will then have the next 2 weeks to try and get on top of these things before I have two more conferences to attend (jumping in the deep end or what?!). In this time also, semester 1 lectures begin in the university and I will no doubt sit in on a few things. From my preliminary glances at courses online I can already see a few things that I will be interested to attend.
The next two conference will both be in Manchester (so no travel required!). The first is the ‘Modern Radio Universe’, aka MRU 2007. This conference is HUGE and is definitely a big deal with many important folk from around the globe giving talks/posters presentations/etc. The talks all look interesting and I am keen to hear about things like the Transient Radio Universe as well as the talks on Strong Field Tests of GR. I expect to be a bit lost in the midst of so many smart people but hopefully some of the genius that I will be around will rub off and I will learn as much as I can at this.
The next week sees the 2nd of the Manchester conferences. It is the 2nd meeting of the European network that my astronomy group is part of – ESTRELA. The first meeting was in January in Dwingeloo, in the Netherlands, where ASTRON and JIVE are based. At this I will meet others in this European network – both senior researchers and early stage researchers like myself. I am looking forward to this immensely as I will visiting some (all?) of the partner nodes in ESTRELA during my studies, and it will be nice to meet the people who I will be working with.
So all in all a hectic couple of months awaits me at the start of my PhD. I will be busy but I will be happy. I am excited about working in a field which interests me greatly.

Evan

July Jodcasts Now Up

I am back in the UK after a couple of weeks in Ireland. As has become customary i will plug the latest Jodcast – i was away for the last one so just so ye all know – both July editions of the show are now online!

click here.

Me as a South Parkian

The title says it all (again a click is needed for a bigger picture)

Me as a Simpson

This is me as a simpson! (bigger image if you click on it)

You can make your own Simpsons image at the website for the Simpsons Movie – enjoy!

Evan

galaxies, Galaxies …

Nice APOD today, and on theme of the new Galaxy Zoo Project too! Check it out.

Evan

Brilliant Goal From Messi

An amazing goal last night from Lionel Messi (again!) in Argentina’s Copa America semi-final win over Mexico. Absolutely fantastic stuff!

PS i have found out that it is a pain in the ass when people take down videos on youtube and you have to find others … and some people don’t allow embedding videos … sigh!