Student experiment films Earth from stratosphere

Two students have recorded video of the Earth from high in the atmosphere using homemade equipment, at a cost of just £350.

University of Sheffield PhD students Alex Baker and Chris Rose used a helium-filled balloon to send a foam box containing two small video cameras and a GPS tracker into the atmosphere.

Because of the very cold temperatures at high altitudes, they insulated the box with duct tape and included a small heat pad to keep the cameras warm.

The balloon is thought to have reached an altitude of 37km before popping, allowing a parachute inside to bring the equipment back to earth.

Launched in Derbyshire, the experiment was in flight for almost three hours before the box landed in a Cambridgeshire field more than 100 miles away.

Notable landmarks picked out by the camera included, the Great Wall of China, Mount Everest and Ireland's National Debt

2,400 dead in Holland and UK

MV Princess Victoria - Lost at sea

SS Virgo - Stranded in Holland

Today is the anniversary of the great North Sea Flood which occurred on the night of 31 January, 1953. Difficult to believe now, but over 2,400 people died as a result of the storm and flood, eighteen hundred in the Netherlands and over 300 in the UK.

Many boats were lost at sea including the MV Princess Victoria ferry which sank off Belfast with the loss of 133 lives. The ship's captain, Captain Ferguson, was observed by those in the water or in lifeboats to be stood at the salute on the bridge in the classic pose of the captain who goes down with his ship. While there were 40 survivors, there were no women or children amongst them, giving rise to controversy at the time.

While sea defences have been improved significantly since 1953, this devastating natural disaster gives some insight into the potential impact of future climate change for low lying areas.

This is an old newsreel of the aftermath of the storm and flood.

Sorry to Burst Your Bubble!

Today, believe it or not, is Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day.  This versatile, remarkable packaging material has been was invented in 1957 by engineers Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes. They sealed sealed two shower curtains together, creating a smattering of air bubbles, which they originally tried to sell as wallpaper! When the product turned out to be unsuccessful as wallpaper, the team marketed it as greenhouse insulation. It was not until a few years later that its use in protective packaging was discovered. Bubble Wrap's first client was IBM, which used the product to protect computers during shipment.


But  as we all know Bubble Wrap's most important function is to provide endless hours of mindless entertainment for the idle minded.  So, to celebrate Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, why not burst your bubble today!  Enjoy!

Smooth Criminal on Cello

Beware of exploding whales

The Whalemobile

I see a reference in this morning's Today in History to a story about a dead whale that spontaneously exploded in Taiwan in 2004 while in transit for a necropsy (that's an autopsy for whales).  You can see more about the story here (complete with video footage - you've been warned!).

It reminded me of a more famous instance of a whale which was found on a beach in the US over 40 years ago. Unfortunately nobody appeared to know how to remove the carcass so, naturally enough, they decided to blow it up!  Except they used a little too much dynamite!

Happy Birthday Biggie Mozah!

I missed his birthday yesterday.  255 years old.  Today he'd probably be called Biggie Mozah or something like that.

For America's greatest allies

Isn't it amazing how the action of one, simple street trader, Muhammad Bouazizi in Tunisia,  can challenge and topple an entire system? How fragile they are. Where are Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton now?

Julieta Venegas

I'm digging Julieta Venegas, at the moment. Music to make you smile.  This isn't the greatest recording.  Get her MTV Unplugged album.  Really excellent.

Many Hands Make Light Work

Hitler's Xbox account.

Sorry to hear about the premature death of Bernd Eichinger, who produced and wrote the screenplay for the brilliant Downfall which was about Hitler's last days in Berlin. There have been many parodies of this passage but for me this is the best.  Here, Hitler learns that his XBox Live account has been terminated.

Hitler Gets Banned from Xbox Live - Click here for another funny movie.

Bulgaria Launches Online Tourist Calendar

The Bulgarian Ministry of Economy,Energy and Tourism has launched an online calendar listing interesting tourists sites and events. You can see it here. The site will be updated constantly and will collect information about travel, city and town celebrations, festivals, and others. Brilliant! The site has been financed by the EU "Regional Development" Operational Program and cost over 1 million Euro. It is part of a campaign called "Find Bulgaria".
When you visit the site you will notice one slight problem.  It is only in Bulgarian!  To my knowledge, and I could be wrong, most tourists don't speak Bulgarian.  Hmmmmm.  Wonder where the 1 million Euro went to?

Please stop cutting your arm off......

Will people please stop cutting their arms off?  I thought everyone had a mobile phone?

Andy Gray

Spare a thought for poor Andy Gray who has been sacked by Sky Sports for being an obnoxious, sexist pig. One presumes that the emergence of all the video and audio evidence has nothing to do with Andy's recent request to discover if his telephone was being tapped by the News of the World, the owners of whom, also have a significant stake in Sky Sports.  On balance, given his position, he deserves to be sacked.

Of course Andy was in good company.  Football is renowned for its racism, sexism and homophobia. I wonder has it anything to do with its leadership.  For example (and there are many examples), West Ham are currently owned by the pornographers , Gold and Sullivan.  And good old Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister of Italy, who has a fondness for underage prostitutes, is President of AC Milan.  But best of all is good old Sepp Blatter, the Numero Uno,  who occupies the top job in football, President of FIFA.

Ardent fans of Sepp will remember when he said that he thought female footballers should wear skimpy hot pants in order to popularise the sport. Sepp isn't just a sexist pig though.  Following the recent selection of Qatar as World Cup hosts he suggested that gay supporters should refrain from sexual activities when visiting the gay-friendly state.

Good luck with the job hunting Andy. Give Silvio or Sepp a call. I'm sure they will have an opening for you!

Vote for Best Picture in this year's Oscars

The nominations for the 2011 Oscar's have been announced.  There are 10 nominees for Best Motion Picture. Vote for the movie you think should win this year's award:

Online Surveys & Market Research

Trailers:

Please give me $1,000,000 dollars

Kid claims to have been promised $1m after posting a video on YouTube.  What if it's true???

Russian Airport Bomber

Apparently they had searched him earlier and he did not have any arms...... 

Russian authorities found the head of the suicide bomber who killed at least 35 people today. The suspect looks Arab in appearance.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported:

Russian investigators on Monday found a head of “Arab appearance” that is presumed to have belonged to the suicide bomber responsible for setting off a Moscow airport blast, Interfax reported.

“We have found the head of a man of Arab appearance who is about 30 to 35 years old,” the news agency quoted an unnamed security source as saying.

“He presumably set off the explosive device,” the official said.
The Domodedovo airport blast killed at least 35 people and injured 130 others, with President Dmitry Medvedev describing the blast as “an act of terror”.

Anna Calvi

Great album.  Must have!



Anna Calvi

Enjoy every sandwich. Happy Birthday Warren Zevon!

Today is Warren Zevon's birthday. Musician, lyricist and poet, there are not enough words to describe this musical genius.  like many others I first came across him in the late 70's with Excitable Boy. Songs like Werewolves of London and Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner are just two of his many unique and beautiful songs.

Warren died, aged 57, in 2003.  He had a phobia about attending doctors and, as a result, his lung cancer was diagnosed too late to be treated.  When he found out that he was dying from the disease he said "I'm OK with it, but it'll be a drag if I don't make it till the next James Bond movie comes out". He did make it to the next Bond movie which ironically enough was called Die Another Day. 

He faced death with great stoicism and humour. If you can find the time you can see his last appearance on the Dave Letterman Show.  Letterman dedicated the full show to him and it is a moving tribute to this most unique musician.  Shortly before his death he recorded The Wind for which he won a Grammy for his duet with Bruce Springsteen, Disorder in the House.

Happy Birthday Warren.

Here's Looking At You Kid

It's Humphrey Bogart's birthday today.  Born in 1899 he died aged 57 in 1957.  One of Hollywood's finest actors, his most famous part was as Rick Blaine with Ingrid Bergman in one of the best movies ever made, Casablanca.  Happy Birthday, Bogie!

Will you be my friend?

Simone Back RIP

I've always found the concept of finding friends through social networking sites i.e. Facebook slightly bemusing. In general, I know who my friends are. I have always felt happy to have a few good friends who I know I can call upon at any time if I need them.  For me that is enough.

At every opportunity Facebook offers you the possibility to meet new "friends" who are "friends" of your "friends" and therefore will want to be "friends" with you. Ultimately the objective is to get as many "friends" as possible and, presumably, you will have more "friends" than your own "friends". The "average" user on Facebook has 130 "friends".  But can you really have a meaningful friendship with two or three hundred people?

Simone Back had 1,048 (one thousand and forty eight) Facebook friends. I say had, because Simone is dead.  She committed suicide. At 10 pm on Christmas Day 2010, Simone posted a suicide note as a status update on her Facebook page saying she had just taken an overdose of pills. She died the following day. Her Facebook "friends" commented on her status. One said she was a liar. Another said that she "does this all the time". There were many comments, some voiced concern, but no one raised the alarm.

Facebook's objective is to build a global database of "friends" in order to generate online advertising so that ultimately the company can be sold to the benefit of its existing 500 shareholders.  So the next time you click "add XXXX as a friend" make sure they are a real friend. Like Simone Back, you never know when you might need one.

As an aside, Facebook is currently estimated to earn c. $2bn a year.  Current valuation of the company ($50 bn) is therefore c. 25 times revenue which is ridiculous.  In order to realise that value they will need to generate  more revenue and to that they will need a more targeted advertising model than their current crude display ads.  What this all means is that your privacy is under threat.

Don't get me wrong.  I see enormous value in social networking sites such as Facebook.  It's just that I also put a real value on friendship and my personal privacy. Some tips.  Check your Facebook privacy settings. You wouldn't let strangers wander around your house and look at your personal stuff would you?  Download and install Adblock to get rid of those pesky ads.  Download and install Ghostery to prevent others monitoring your online browsing habits. And talk to your friends every now and then!

Fly like an eagle

A Change is Gonna Come

Sam Cooke was born today. Most famous for his song "A Change is Gonna Come" he died aged 33 in 1964.  There are many conspiracy theories about his death. He was shot by the female manager of a motel he was staying in.  He attacked the manager dressed in only a jacket and a shoe.  He claimed to be looking for a woman who accompanied him to the motel and flew into a rage when he couldn't find her.  The woman in question, who was subsequently convicted of prostitution, claimed she had been kidnapped and fled when she had the opportunity and took his clothes at the same time.  A tragic end for a gifted voice.

Here's the Playing For Change version of the iconic 60's protest song which is even more relevant today.

Sarah Palin is comin' South to hunt some skunk....Should we be worried?

A rather unkind comment on YouTube asks if this couple divorce will they still be brother and sister? Now where did I put my shotgun?

She's a cold blast from Alaska ingrained with common sense,
She's not a Harvard lawyer but she knew what the Founders meant.
A cold blast from the north that freezes Congress in their tracks,
With God and the Tea Party, she's gonna take it back.

Sarah Palin, she won't listen to their bunk,
Sarah Palin coming South to hunt some skunk,
Sarah Palin – she'll throw 'em all in jail,
And when she gets to Washington, it'll be cold as hell.

Sarah has the wisdom to walk through an open door,
She's stomping out the wretches where the evil lies in store.
She will scrub the floors and sweep the riff-raff into cracks,
With God and the Tea Party, she's gonna take it back.

Sarah Palin, she won't listen to their bunk,
Sarah Palin coming South to hunt some skunk,
Sarah Palin – she'll throw 'em all in jail,
And when she gets to Washington, it'll be cold as hell.

SPOKEN WORD:

Congress pats themselves from some new bill they just passed
I watch as my freedom slowly runs through an hourglass
They think they spend our money better than we do
But they can talk until they're blue and old
'Cuz if they ever gave us anything
They always wanted something in return . . . Sarah knows!

OPERA-STYLE:

Saraaaaah's marching onnnnnnnn onnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

CLOSING DEDICATION:

I'd like to dedicate that to the Tea Party and all the patriots.

On Drunk Texting God, Having A Lisp and Being A Virgin

Imagine

Imagine from PlayingForChangeFoundation on Vimeo.

Kim Clijsters gets her own back on Aussie TV reporter. Karma!

This is not real - but someday soon it will be. We were born to create.

View in full screen.


What is being creative? from Kristian Larsen on Vimeo.

Happy Birthdays!

Vivienne Westwood at
Malcom McLaren's funeral

Today is Malcolm McLaren's birthday.  The man who invented punk rock and The Sex Pistols.  He died last year aged 64 from cancer. His motto was "Too Fast to Live Too Young To Die" which I guess was kinda true.  You can hear him on the pre-Sid Vicious "Anarchy in the UK".  The Sex Pistols were only around for three years. But what a three years they were!








I missed Janis Joplin's birthday yesterday.  Here she is singing her signature tune Piece of my Heart. She died aged 27 of a herion overdose.

Ronald Reagan had Alzheimer's while President? Surely Not?

An early picture of Reagan
feeding George W. Bush

I see that Ronald Reagan's son says that the former president of the US had Alzheimer's Disease while he was president. That come's as a bit of a surprise to us all.  We never would have guessed.......

"How are you, Mr. Mayor? I'm glad to meet you. How are things in your city?" - Ronald Reagan greeting Samual Pierce, his secretary of Housing and Urban Development, during a White House reception for Mayors"

"My name is Ronald Reagan. What's yours?" -introducing himself after delivering a prep school commencement address. The individual responded, "I'm your son, Mike," to which Reagan replied, "Oh, I didn't recognize you."

"Reagan's only contribution throughout the entire hour and a half was to interrupt somewhere at midpoint to tell us he'd watched a movie the night before, and he gave us the plot from War Games, the movie. That was his only contribution."   Lee Hamilton (Representative from Indiana)

"Poor dear, there's nothing between his ears." British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher

"This President is treated by both the press and foreign leaders as if he were a child.... It is major news when he honors a political or economic discussion with a germane remark and not an anecdote about his Hollywood days." Columnist Richard Cohen

"They told stories about how inattentive and inept the President was.... They said he wouldn't come to work--all he wanted to do was to watch movies and television at the residence." Jim Cannon (an aide to Howard Baker) reporting what Reagan's underlings told him, Landslide: The Unmaking of the President.

"What planet is he living on?" President Mitterand of France poses this question about Reagan to Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau. 

"During Mr. Reagan's trip to Europe...members of the traveling press corps watched him doze off so many times--during speeches by French President Francois Mitterrand and Italian President Alessandro Pertini, as well as during a one-on-one audience with the Pope--that they privately christened the trip 'The Big Sleep.'" Mark Hertsgaard, On Bended Knee: The Press and the Reagan Presidency 

"...like reinventing the wheel." --Larry Speakes (Reagan's former press secretary) describing what it was like preparing the President for a press conference, Speaking Out: The Reagan Presidency from Inside the White House 

"His errors glide past unchallenged. At one point...he alleged that almost half the population gets a free meal from the government each day. No one told him he was crazy. The general message of the American press is that, yes, while it is perfectly true that the emperor has no clothes, nudity is actually very acceptable this year." Simon Hoggart, in The Observer (London), 1986

Jock Palfreeman Appeal

Jock Palfreeman

The appeal by Jock Palfreeman against a murder conviction resumes here in Sofia this week.  While I have followed this case on and off for a while now I don't want to comment on the details.  If you want more information try here.

Palfreeman is an Australian from Sydney who was in Bulgaria in 2007 on a gap year break and became embroiled in a street fight in Sofia.  He claims (with strong evidence to support him) that he went to the help a gypsy who was being attacked by a gang of football hooligans and that they then turned on him. Hopelessly outnumbered, he used a knife to defend himself and in the ensuing melee two individuals were stabbed. One, Andrei Monov a 23 year old law student, later died from his injuries. It is not entirely clear how these injuries were sustained but it is likely that Palfreeman was responsible.  He claims self defense.

Whatever about the strength of the defense case, it is clear that the prosecution case is ludicrous as it appears to suggest that the lone, unprovoked Australian attacked a large group of drunken football supporters. This is despite the testimony of a number of eyewitnesses.

Andrei Monov

There are allegations of corruption and the reality is that the judicial system in Bulgaria is considered to be widely corrupt. This fact is supported by a number of independent EU reports and investigations.  You can see on Wikileaks examples of corruption in Bulgarian soccer.   Corruption is a pervasive problem in Bulgaria and is really only now being tackled by the current government.

This is not the only high profile criminal case involving a foreigner with suggestions of a miscarriage of justice.  Michael Shields, a Liverpool FC reporter, was convicted of attempted murder some years ago in very dubious circumstances.  He was subsequently paroled by the British Government when he was repatriated to the UK to serve his sentence.

We'll see what happens with Palfreeman's appeal.  It should not be forgotten that a young, Bulgarian 23 year old lost his life as a result of Palfreeman's actions but, notwithstanding that, he deserves a fair and unbiased hearing.  

Oops! Happy Birthday to Steve Earle as well.

How could I forget Steve Earle who is 56 today?  This is Copperjack Road.  Earle is a seasoned anti war and anti death penalty veteran which must go down well in Texas where he hails from.  His son Justin Townes Earle has just released an excellent album called Harlem River Blues.  Worth checking out if you like country rock.

What have Dr. Martin Luther King, Mohammed Ali, Jim Carrey, Andy Kaufman, Eartha Kitt and Al Capone in common?

Today is Martin Luther King Day



Happy Birthday Mohammed to Ali! Forever the greatest.



Happy Birthday to Jim Carrey.  This is hilarious.



The late Andy Kaufman (Latka in taxi) was also born on 17 January and was played by Jim Carrey in Man on the Moon.  Kaufman was a comic genius renowned for elaborate pranks. Some believed he faked his own death as a prank.



Singer, actress Eartha Kitt was also born today.



Al Capone was born today.  Which gives me a chance to play a Robert De Niro clip! The baseball bat scene from The Untouchables. If there is a baseball bat involved you know it's not going to end well.

Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes

I see Ricky Gervais has been upsetting the Hollywood glitterati at the Golden Globes.  Here are some notable quotes. There was also some remark about Hugh Hefner and the "Walking Dead", which sounds fair enough. Anyway, it doesn't look as though he'll be presenting the Oscars.......what a shame! Well done Ricky! Surely Tom Cruise isn't gay? Is he? No.....

"It's gonna be a night of partying and heavy drinking … or as Charlie Sheen calls it: Breakfast" 

 "I haven't even seen The Tourist. Who has?"

"Do you want to go see Cher? No. Why not? Because it's not 1975"

"Nothing for Sex and the City 2? I was sure the Golden Globes special effects would go to the team that airbrushed that poster. Girls, we know how old you are. I saw one of you in an episode of Bonanza"

"I Love You Phillip Morris stars Jim Carey and Ewan McGregor, two heterosexual actors pretending to be gay. So, the complete opposite of some famous scientologists … probably, my lawyers helped me with the wording of that joke"

"Please welcome Aston Kutcher's dad, Bruce Willis! 

"He's the star of Iron Man, Two Girls and a Guy, Wonderboys. Sorry, are these porn films? Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang), Bowfinger. Really! Up the Academy. He has done all those films, but many of you in this room probably know [Robert Downey Jr.] from such facilities as the Betty Ford Clinic and Los Angles County Jail"

Coming Soon - Don't Miss It!

"Your sisters' blood wasn't wasted"

From this morning's Observer. While we all enjoy this Sunday with our families and friends, please take 15 minutes to read this article and view the YouTube video.  It will move you to tears.


Two years ago, Israeli shells fell on Dr Abuelaish's family home in Gaza, killing three of his young daughters and their cousin. The horror was caught live on Israeli TV when the doctor phoned his broadcaster friend. Amazingly, the loss did not embitter Izzeldin Abuelaish. Instead he decided his girls' deaths must not be in vain – and slowly he has turned his family tragedy into a force for peace.  Read the article here.

Will You Marry Me?

Look at the video and then vote. My favourite is Yul Brynner. But then I'm a romantic old fool.........

Marriage Proposals
Top 10 at MOVIECLIPS.com

Happy Birthday Lloyd Bridges

Today is Lloyd Bridges birthday.  Father of Jeff and Beau Bridges, he died in 1998.  Here's a couple of clips from Airplane and Hot Shots.

Crash Positions
Airplane! at MOVIECLIPS.com

In For a Landing
Hot Shots! at MOVIECLIPS.com

Happy Birthday Wikipedia!!

According to this morning's Guardian Wikipedia is the most widely used reference work in the world.  I'm not surprised. Notwithstanding some of its shortfalls it is a tremendous resource. And it's free. 

It is a source of information & knowledge for the almost any subject matter, from the most complex to the most banal.  The fact that it is maintained by volunteers is simply astonishing and is an example of the real potential and benefits of social networking.  It is entirely funded by voluntary donations.  So, if you use Wikipedia why not make a small donation today as a birthday gift to the world! Happy Birthday Wikipedia!

How Musical are You?

You might be surprised. I was!!

Click Here To Find Out

You won't believe it!

I don't like graffiti. Sofia is covered in it and most of it represents the meaningless scribbles of narcissistic morons who seem to believe that their "tags" are of interest to the wider populace.  Ok so I'm prejudiced. To challenge my prejudices I decided to have a look at "Exit Through The Gift Shop" which, ostensibly, is a documentary about street artists. I say ostensibly because by the end movie you are not really sure if the whole thing is a hoax or not.

Film critics are equally divided. Roger Ebert (the world's greatest film critic) believes it to be genuine while the Guardian film critic thinks its a hoax. The fact is that as a piece of entertainment it is riveting stuff.  You can't really believe what's happening as you watch it. I guess it's kind of like the "Usual Suspects" of documentary making!!

West Bank "Banksy"

In brief the story revolves around a French "film-maker", Thierry Guetta who lives in the US and starts to film famous street artists.  Ultimately this brings him to meet up with the world renowned Banksy from the UK.

Thierry is a bit of a fantasist (my dog would make better movies than he does) and Banksy eventually turns the camera back on him.  He encourages Thierry to become a street artist himself.  Thierry admits he's not an artist so he hires graphic designers and other artists to do his work for him! He ends up selling millions of dollars of "street art" as "Mr. Brainwash" to LA art lovers who are desperate to buy "his work".  He even designed Madonna's "Celebration" album cover. At the end of the movie Banksy and all the other street artists are horrified at this charlatan who they have unwittingly unleashed on the world.  But did they conspire to create him in the first place as a snub to the artistic establishment? Who knows?

Graffiti of a Graffiti cleaner

Its a very funny movie and stands on its own as a piece of entertainment. It has won a host of awards and I would be surprised if it doesn't win an Oscar.  It will certainly be nominated.  Personally, I think the whole thing was a hoax and it will be the ultimate irony if Banksy (the doyen of subversive art) wins an Oscar.  That's show business!!

By the way, after watching the movie, I reluctantly admit that some graffiti can be artistic! But I don't see too much of it in Sofia.

Incidentally, Richard Hawley (formerly of Pulp) wrote the theme song "Tonight The Streets Are Ours".  It was written as a reaction to the perceived anti-youth policies of the British government. It's a great song.

January 15th

Man in Black

Forty three years ago today, Johnny Cash played his, now infamous, concerts in Folsom Prison in California. Cash played many concerts in prisons as he had a certain "affinity" with the prisoners. The video below is from San Quentin which he played the following year, 1969.

Cash is one of my favourite musicians and was one of the most influential of the 20th century.  His life was chronicled in Walk the Line starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon (who won an Oscar for her role).  It's a great, must-see movie.

He recorded the Nine Inch Nail's song "Hurt" shortly before he died.  It's a haunting, poignant and deeply moving song and in many ways an epitaph to his troubled life. It was released in 2003 shortly before he died as part of the brilliant "American Recordings" series.  He died in September 2003 just 4 months after the great love of his life, June Carter, died.  He was a true legend.

Highly recommended viewing

Having some time on my hands and 30 megabytes per second broadband has allowed me to catch up on some movies I've been meaning to watch. Recently I've watched two powerful documentaries.  Both show that a well made documentary can be as gripping and moving as any Hollywood movie.

I have just finished watching Mugabe and the White African.  It tells the story of a couple of Zimbabwean farmers who challenge Robert Mugabe's land redistribution policies in an International Court.  Anyone who knows anything about Zimbabwe and Mugabe knows that the consequences of taking such an action are not likely to be very positive.  It is a gripping and moving documentary that will move the stoniest of hearts to tears (including mine!).  Try to find a copy and you won't regret it.

Dear Zachary is a documentary about a film  maker who makes a movie for the son of a friend of his who was murdered.  Right up to the last moment, it is a stunning, edge of the seat film and you should try to catch it if you can.

The Big Man

Happy Birthday to Clarence "The Big Man" Clemons who is 68 today.  Clarence has been the saxophonist with Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band since 1972.  10th Avenue Freeze-Out tells the story of when he joined the band and on Jungleland he plays his most famous solo. Jungleland features on Born to Run which is, without doubt, one of the best rock albums ever made (15th on the Rolling Stone Magazine's top 500).

The Saddest Place in the World

I came across this article  in the Economist (Dec. 16th 2010 edition) which suggests that Bulgarians are a pretty sad lot.  Can't say I've noticed but I've included a song from The Smiths to cheer up all my Bulgarian friends anyway.  I particularly like the line "I was looking for a job, and then I found a job, and heaven knows I'm miserable now".

C'mon smile!  After all you could be living in Greece!!




I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour, but heaven knows I'm miserable now  

I was looking for a job, and then I found a job, and heaven knows I'm miserable now 

In my life 

Why do I give valuable time to people who don't care if I live or die?

Two lovers entwined pass me by and heaven knows I'm miserable now

I was looking for a job, and then I found a job, and heaven knows I'm miserable now 

In my life 

Why do I give valuable time to people who don't care if I live or die?

What she asked of me at the end of the day

Caligula would have blushed

"You've been in the house too long" she said,

And I (naturally) fled 

In my life 

Why do I give valuable time to people who don't care if I live or die?

I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour, but heaven knows I'm miserable now

"You've been in the house too long" she said,

And I (naturally) fled 

In my life 

Why do I give valuable time to people who don't care if I live or die?

Peace, Love and Happiness

Happy Birthday to Scott McKenzie and Rod Stewart.

Rod Stewart got his bus pass last year.  He's 66 today. I'll pass on his solo career (Although American Songbook is quite good). Maggie May was a great song though.  Rod is married to Penny Lancaster who is famed for being blonde and 1.85m tall. At least Rod has somewhere to lay his head. They are expecting their second child this year.  Rod will be 84 when the kid is 18.  Nice! Happy Birthday Rod!

Scott McKenzie is famed for the generational hit, San Francisco which is synonymous with the "hippie" movement of the 60's.  It was written (by the Mamas and the Papas) for the Monterey Pop Festival which arguably gave birth to other major festivals such as Woodstock and Glastonbury.  All the acts (Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin, Simon & Garfunkel, Otis Redding to name but a few) played for free.  Bit cheaper than the €250 a ticket Oxegen!!

Happy Birthday to Jimmy Page - 67 today!

Shame I won't be able to listen to Justin Bieber when he's 67...

127 Hours

Just finished watching Danny Boyle's 127 Hours.  Not for the faint-hearted but a gripping story of a truly remarkable and courageous individual. Hard to imagine that anyone could find the courage to amputate his own arm.  There is also a short movie of the real Aron Ralston on location describing how he did it.  If you are a sensitive sole better to  watch the third movie instead.  It's about a cute beagle puppy!

The extraordinary life and death of David Burgess

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/09/david-burgess-sonia-lawyer-death

What connects Stephen Hawking, David Bowie, Galileo and Elvis Presley?

What a day! Stephen Hawking, David Bowie and Elvis were all born on the 8th of January and Galileo  died on the same day. Interestingly, I see that the Pope has just announced that God was actually behind the Big Bang so some major revisions now required to Genesis, I suppose. Came a little late for Galileo but better late than never.  Anyway in honour of these esteemed gentlemen (excluding the Pope) I have gathered some videos to hopefully honour the connection.  Not much on YouTube for Galileo so I settled for Declan O'Rourke instead.

Record Large Baby Born in Bulgaria- 6kg (that's over 13lbs!)

Click here to see huge baby.

I ♡ Кисело Мляко

There are many things to moan about when you live in Bulgaria but Bulgarian yogurt is not one of them.  It's just so delicious and far superior to any other variety (including the inferior Greek version).  The government here has just licensed a number of companies to produce "real" Bulgarian yogurt to ensure standards are maintained and presumably to develop the export market (Apparently 60% of yogurt eaten in Japan is Bulgarian). If the French can copyright Champagne and the Greeks, Feta cheese why can't the Bulgarians do the same for yogurt?

Bulgarian yogurt is made from buffalo, sheep or goat's milk. I eat it every day. It has a beautiful creamy flavour with a texture of soft ice-cream. It is also extremely versatile food and can be used in cold soups (delicious in summer) or as a refreshing drink. It can also be eaten as an accompaniment with that other Bulgarian staple, banitza. As a health food the benefits are enormous:

• Yogurt is identified as a reason for longevity. Bulgaria is one of the countries with the biggest number of people aged 100 years and older
• Bulgarian yogurt is one of the best probiotics out there
• Yogurt is an excellent source of "good" bacteria that is needed in the digestive tract
• Yogurt strengthens the immune system and helps prevents tumor growth. Its high concentration of calcium also helps against osteoporosis and reduces cholesterol levels
• It reduces the risk of high blood pressure
• Active cultures help certain gastrointestinal conditions
• Bulgarian yogurt is organic yogurt and organic yogurt is an excellent diet food.