tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280619152024-03-13T21:41:02.915+00:00Adventures on caffeine and hope<center>A friend was once described as a caffeine and nicotine fuelled adrenaline junkie with a Peter Pan complex and delusions of grandeur. <br>
Some of that applies to me, although I don't smoke and have no delusions of my grandeur.<br>
I'm a weather forecaster usually in the north of Scotland, these are the petty thoughts of the days of my life. <br>
Hi, I'm Jim.</center>Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.comBlogger161125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-3788479917843154102016-05-24T00:57:00.002+01:002016-05-24T00:59:57.209+01:00Still alive!<br />
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In the last 3½ years I've come back from Ascension Island, been back to the Falkands, moved house, met a girl, got engaged, taken up knitting, cut a tiny bit off the end of a finger off with a knife (trying to get some crackling from a roast), and gained then lost a lot of weight.<br />
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And drunk quite a lot of good coffee.<br />
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Details to follow I hope.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-20101676194790488632012-11-21T15:20:00.002+00:002012-11-21T15:20:13.795+00:00I'm sat on the verandah of the Office accommodation (bashas) on Ascension Island. The view from here is four volcanic cones and a lot of sky.<br />
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These were taken from different areas around the accommodation and on different days, well the first two were the same day with different views from the basha.<br />
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The fact I'm here at all is kind of a surprise, and sort of last minute too.<br />
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About three months ago I had just got back from a month detachment to Leuchars (the boss called me on Thursday and asked if I could be there for Tuesday morning - I said sure, but you're paying for the hotel!) and the boss pops into the office for a quick chat.<br />
"You know how you said you don't mind working over Christmas as long as you get some time at home with your friends?" he said.<br />
"Yes," I replied, already expecting bad things.<br />
"How would you feel about doing that, but somewhere a bit different?"<br />
The whole "spend some time at home" thing seems to have gone out the window here.<br />
"Where, exactly?" I asked.<br />
"Ascension. Next month. Until January."<br />
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In between I went to Pippa and John's wedding, which was brilliant, and ended up having more time off than I was expecting owing to a change of flight date, which was nice. <br />
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If you've never been here (and statistically, that's everyone) this is a little island 8 degrees south, 14 degrees west in the Atlantic. And I do mean little, it's about 10 km a side and roughly triangular, there's heavy showers 3 months of the year, drizzly showers (which shouldn't happen but given how humid it is any kind of shower drops the visibility down to almost nothing) 4 months of the year and tropical sunshine the rest of the time. The time I'm here for is end of the drizzly showers and into the hot season. Or that was the initial plan.<br />
I've known a few people that have got here and then been bumped straight south to the Falklands so I made some plans. On my bed at home I left a bag packed with cold weather gear and told Sarah that if I got pushed south she should post it out and I'd get the Office to pay back the postage. I also packed some basic cold kit because I'd be coming back to the UK in the middle of January from a hot little island, chances are I'd want something warm!<br />
On the first day here I dumped my bags into the transit room (my permanent room was still being used by the guy I was replacing), went to the beach, went snorkelling and got sun burned. When we got back the boss had just finished his shift and asked a couple of us over for a quiet word.<br />
The other guy, Donald, as heading to the Falklands for a few weeks anyway but they had asked if he could come down a bit earlier. They had also asked if there was anyone else they could borrow for a month.<br />
I laughed aloud at that.<br />
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In the time I had before I went south I got stuck into the work here, which is weird. The actual shifts are fine, there isn't very much to do; forecasting the drizzly showers, however, is a nightmare. There's no good model data, the satellites aren't much cop and just when you want good imagery the sun sets or rises and you lose the definition from the satellites. The next nearest observation is St Helena, 300 odd miles southeast, so not all that much help there.<br />
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But I did get out for some swimming (and had a toe bitten by a fish), went for a walk on the side of Green Mountain and enjoyed warm evenings with a gin and tonic - shortly turning that into warm evenings with a martini, including olives. Having moved into the en suite room at Travellers hill I was properly able to enjoy the pace of life here.<br />
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These are pictures of the walk up Green Mountain, they cut some of the paths through the rock in the 1800s when there was a detachment here guarding Napoleon over at St Helena; although cutting the paths sounds like a lot of work, it might not have been as bad as you think, the rock is mostly quite loose volcanic stuff that you can cut through with a stick. Not a massively reassuring thought when you're 2000 ft up on the side of a hill. And I have edited the last picture slightly, just to remove a bit of chin. Or a couple of chins to be honest.<br />
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Three weeks after arriving I was back on the aircraft heading south again. The company running the airbridge had changed to HiFly and although the aircraft itself was a bit old and ragged no one minded because the on board entertainment took the form of iPads that were handed around.<br />
I was actually in the Falklands as an observer/forecast support, which meant hourly observations, nightly weather balloon launches and lots of admin stuff. I managed to get to the gym around 3 times a week (something I need to start up again) and until I knackered my knee I was up to the third week of the couch to 5 K plan.<br />
It was a great little tour and makes it 4 trips in 5 years, with next years already booked - I'll need it to pay for going to Tris' wedding and stag do! Although I didn't get out all that much it was a good time.<br />
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The four weeks down there passed very quickly and then it was back to the Island, this time when I got into the room and opened the door to the en suite shower/loo room I was greeted by 4 huge cockroaches. Or at least they looked huge to me. I'm not sure what the official international size range is for them but their bodies were around 2 inches long! Taken me 4 days to get rid of them all and I'm still wary of the shower!<br />
I think the resident lizard might be sorting them out though, so that should be a plus.<br />
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We're still getting some showers (just had to move inside to stop my Mac from getting wet) but they seem to be dying out. There was a Movember variety night on Saturday when the 6 movers (responsible for getting the aircraft in, sorting out the luggage and passengers etc), all male, did a talent show/Miss Ascension Island competition with songs, dancing, magic tricks, swim-wear competitions (yes, one of them was in drag in a mankini) and general fun. On Monday night they threw a pizza party at their lounge (we can't call them bars) which most of the camp turned up for and that was another really good night.<br />
Basically, I'm enjoying life here (apart from the bugs but it's a tropical island with a dodgy pipe system so there's not a huge amount I can do about that) and I'll try to add some more photos before I leave.<br />
I'm going to try to get some underwater pictures and the turtles will be back on the island over the coming months so that will be something to see.<br />
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Oh I'm also doing Movember again.<br />
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This time I decided to actually register for it so if you fancy throwing money at a good cause and can't think of any other ones, please feel free to pop over to <span class="mospace-url-label-wrapper"><span class="mospace-url-content"><a href="http://mobro.co/jamesfearnley">http://mobro.co/jamesfearnley</a> </span></span><br />
<span class="mospace-url-label-wrapper"><span class="mospace-url-content">I know it looks like I'm missing a bit on my left hand side in the picture but it's just a bit thin there. </span></span><br />
<span class="mospace-url-label-wrapper"><span class="mospace-url-content">Not as bad as my beard-of-shame though:</span></span><br />
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<span class="mospace-url-label-wrapper"><span class="mospace-url-content">Figured it would be a bit hot for that out here.</span></span><br />
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<span class="mospace-url-label-wrapper"><span class="mospace-url-content">Now for a serious decision. Do I go to the gym, go to the beach, have a drink or do all of them in order? Oh the harsh life I lead :)</span></span>Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-73345407202202160592012-02-23T23:45:00.000+00:002012-02-23T23:45:03.483+00:00A blog post! Yep, I'm still here.Ok, I know I owe you guys a Falklands post with loads of photos, probably a post covering all the exciting things I've done since then (but not mentioning getting so drunk at an official function that I embarrassed myself completely. Crap, forget I mentioned that!) but for now I'll slap some photos up from last weekend.<br />
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Sarah (house mate Sarah, not any of the other ones) had her parents and sister in law visiting with her sister in law's dog Gary. We went over to Channory Point to try to see some dolphins. Nope, no dolphins but I did manage to get a few pictures of the dogs that came out quite well. Maisie is the ginger Cocker Spaniel, Gary is the other one. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--MDcq5pQ868/T0QMm6y06PI/AAAAAAAABes/ASGa8orJsGc/s1600/IMG_4833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" lda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--MDcq5pQ868/T0QMm6y06PI/AAAAAAAABes/ASGa8orJsGc/s320/IMG_4833.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S-M1jl_PLN4/T0QLZqHyxzI/AAAAAAAABes/V7e2FnPpmtg/s1600/IMG_4747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" lda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S-M1jl_PLN4/T0QLZqHyxzI/AAAAAAAABes/V7e2FnPpmtg/s320/IMG_4747.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>On the way home we stopped off at Brodie Countyfaire for tea and a cake which was nice and nowhere near as expensive as I was expecting. <br />
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On other matters I've been to see Sherlock Holmes 2 (again) and loved it, Underworld in 3D and enjoyed it (don't go unless you've seen the others and liked them!) and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. I'll say this, the flame effects in Ghost Rider were superb, the 3D was very well done (although I was expecting the chain to <em>really</em> fling out more) and the bike was cool. For the rest, I think it may have been one of the worst films I've seen for a very long time. Not sure what it was, just didn't like most of the film and normally I love Nick Cage in silly popcorn films.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-65721049078327297662011-10-07T04:28:00.000+01:002011-10-07T04:28:14.763+01:00Brief post before my time runs outBy which I mean the time on my wifi card (100 minutes a week). Seriously, time yourself! See how long that lasts...<br />
I'll get more online soon but I've made it off camp (Sea Lion Island once and Stanley once) and seen many, many penguins, Elephant Seals and other animals. Work is mostly going well and I would sign up for a tour next year if we weren't so short back home.<br />
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Anyway, DVLA bad, post office slightly better, I'm missing the ginger hound, we REALLY more single desperate ladies down here that aren't too bothered about military guys but like overweight hairy forecasters.<br />
Oh and go on England in the rugby!!Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-62320561027358637132011-08-07T20:11:00.001+01:002011-08-07T20:13:19.047+01:00OoopsRight, it's been almost a year since I put finger to key (so to speak)and I've got a few catch up blog posts to put on, including weddings, flights, cars, cocktails, dogs parties and a few countries but for now I wanted to say that I will be putting a bit more on here as I'm currently sat in the departures lounge at Brize Norton (again), getting ready to head back out to the Falklands. I know, the last post was about the Falklands but I did come back and I've seen quite a few friends in that time and even made some more. <br />
As it is, this time I'm due to have a fat boy seat on the way down (woohoo!) but as is my want I'm not going to fully believe that until we're wheels up and I'm reclining the seat to it's lie flat position (after the pilot has turned of the seat belt light, of course :) ) and I managed to get away with not carrying too many books this time, just some ones for work and a Kindle - more on this gadget in a previous post but safe to say it's still wonderful and I'll add more detail soon! So much so that I found myself trying to turn off a normal book rather than just putting it down.<br />
Anyway, time to grab a coffee. I'm on Skype now (when I can get connection) but email is probably the best way to contact me, or leave a comment on the blog and I'll see it doon thar.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-59618097331177813682011-03-11T15:47:00.005+00:002011-03-11T16:31:50.153+00:00Falklands 2010So, second time down and a few things were different. I already knew some people down there, I had a girlfriend down there and I knew what I was doing.<br />That, at least, was the plan.<br />Turns out it took me much longer than it should have to get my mind in to the local weather and I've already mentioned that Kate and I broke up half way through the tour.<br /><br />Although I didn't see any penguins I did see some other birds:<br /><br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/THf9QdjIRrI/AAAAAAAABLc/iZRam5QCPto/s720/IMG_3144.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 720px; height: 480px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/THf9QdjIRrI/AAAAAAAABLc/iZRam5QCPto/s720/IMG_3144.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/THf9SbysY7I/AAAAAAAABLg/mV21tWcFjGA/s720/IMG_3145.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 720px; height: 480px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/THf9SbysY7I/AAAAAAAABLg/mV21tWcFjGA/s720/IMG_3145.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />A turkey vulture at Goose Green, the second largest settlement in the Falklands, not counting Mount Pleasant. Population: about 35.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/THf9YIhNHJI/AAAAAAAABLs/PWrXghNmYJk/s720/IMG_3159.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 720px; height: 480px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/THf9YIhNHJI/AAAAAAAABLs/PWrXghNmYJk/s720/IMG_3159.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Ugly bugger up close. Which is probably what he thought of me.<br /><br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/THf9BVUdyBI/AAAAAAAABLA/VmM1lOSL0uQ/s512/IMG_3124.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 341px; height: 512px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/THf9BVUdyBI/AAAAAAAABLA/VmM1lOSL0uQ/s512/IMG_3124.jpg" alt="" border="0" /> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/THf9H8XGmBI/AAAAAAAABLM/XayGz0THYvo/s720/IMG_3130.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 720px; height: 480px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/THf9H8XGmBI/AAAAAAAABLM/XayGz0THYvo/s720/IMG_3130.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/THf9MRdJalI/AAAAAAAABLU/OYWKcJ87pqI/s720/IMG_3133.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 720px; height: 480px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/THf9MRdJalI/AAAAAAAABLU/OYWKcJ87pqI/s720/IMG_3133.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This little fella was chilling inside a wreck at Goose Green, he's a night heron. Lovely, isn't he?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/THf8537w_AI/AAAAAAAABK0/OwO6dxdpjSA/s576/IMG_3100.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 576px; height: 474px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/THf8537w_AI/AAAAAAAABK0/OwO6dxdpjSA/s576/IMG_3100.jpg" alt="" border="0" /> </a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/TXpK3aS5XrI/AAAAAAAABUg/Nlqc3uDlVdU/s512/IMG_3237.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 456px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/TXpK3aS5XrI/AAAAAAAABUg/Nlqc3uDlVdU/s512/IMG_3237.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Sometimes called the military starling or the Falklands robin, I didn't capture just how damn RED the breast is on this Long Tailed Meadowlark. At least I think that's what it is; the chest is amazingly vibrant.<br /><br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/TXpLdb2eGPI/AAAAAAAABUU/XTENcTqFwNw/s512/IMG_3227.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 341px; height: 512px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/TXpLdb2eGPI/AAAAAAAABUU/XTENcTqFwNw/s512/IMG_3227.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />No visit would be complete without a striated caracara. This one wouldn't take off, just sat there, posing.<br /><br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/TXpFaMo7-4I/AAAAAAAABTw/PnnGkGCEXSI/s720/IMG_3320.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 720px; height: 480px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/TXpFaMo7-4I/AAAAAAAABTw/PnnGkGCEXSI/s720/IMG_3320.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/TXpFp_mOz-I/AAAAAAAABT0/yUgnbjIq0V4/s720/IMG_3339.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 720px; height: 480px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/TXpFp_mOz-I/AAAAAAAABT0/yUgnbjIq0V4/s720/IMG_3339.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/TXpLeiFAq7I/AAAAAAAABUY/HgLCQd9zUSc/s512/IMG_3274.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 341px; height: 512px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/TXpLeiFAq7I/AAAAAAAABUY/HgLCQd9zUSc/s512/IMG_3274.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Just east of Stanley, this is Surf Bay, nice break, beautiful water and really white sand, it's probably a good thing you can't see that I'm wearing a full down jacket, gloves and hat. The water is about 4 degrees, rising to 8 at the end of summer.<br />I couldn't get to this beach last time owing to the mines that kept washing up on the beach. It's cleared now, or so they told me.<br /><br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/THJ71kP8KHI/AAAAAAAABKE/3gqx_YW2a6k/s640/IMG_0550.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 640px; height: 480px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/THJ71kP8KHI/AAAAAAAABKE/3gqx_YW2a6k/s640/IMG_0550.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />And this was a night in the Crab And Sprocket that started when Humf and Paul said "Fancy a drink?"<br />I think the details are self explanatory.<br /><br />I'm aiming to get back down later in the year, but that might depend on some news due out of head office in the next couple of weeks.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-78442469234880464782011-03-11T12:23:00.000+00:002011-03-11T12:28:05.917+00:00One or two wordsThings have changed since the last blog entry, as you’d expect with it being almost 9 months ago.<br /><br /><br />I’ve moved out of the flat and am now sharing a house with a friend from the mess. She had the chance to buy a 4 bedroom house for under £100,000 and needed someone to help with the rent, I get most meals cooked, someone to keep an eye on my kit while I’m south/away and I get the ironing, martini making and spider catching duties. It’s a nice place but I do need to drive to work rather than cycling.<br /><br />I’ve been asked to be godfather to a friends’ bairn, which is awesome, and I think I won the “most inappropriate Christmas gift for a baby” award with a Leatherman and two rock CDs :)<br /><br />I’ve changed my car, I now drive a Grand Vitara 4x4 which is much more sensible up here, although I miss 50+ mpg like you wouldn’t believe.<br /><br /><br />I did go south (photos to follow) about 3 days after moving my stuff into the new house and didn’t see a single live penguin while I was in the Falklands. At one point I was thinking “next week I’ll see if I can get on a trip to Sea Lion Island” and then realised I was flying out in 4 days! I could have gone over to Bertha’s Beach to see some Gentoos but that would have been like going to the zoo. In the end I felt that it was almost more impressive not to have seen any ‘guins.<br />Kate and I broke up while I was south, although that means that it was face to face rather than over the phone as she’s still down teaching at MPA. We were looking after a place for some friends down there and she came in from the garden to say that we need to talk…<br /><br />Yeah.<br /><br />In the end I understood her reasons, we had a few days avoiding each other but with the mess not exactly being a big place we were guaranteed to run into each other fairly soon. I’m glad that we managed to stay friendly but I was, and still am, somewhat gutted.<br /><br /><br />Back up here and the way we’re working has changed. I’m now apparently on permanent early starts, and I do mean EARLY. The shift starts at 0530 and it’s a 20 minute drive into work. Some of the time I’m over at one of the squadrons, sat in the planning room to answer all their questions like “what’s the weather at our target?” “Will we be able to get laser lock on from this height?” “When will the wind increase?” and, more often, “Will I be able to fly my personal light aircraft this afternoon?” or “will I be able to go mountain biking over the weekend?”<br />I’m still waiting for “would you like a cup of tea?” I’ve done a couple of extra training courses, including one on how to talk to people (not totally useless, to be honest) and none have covered more than 50% of what I get here on an average day. What the future holds for the station, my job and the office as a whole I don’t know, we were supposed to hear something last week which got put back to maybe next week, I think I’ll be ok as long as the station is here (so no guarantees) but I think a lot of my friends may get shafted.<br /><br />In lighter news, I’ve taken up dive training with the camp BSAC club and I’ve bought a Kindle, fulfilling an <a href="http://mountainmetman.blogspot.com/2007/11/dear-santa.html">earlier wish of mine</a>. Both good so far, especially the Kindle. I sprung for a third generation 3G enabled model and it is brilliant, the screen is very easy to read, the library is pretty good and conversion to the right format is easy with Calibre. Down sides are that the web browser is pretty poor and it feels a bit delicate but I’ve got a good cover for it now and it’s a book, not a tablet. Some people have said “oh but it’s only greyscale” but again, it’s a book, not a magazine. I haven’t tried any of the papers on it yet but I might try the Times free trial soon. At the moment I’ve got more than 250 books on it, most of them open source/out of copyright. I can see that it would be VERY easy to run up a huge bill very quickly. I’m told there are some file sharing options but one would never do such a thing :)<br />The third generation Kindle, like mine, natively support PDF files and I’ve put on some ones from work so, rather than lug around three A4 files, I’ve got a light piece of kit that fits in my jacket, let alone my bag. Down side of this is that the pages are very small on the screen so you need to zoom in a few times or use the landscape orientation option. There is a bigger version (the DX) that would be better for this and I think I’ve planted the seed of thought in one of the executives in the office that they could be very useful to forecasting staff to have with all the reference documents on, although I think rugged cases would be a worthwhile investment in that case.<br />No, it doesn’t feel or smell like a book, you can’t kill a fly with it, use it as a beer coaster (well I bloody well wouldn’t) and, despite what you see in the adverts, I wouldn’t put it my back pocket. However, it is very light, easy to read, the battery lasts a long time (especially if you don’t have the whispernet wireless turned on) and, did I mention, I’VE GOT OVER 250 BOOKS ON MINE! I haven’t even filled a quarter of the capacity. All this on something that is actually smaller than my pencil case. I’ve started reading from the Kindle rather than normal books these days at home, partly cause you can’t tell what I’m reading from the back of the device.<br /><br />Anyway, it’s almost half twelve, I’ve been in work since half five and I’ve got to get back to the main office for some admin then I’m buggering off home.<br />I’ve probably forgotten something massively important that has happened and I need to add some photos later so there might be another post coming before too long.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-20721603973421585822010-06-24T22:45:00.004+01:002010-06-25T00:31:13.261+01:0030 times round the sunBut more importantly, welcome to the world John! Hope Pam and Paul manage some sleep at some point during the rest of this year!<br /><br />So I woke up this morning (da da da da dum in a blues style...) and thought "oh crap I'm not a 20 something any more!" A few of times actually.<br />The last few birthdays have been basically just another day but today felt a bit different, and it's hard to say why. I can't really say that I felt more mature, more refined or less likely to streak across the beach at midnight, but I did, do, feel like some kind of milestone has been passed.<br />If anything I'd say I feel a bit more confident. And it seems a bit brash to say that is just because I've got time served; but maybe that's all it is, perhaps maturity and experience are just fucking up in the small ways when no one notices and carrying on, not letting them see you sweat and blagging the decent roles. Getting through the big problems by shear power of will and the appearance of confidence.<br />As one of my old kayaking instructors used to say, "don't be good - be convincing!"<br /><br />Gods know it feels like that at work sometimes.<br /><br />*edited to add* In something of a tradition of the last few years, once I've got settled in the evenings I took one of my cigars (thanks for the Don Tomas Clasico, Smudge!!!) out to the front of the flat and had a moment of "thought" which this year involved a comfy chair, a glass of wine and the aforementioned smokable. I should mention that I get through, on average, 3 cigars a year, so I don't think I've got too much of a problem.<br />While sat on the moon chair, hoping for a break in the clouds to show the aurora that is supposed to be out there tonight, I thought "hmmmm, I feel in a 'poets' mood" and so, like every 'modern' guy I whipped out my phone, tuned into YouTube and pulled up the videos for "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFaENAjk54s">If...</a>", "t<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI">rust me on the sunscreen</a>" and a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/SpokenVerse#p/u/9/m_wgs5tXbPs">couple of</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/SpokenVerse#p/search/0/IKBFrAT5mSM">Roger McGough</a> poems.<br />I felt decadent and almost educated with my choice of videos, but that was rather offset by the wine and cigar. I doubt there was any kind of point to this, so rather than leave it without a punchline I'll give you a couple of links that some might enjoy: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTu7GLfrmUI">Here</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujUQn0HhGEk">here</a>.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-71688848569761920272010-06-19T02:25:00.005+01:002010-06-19T03:15:41.714+01:00Plans sometimes happen when you don't expect themNext month I'm flying back south ('deep' south). Not sure of the exact timing details yet but there's a few weeks left to organise that, must remember to take my DJ and possibly a kilt or two...<br />The week before I go south I'm moving house. Should be an interesting couple of weeks.<br />Next week I turn 30, and the implications of that really haven't hit me yet, but there's a whole load of stuff it could be. It's just a number, but over the last 3 days it seems to have become more and more significant. I'll put that down to paranoia for the time being.<br />Tonight I spent a fair amount of time this evening chatting to one of the guys from the search and rescue squadron, good guy; we talked about linux, Mac's reduction in the world of IT, xkcd, various things about the world of RAF funds reduction and the effect of an Air Commodore on groups of young officers (you really had to be there).<br />Got home and had a link sent to me to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdwOlk6HIVc&feature=player_embedded">this</a>, a talk by Prof Brian Cox (OBE or is it MBE? - anyway well done Dr Cox!!!) which matches almost to a tee one of the conversations I had this evening. Wonder, my friends, endless wonder about the world, the solar system and the universe in which we live.<br />There are some times I wonder if I made the right choice 5 years ago, the three courses available to me on that day (and it was actually a day - two job offers in 24 hours), choose one of the two offers or carry on as before. I do sometimes regret not staying working for Blacks, although by now I'd either be running the Cheltenham store or they would still have shut that store and I'd be somewhere else - but that is a path down a road undiscovered and a route forever unknown.<br />What if I had taken the job with James, working with AWE with the best job title ever - firing technician at the Atomic Weapons Establishment. I'd be working with one of my best friends and might even be on the way to getting a masters or a PhD. I can't describe how much I want a PhD so I won't try, but suffice to say it's a lot.<br />But here I am, I've taken the other road, it's taken me almost as far south as is possible and certainly further than I thought would be possible six years ago, and I'm still hoping for the chance to get that bit further south. I've still got the chance to get the commission that, it's fair to say, I still lust after. Admittedly, I've got a fair amount of work to do in order to get there, but it's within my grasp and the only thing stopping me from getting there is me. So I'll see how this deployment south goes.<br /><br />And for those that haven't heard, I should say point blank. I'm going back to the Falklands for a few months :) And I'm really looking forwards to it for a whole bunch of reasons.<br /><br />But as the song went a few years ago, trust me on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdwOlk6HIVc&feature=player_embedded">the sunscreen</a>.<br /><br />Oh and for the record, Guitar Hero Metallica - BRILLIANT!!!!!Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-5974779280497196952010-04-29T23:28:00.003+01:002010-04-29T23:43:30.506+01:00Realisation and a couple of linksI hadn't thought that I'd been up here all that long until a few months back I was down in Exeter doing a course in satellite interpretation (good course) and I was in the pub next to the hotel, looking at the whisky selection. I was surprised that there were only 6 malts, and that they were those specific ones (can't remember exactly which ones but basically a basic selection of the regions) and I mentioned to the guy behind the bar that I was surprised he only had one Speyside.<br />Turns out he was the manager.<br />He seemed surprised by what I said and asked me what the difference was between the different types, which I found I didn't have any problem answering, explaining the different tastes and characters.<br /><br />Looks like I've been living in the Spey catchment long enough to pick up a few things.<br /><br /><br />OK, so this is a pretty pointless post but aside from that, have a look at this site of <a href="http://notalwaysright.com/">customer idiocies</a>. There's also <a href="http://www.textsfromlastnight.com/">Text From Last Night </a>which is just a bit too disturbing, all told.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-1810396757839442202010-04-20T18:01:00.005+01:002010-04-21T00:25:56.052+01:00Some extra reading.A few follow up links from yesterdays rant:<br /><a href="http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/environment/met-office-finally-blamed-201004202655/">The Daily Mash</a> take on the matter.<br />A little something from the wonderful<a href="http://twistedphysics.typepad.com/cocktail_party_physics/2010/04/what-an-ash.html"> Cocktail Party Physics</a>.<br /><a href="http://amandabauer.blogspot.com/2010/04/why-volcano-ash-grounds-flights.html">Astropixie's</a> take, which actually prompted the post.<br />The <a href="http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/aviation/vaac/vaacuk_vag.html">Met Office VAAC charts</a> page - that's Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre - (don't look too hard at the title, it stands for Volcanic Ash Graphic, ok? Nothing dirty with that at all...) and <a href="http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2010/volcano.html">another Met Office one</a> that gives some of the reasons behind the model.<br />One last (for now) <a href="http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2010/pr20100420.html">Met Office one</a> giving some gen on the particulates found in the dust layer.<br />A <a href="http://www.met.no/animation.gif">Norweigan model animation of the ash,</a> but I'm not sure of what it specifically shows, I've mainly included it cause it looks cool.<br /><br />And for a bit of a change, <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/speechskscott/SpeakingOut">Kate's sister's post</a> that was referenced by <a href="http://www.badscience.net/">Ben Goldacre</a> in his miniblog links.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-17008486275463505752010-04-19T20:46:00.007+01:002010-04-19T23:48:53.669+01:00Ash up your pipesI'm glad that it looks like we're going to be able to re-open the airways tomorrow, even if it's not for all that long.<br />I'm more glad that no aircraft have fallen out of the sky.<br />I'm rather pissed off with the people saying that nothing happened so the precautions were excessive.<br />If someone plays Russian roulette and doesn't die, would you say there was no danger at the start or that they were lucky? Would you say "they were fine so I'll give it a go"?<br /><br />There is ash in the atmosphere, it's nasty shit.<br />If you think I'm overstating that, consider that this is made of rock (generally between 0.1 and 1 mm but sometimes much bigger than that) that can rather damage windscreens and paintwork, not to mention potentially breaking the skin of the airframe; there's volcanic glass mixed in (more so in this case as the silicon dioxide makes up 58% of the tested ash at Lerwick) which can melt in the combustion stage of a jet engine and form a layer of glass over the insides of the engine (check <a href="http://tinyurl.com/y5meavs">Flight Global</a> for images of what volcanic ash can do to the engine on a F-18)<b> </b>as well as the fact that the ash itself can build up on surfaces and stick, ruining airflow and making the aircraft somewhat heavier. Oh, and did I mention the sulphur? Yeah, it's sulphurous, too much of it and it becomes a danger to respiration, add water and it can become sulphuric acid, oh and it stinks!<br />Can be pretty though, the effects of the particles cause a static buildup that results in lightning at the volcano and St Elmos fire on the surface of aircraft flying through it. Cop yer whack at this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1004/icevolcano_fulle.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 900px; height: 600px;" src="http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1004/icevolcano_fulle.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> from NASA for an indication.<br />More pictures (some amazing ones as well) from the <a href="http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/icelands_disruptive_volcano.html">Big</a> <a href="http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/more_from_eyjafjallajokull.html">Picture</a> from the Boston Globe.<br /><br />We've had recorded ash across the entire UK, you can't see it but it's there. Or at least you can't see it in the air but it becomes visible when it builds up on cars and other surfaces. We've seen this from Lerwick, Aberdeen, Boscombe, all across Devon and most of the south. They took samples from West Freugh in southwest Scotland and they found 2000 ft of ash at two different levels in the atmosphere today. Some parachute dudes found a couple of layers (they reported some weird visual effects and "a stinging sensation on the lips" as well as dark areas in the air) and before you say "but the BA and Lufthansa flights were OK", we knew that we don't know the exact areas of the ash, it's distribution or exact makeup so we knew there would be clear areas and not clear areas, the research flights that went up found both.<br />We had some satellites but they were obscured by higher cloud, our radar isn't good (expensive) enough to find the ash, we don't have enough actual weather balloons spread across country (or upwind - it's ocean, which isn't really conducive to weather balloons) to get detail of the atmosphere and our wind profiler/lidar network needs so much investment any political party that suggested funding it properly would be laughed off the stage. We do have some of the best observers and forecasters in the world, one of (if not the) best set of models in the world, although they could do with being a bit more flexible, which we could do with more funding and a bit more flexible approach. But we haven't had a situation like this crop up, we've no experience of this type of thing on this scale and it takes us time to get the required information. It might even take us a week.<br /><br />I was asked "how much ash is too much, because I've heard there is no safe amount?" and I can't answer this because I'm not an engineer or a Rolls Royce specialist. They (Rolls-Royce) are saying you need to cover the aircraft, put them inside and don't turn on the engines. Preferably cover them with fine silks and satins. OK, I'm exaggerating slightly, but only a bit.<br /><br />In the 1980s a couple of 747s hit ash clouds and had all their engines cut off. These clouds are one of the few things that can kill <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">all</span> the engines on a multi-engine aircraft within minutes. To clear the engines of the glass build-up you need to put LOTS of clean air through the engines which generally requires about 12000 ft of free-fall. Our ash layers were around 4000-8000 ft.<br /><br />Yes, it's been an embuggerance for many, many people, our mail up here is stalled (the post is sent by aircraft then driven on), my girlfriend is stuck at Brize Norton until at least Thursday and we'd both rather she could have waited up here until she was needed, not to mention the financial implications and all the people stranded.<br />But let me put it this way, I would rather she spent ten years waiting at Brize rather than be in an aircraft that took the risk of flying through an ash cloud at 8000 ft and having the aircraft turn into a glider.<br /><br />Have a look at this <object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GX8NMY7Qtxk&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_GB&feature=player_detailpage&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GX8NMY7Qtxk&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_GB&feature=player_detailpage&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="385" width="640"></embed></object> for more explanation.<br /><br />Could different levels of reaction be used in the future? Yes.<br />Yes if we know the exact distribution of the ash.<br />Yes if we know the composition of the ash.<br />Yes if we know how fast it's being produced.<br />Yes if we know the winds at every 500 ft interval and the vertical motion of the air over the entire area of the ash cloud.<br /><br />Until that point ask yourself if fire engines need to drive so fast to every call out, or if you want your doctor to take you seriously any time you have a sharp pain in your chest. Or would you rather the fire brigade assumed you were burning toast rather than stuck in a building, your doctor assumed you were over-reacting rather than see if it was an heart attack.<br />Are you happy with the airline assuming that they know best and that because "they didn't hit any ash areas" means "we won't hit any ash areas."<br />Or wait until we know more about the circumstances and can say "OK, we've had a check and we think <span style="font-style: italic;">this</span> area is safe while this area <span style="font-style: italic;">isn't</span>."<br />Even if it takes a week.<br /><br />Or the volcano stops.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-69976765979150039492010-04-02T00:47:00.003+01:002010-04-02T00:57:09.591+01:00I probably should have called them back and told them it was a jokeJust in case there are any guys from 12 Sqn reading this, I was kidding, we're not being privatised (yet - ask me again after the election...), we're not being bought out by Disney, I won't be going into briefings wearing Mickey Mouse ears and we won't be diverting all telephone enquiries (including target weathers) to a call centre based in Mumbai.<br /><br />Honestly, I was going to say that they should check the date but it was too much fun.<br />Wasn't as good as <a href="http://mountainmetman.blogspot.com/2009/04/april-fool.html">last years</a> though.<br /><br />Think I'll shrink wrap my boss' desk next year.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-3014326998367508872010-03-18T18:16:00.006+00:002010-03-18T19:03:38.266+00:00Some things, but not all, and not quite the ones I wantedChristmas and the New Year, Kate, myself and two friends (Tash and Chris) went off to Arosa in Switzerland for a couple of weeks snowboarding and spending quality time together. It was epic and my 'boarding has improved massively (as I found out at the Lecht a while later - but more on that later). There was a decent amount of snow and some unbelievable conditions, although on Christmas Day the falling snow, which did give a wonderful surface, meant visibility was only about 10 feet and you couldn't see where the edges of the slopes were. Fell over lots, only big falls a couple of times though.<br />Spending time with Kate was marvellous, but the two weeks went too fast, as always happens.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/S6JwbZk8THI/AAAAAAAAA-E/OWfAclfm3pg/s1600-h/Kate+on+the+Mountain.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/S6JwbZk8THI/AAAAAAAAA-E/OWfAclfm3pg/s200/Kate+on+the+Mountain.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450042115096333426" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/S6Jwa_UTw-I/AAAAAAAAA98/NZI_gQIquwY/s1600-h/Snow+covered+cars.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/S6Jwa_UTw-I/AAAAAAAAA98/NZI_gQIquwY/s200/Snow+covered+cars.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450042108047246306" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/S6Jwad6d1lI/AAAAAAAAA90/2k7YHjFZr5E/s1600-h/Mountains.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/S6Jwad6d1lI/AAAAAAAAA90/2k7YHjFZr5E/s200/Mountains.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450042099080484434" border="0" /></a><br />Into the new year and Scotland had the coldest winter in decades, for which there had been a 1 in 7 chance of a colder than average winter for the northwest of Europe. People forget that the seasonal forecast is for large areas, not specific places. Some people think that the forecasts ruled out cold winters, but if you roll a die there is a 1 in 6 chance of getting a 5. No matter what the outcome, there was a 1 in 6 chance of getting a 5. But there's got to be someone to blame, hasn't there?<br /><br />Moving on.<br /><br />Work was quiet, so I managed to take the opportunity to use the service transport to the Lecht for a days boarding. Conditions were a bit icy in some places but generally awesome and it was the best boarding I've ever done. Also the longest session, for which I paid the next three days...<br />No photos of that, so you'll have to take my word on it.<br /><br />Been working all the jobs we have, observing, forecasting at both stations, forecasting on the big desk; also found out how much my job is worth in the private sector. Turns out it's LOTS more than we are paid. Government say we should be paid just under median market value but the market is based on what we're paid. Go abroad (such as Australia) and you can get even more. Even with the exchange rates and cost of living, lots more. Not for me though, not yet anyway.<br /><br />Friend (one of the Sarahs) has been in hospital a lot recently, she's got a rare form of MRSA called PVL MRSA (I think), so she's been in isolation having her system cleared, the rare times she's been out of hospital we took her dog for a bit of a walk on the beach.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/S6J3TfScD3I/AAAAAAAAA-s/abwb1In4LxM/s1600-h/IMG_2978.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/S6J3TfScD3I/AAAAAAAAA-s/abwb1In4LxM/s200/IMG_2978.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450049675771776882" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/S6J3R-rvR5I/AAAAAAAAA-U/qQIdySCWU9A/s1600-h/IMG_2766.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/S6J3R-rvR5I/AAAAAAAAA-U/qQIdySCWU9A/s200/IMG_2766.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450049649839654802" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/S6J3S9m5A9I/AAAAAAAAA-k/PNmJnkqBvq4/s1600-h/IMG_2809.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/S6J3S9m5A9I/AAAAAAAAA-k/PNmJnkqBvq4/s200/IMG_2809.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450049666730755026" border="0" /></a> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/S6J3RYjQjSI/AAAAAAAAA-M/Oq6WuKaevN8/s1600-h/IMG_2760.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/S6J3RYjQjSI/AAAAAAAAA-M/Oq6WuKaevN8/s200/IMG_2760.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450049639603539234" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/S6J3SRnYz9I/AAAAAAAAA-c/MHVwJWKqYpI/s1600-h/IMG_2773.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/S6J3SRnYz9I/AAAAAAAAA-c/MHVwJWKqYpI/s200/IMG_2773.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450049654921678802" border="0" /></a><br />Turns out I've got a lot to learn about taking photos in snow. Been recommended changing the exposure settings.<br /><br />The house move has been delayed, partly due to weather slowing things down, but also problems with planning permissions; and still no news about the potential job development, but might hear next week, or the week after. Having said that I've started becoming an NVQ assessor, it's even more work that doing the sodding NVQ itself! The first assessment went ok, once I'd finally finished the write-up. Hope to get that finished by the end of summer.<br /><br />Back to Exeter next week for more training, but now it's off to work for the night.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-84984724591481912642009-11-21T21:09:00.005+00:002009-11-21T21:49:49.531+00:00Autumn turns, and the moon is born againThe blog title isn't leading to anything, I just thought it'd be nice to write.<br /><br />In September I was down at head office doing a course in winter forecasting, which was pretty good. Like most of the training we get, it can feel that we're being overtrained, but I had a think about it and I realised that they <span style="font-style: italic;">could</span> just tell us "if you see this, then you put this into your forecasts" but rather than do that, they teach "if you see this, then this is happening, which means this might happen." We get taught the background reasoning and systems at work, rather than just the effects. When you think about it this is probably why our training takes longer and is more expensive than other places.<br />I had a big hire car when I was down there, with an electric handbrake, but I did NOT like it, I can see it working with an automatic, but not safely with a manual.<br /><br />Bit later, I was back south for Dad's 65th, for which mum and Becky had arranged a surprise party. Keeping a surprise from Dad is not easy but we managed it, when he walked into the room he was expecting to go in and have a half price pizza, not for there to be 50 odd friends and family from all over, grouped together for him. Which was brilliant.<br />I managed to see Pippa, Sara and Andi, and Sian and Matt while I was south, which was awesome, and when I got back it was Oktoberfest, again awesome.<br /><br />We had the station Friends and Family day, bit like an airshow but small scale. Typhoon came round and did a very impressive display - that thing just has buckets of power! I was working for the start of the day, and did the weather brief for the Red Arrows, also got to watch them doing their pre-flight brief, where they dissected their last performance, and they are REALLY strict with each themselves and each other. Have a few photos:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/Swheew5p7BI/AAAAAAAAAsk/tUnbVQo0Nig/s1600/IMG_2521.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/Swheew5p7BI/AAAAAAAAAsk/tUnbVQo0Nig/s200/IMG_2521.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406675235274091538" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SwheernzeGI/AAAAAAAAAsc/Wf6IznjISaY/s1600/IMG_2520.JPG"><img tooltip="linkalert-tip" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SwheernzeGI/AAAAAAAAAsc/Wf6IznjISaY/s200/IMG_2520.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406675233857042530" border="0" /></a> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SwheeX2NTCI/AAAAAAAAAsU/8cka71clUpA/s1600/IMG_2499.JPG"><img tooltip="linkalert-tip" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SwheeX2NTCI/AAAAAAAAAsU/8cka71clUpA/s200/IMG_2499.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406675228548746274" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SwheeAQ7a2I/AAAAAAAAAsM/dRO22mkkwDI/s1600/IMG_2484.JPG"><img tooltip="linkalert-tip" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SwheeAQ7a2I/AAAAAAAAAsM/dRO22mkkwDI/s200/IMG_2484.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406675222218369890" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/Swhed9M8PmI/AAAAAAAAAsE/9TGz_jW4lq0/s1600/IMG_2469.JPG"><img tooltip="linkalert-tip" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/Swhed9M8PmI/AAAAAAAAAsE/9TGz_jW4lq0/s200/IMG_2469.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406675221396340322" border="0" /></a> <br />Apart from that, not too much has been happening. I'm going to be moving next year, a friend is buying a house and I'm going to be renting a room from her; I've been working a lot over the road at the other station, mainly at a level above what I'm supposed to be working. I'm looking at potential job development, but have nothing concrete yet.<br />I've almost got used to that moment when you think "oh good, it's half two and I start work at half five." But I still don't like that thought.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-20791668983042021212009-09-06T10:52:00.005+01:002009-09-13T13:56:34.463+01:00LanguageKate sent something to me that I feel I must share, it's a little poem about the English language..<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">I take it you already know<br />Of tough and bough and cough and dough?<br />Others may stumble, but not you,<br />On hiccough, thorough, lough and through?<br />Well done! And now you wish, perhaps,<br />To learn of less familiar traps?<br />Beware of heard, a dreadful word<br />That looks like beard and sounds like bird,<br />And dead: it's said like bed, not bead -<br />For goodness sake don't call it deed!<br />Watch out for meat and great and threat<br />(They rhyme with suite and straight and debt).<br />A moth is not a moth in mother,<br />Nor both in bother, broth in brother,<br />And here is not a match for there<br />Nor dear and fear for bear and pear,<br />And then there's dose and rose and lose -<br />Just look them up - and goose and choose,<br />And cork and work and card and ward,<br />And font and front and word and sword,<br />And do and go and thwart and cart -<br />Come, come, I've hardly made a start!<br />A dreadful language? Man alive!<br />I'd mastered it when I was five!</span></div><br />(some sources add a final couplet)<br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:13px;">And yet to write it, the more I sigh, </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:13px;">I'll not learn how 'til the day I die.</span></span></div><br />Hope she doesn't mind me reposting it here. There's an American reading it <a href="http://international.ouc.bc.ca/pronunciation/poem01.html">here</a>, but up here "dead" can indeed be pronounced "deed", and don't get me started on the Welsh year, here and ear, all of which are said "ur" or saucepan in the Townhill dialect.<br /><br /><a href="http://linguistlist.org/issues/13/13-3353.html">One of the sources</a> gives the following:<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Times;font-size:medium;"><pre>The poem...is attributed to T.S.Watt (1954) and appeared in the Guardian...</pre><pre><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: normal; font-family:Times;"><pre>However, in the following publication it is attributed to Richard Krough, </pre><pre>see: O'Grady, W., Dobrovolsky, W. and Katamba, F.1997. </pre><pre>"Contemporary Linguistics: An Introduction_, London: Longman, p.614"</pre></span></pre></span><div>Interestingly, following one of the links trying to find an author with whom to credit the work, I came across a version on the <a href="http://www.wcda.org.uk/I_take_it_you_already_know_poem.htm">West Cumbria Dyslexic Association</a>, which has an option at the top to very quickly change the background of the page. I'm wondering if this would be a quicker way to test if anyone does find particular backgrounds easier to read from. Or, in the case of Mac Cmd+Opt+Ctrl+8 to invert the page, although I personally have issues reading white text on a black background (persistence of vision is a bugger) it does make the text stand out better. </div><div><br />Right, last bit of packing listening to Tori Amos on the radio before the hire car turns up, drive to Inverness via work, fly to Bristol, pick up another hire car, drive to Exeter for a course in winter forecasting/explosive cyclogenesis/polar lows then home in time for the last night of the Proms!</div></div>Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-32641891815934196272009-08-18T18:26:00.001+01:002009-08-18T18:40:09.824+01:00Right, been a while but here we go with a catch up. The little story thing pretty much went as I’d thought it would, thanks for the feedback though Rich! I’m sure I’ll have missed something that’s happened in the time since my last full post, but the main things since I passed my IAM (still woohoo about that!) are that I applied for a new job at work and did some walking.<br /><br /><br />Ok, maybe it’s a bit more complicated than that.<br /><br />The new job wasn’t actually a new job but a 3 months secondment to a place called <a href="http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/living_and_working/research_stations/rothera/">Rothera</a>. To say that I was rather keen to go would be an understatement and pretty much all the indications were that I had a good shot at it. The position had been massively undersubscribed in previous years and I had Southern Hemisphere experience, winter experience and could put a tick in all the boxes on the application form.<br />But alas, it was not to be. Once the sift date had gone past and then a bit of extra time had lapsed I gave HR a call and was told that it wasn’t their department. Next day (hmmmmm, bit suspicious about the timing) I got the email saying that I had been unsuccessful in my application. I asked for some feedback but so far haven’t received any; there’s almost no point asking HR about it at the moment as we’re in the middle of a pay offer so they are all busy telling people that they’re not really getting a £5000 pay cut, it just looks that way.<br /><br />So, one disappointment down, but now I may get the chance to spend Christmas with my girlfriend and some mates in Switzerland. So, not all bad.<br /><br />Tash and Chris came up again for the Summer Ball, which had waltzers, a surfing simulator, laser clay pigeon shooting, FOOD, drink, more food and other posh entertainments (but not of the “<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5832956/Masked-ball-descends-into-orgy.html">masked ball</a>” variety).<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SormelnNvkI/AAAAAAAAAqY/-C3RMkQt5nU/s1600-h/Chris.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371358918759792194" style="WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SormelnNvkI/AAAAAAAAAqY/-C3RMkQt5nU/s200/Chris.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/Sorme47gC7I/AAAAAAAAAqg/GEpNPmImszc/s1600-h/Tasha1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371358923945151410" style="WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/Sorme47gC7I/AAAAAAAAAqg/GEpNPmImszc/s200/Tasha1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Chris and Tasha on the surf simulator. Yes, I did go on it, and did quite well, but unfortunately I don't have any pictures of that. Shame.<br />Week later we met up again, this time at a camping site in the Cairngorms, in preparation for the big walk – the Wolftrek 45 mile jaunt from Forres to Cairngorm. In the end I had to bin first, partly due to feet but mainly my knee was about to collapse; so I stacked at 17 miles, Tasha made 32 and Chris and Venora managed the whole 45 miles, swearing never to do anything as silly EVER AGAIN.<br />The time for their 45 miles was 19 hr 15 minutes, which was pretty damn good, but a bit longer than the fastest guy, who completed the route in 6 hr 52 min. ^-^<br />We had started out at a decent pace for the route, about 3 miles an hour, which we felt we could sustain, and which was about the right pace to get a time on par with the average from the last year’s pack. Problem was that everyone started off in a big bunch, mainly at the pace of the people who were only planning to do the first section. Pretty soon we were at the back, which isn’t a problem really, just a bit disheartening.<br />By the end some 40% had dropped out. Our team was the last to reach the first, second and third/last checkpoints but Chris and Venora finished in the middle of the pack, mainly as they didn’t get caught out by stopping in the comfy chairs at Glenmore Lodge.<br />Three days later I get a message from Chris asking if I was up for trying to beat the time next year. Ha! So much for never again!<br /><br />Kate is up visiting, and we’re trying to successfully use the bread maker that Tasha and Chris got for me, but my first attempt was less than brilliant.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SormfU6FVyI/AAAAAAAAAqo/xSrkmsG1cN0/s1600-h/Bread.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371358931455399714" style="WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SormfU6FVyI/AAAAAAAAAqo/xSrkmsG1cN0/s200/Bread.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />We also went to see Coraline over the weekend, a Neil Gaiman film that you can tell is one of his stories for children by the way it’s dark and quite disturbing. Good though, especially the cat.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-35554911915458458272009-07-28T23:58:00.002+01:002009-07-29T00:07:36.585+01:00I'm going to try something a bit sillyWell actually I've got a few silly things planned. For one in less than two weeks some friends and myself are doing the Wolftrek - a 45 mile walk ending up at the top of Cairngorm, within 24 hours. Another is below.<br />I don't know if I can write in a way that is readable but this little short has been buzzing around my head for the past couple of days so I thought I'd try to get it down and one I'd written it I figured I'd ask for your comments. Good or bad but please be constructive, if not necessarily nice...<br /><br />So here it is, a story about first contact.<br />.........................................................<br /><br />Assessing record – first contact:<br /><br />“…We turn to our special correspondent on the scene of this, humanity’s first contact with another species! Janet, can you hear me?”<br /><br />“Thank you Tim, yes, here we are less than ten years after the first messages were detected by the LISA observatory, and now we are waiting for the representative of the species known as the ‘Pa’adu’ to leave their craft and be welcomed by the UN delegation. <br />“There seems to be a small delay while the translation equipment is set up, and I am sure everyone watching will remember how the newly commissioned LISA orbiting gravitational wave interferometer picked up patterns in the background gravitational field, and the scientific furore surrounding the discovery that these patterns corresponded to the prime numbers in binary. It has been called the ‘defining moment of our generation’ by the world’s leaders; and yet even today some religious factions have decried the development of the Gravitational Communication Wave, or GCroW, as an affront to the divine plan for humanity, although of course the major religious leaders have distanced themselves from this view. <br />“We are still not sure what to expect when the emissary leaves the ship, as no visual transmission was been possible but all contact has led to the belief that the first life discovered outside of our own planet is peaceful. We know that the home-world of the Pa’adu is slightly smaller than Earth with a similar atmosphere, some 30 light years from our sun. <br />“Communication based on the mathematical system of the GCroW has led to what is now recognised as the decade of fastest development in computing, transport and engineering and there are great hopes for the fu… Hang on Tim, there seems to be something happening!”<br /><br />“We’re getting a bit of interference here Janet, what can you see?”<br /><br />“The vessel, transported by the Pa’adu to the prepared site, has changed! The once smooth shell is now folding back on itself and there is light coming from the inside. Two figures are emerging towards the waiting diplomatic party, they look to be wearing some kind of protective covering with what appears to be a life support system attached. <br />“I…I’m not sure if I can do justice to a description Tim but they look to be slightly smaller than a horse, with six legs and two arm like forelimbs, each ending in two pairs of pincers. They seem to have some kind of sensory centre like a head, at the front of their bodies. Of course as yet we don’t know if they have male and female genders, if they speak as we do or indeed anything except what has been released by the UN Extra-Terrestrial Research Alliance. Speaking at a press conference earlier, Dr Petra Davros of UNETRA told us to expect the delegates to speak through the translation equipment developed from discussion via the GCroW; and it looks like the first Pa’adu is approaching the translator.<br />“There seems to be something wrong, both Pa’adu are moving around, they’re saying something but the UNETRA feed has been disabled so we can’t hear anything. I’m trying to get closer but the security fence is preventing me moving any further. <br />“It looks like there is some discussion happening with the UN group. They seem upset and the alien pair are, yes, they are returning to their craft! I don’t know what is occurring but the UN delegates seem confused and rather angry. The Pa’adu craft is, I don’t believe it, it is leaving.<br />“I can see Dr Davros, she is coming over, Dr Davros, what happened?”<br /><br />“Janet, hi, I… I am not sure. The visitors looked around, looked at us, said some things that we are not sure we translated correctly then left. The translation should have been accurate but it does not make any sense.”<br /><br />“What did they say?”<br /><br />“The parts we are most certain of were that we had not told them of our aggressive nature, of the fact we were hunters and hunters could not be trusted. The last phrase, I’m not sure, but it seems as though they found something wrong with the way we look. They have left now and I am not sure if we can recover from this diplomatic mess.<br />“We are seeking a better translation of the last phrase, as soon as we have it confirmed we will release a full press pack but if you will excuse me I have to get back.”<br /><br />“Well Tim, I’m not sure what to say about the events of today….”<br /><br />Record complete.<br />As you can see, class, this first meeting between humans and a non-Terran race went badly and it took thirty years before we managed to convince any other race that we were not as violent as they assumed. We worried at first that they had witnessed our history and were judging us by how we acted but eventually we found out that the Pa’adu and other were basing their assessment on our heritage and the final comments would be a sign of how so many other races would see us. These words show, possibly more than any others, that in all of the diversity in the universe, some rules of evolution and natural selection are indeed universal.<br />“How can we trust you? You are hunters, we will always be prey to such as you. You have eyes in the front of your head.”<br /><br />.....................................<br /><br />I'll be honest, I would expect most people's first reaction to be "wha?" but hey, I've written drivel on the blog before, why not this? Like I said, please feel free to tell me what you think. ;-DJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-65658174594219638152009-06-30T21:56:00.003+01:002009-06-30T22:09:08.236+01:00Music, friends for the creation of.A couple of my friends make music, me, I tend to just pretend to be able to play instruments. <br />Rich does his under <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/ATP_Boxcraft">Alpha Test Pilot</a>, which I think I've linked to before, I certainly should have. Let's get some buzz going shall we?<br />In addition Julie, one of the guys from Blacks, has been gigging in the Cheltenham area for a while now and sounds pretty great. She's touring as Juey, with the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/jueymusic">ubiquitous Myspace page</a>. I'd recommend anyone in the area have a listen online and if you like it then pop over and say hi. You could say that I sent you, but I'm not sure how that will really be received.<br />One thing I do know is that when I left Blacks we had a bit of a do and it ended up with Jon, myself, Julie, Kim, Rach and a slack handfull of others having a whale of a time. Was the best send off I could imagine. <br /><br />If I've missed anyone else off the list of friends that make music please leave a note in the comments.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-91402978699740841252009-06-28T21:36:00.000+01:002009-06-28T21:37:19.709+01:00Sudden realisation.Arse.<br /><br />I'm 29.<br /><br /><br />I'll write more soon.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-71583584736307098772009-05-17T12:12:00.002+01:002009-05-17T13:04:04.916+01:00Tests, results and things that make you go wow.Morning all,<br />I'm not a fan of paying for things, as a general rule, but sometimes it's necessary, and the TV licence is one of these. I'll go through periods of thinking "why pay if I spend most of my time watching advert funded TV?" then I catch something like "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=planet+earth&aq=0&oq=planet+ear">Planet Earth</a>" or one of the BBC things that has no obvious market but is done to educate, inform and entertain; and I'll think "OK, it's fair."<br />Anyway, what's been happening? Possibly the biggest news for myself is that I took and passed my Advanced Driving Test!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mountainmetman/3515738167/" title="IAM Form by mountainmetman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3638/3515738167_d64cd38265.jpg" alt="IAM Form" height="500" width="361" /></a><br /><br />I was a bit disappointed with a few bits, mainly my acceleration sense and cornering, but I was really chuffed that to be rated highly on observation and commentary. From what some of the Advanced Driving UK folks have said, it's pretty unusual to get a 1 on commentary so I must have been pretty good. :D<br />I've also taken the first module of my <a href="http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=nav.5829">ECDL</a>, passed that as well. I'd be somewhat embarrassed if I hadn't passed it. I'm going to try to get at least a module done each week, depending on work and when the assessment centre can fit me in.<br />Still waiting to see if I'll be able to get any money off my car insurance, but I did the course to be a better driver, not to save money.<br />Aside from that we're <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> waiting for our pay deal to be approved by the Treasury, this is the deal from July last year and includes our new role profiling, which is also delaying us finding out how we can progress in the job.<br />Went to see Star Trek last weekend with a mate from the mess and it was FANTASTIC!!!!11!!one!! I went squee and w00t (difficult to pronounce zero but I did it!) and had many geek joy moments (which I call geek-gasms). I'm tempted to use some of my budget to see Angels and Demons, purely for scientific curiousity of course, but I think that can wait.<br />Made it into the mess on Friday, it was a families happy hour so the rowdy behaviour was delayed until later on in the evening and ended up making sure a mate got back safely to their room before crashing on the sofa. I think there should be a rule that any and all sofas must be comfortable to sleep on, or if not, a sleep-able one must be provided! Woke up with one hell of a crick in my neck.<br />Chatted to Kev in the US for a bit last night and he told me about a little something he and Beth put together:<br /><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=cb8273c8db&photo_id=3529611071"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=cb8273c8db&photo_id=3529611071" height="300" width="400"></embed></object><br /><br />Which made I laugh! <br /><br />The Planet Earth program has just started to feature Ascension Island, and it's a bit weird to think, "I've been there." Not for long, I think I've spent about 4 hours there in total, but even so, it's an odd sort of thought. I'd like to go back, but not for too long, the routine there would probably numb me after a while. Maybe a couple of weeks before heading back south. <br />If anyone is on Facebook please find me and join my Viking clan! PLEASE! I've only got a few chieftains on it and I'm getting picked on! You don't have to do anything after joining. Wow I sound lame. <br />Anyway, last night I was watching Eurovision at times, while flicking over to NCIS and a few other channels, and realised that I didn't know where the hash key is on the Mac, turns out I'm not alone, it's alt+3 which gives # but it's not shown on the keyboard and the "easy" way to find out that was suggested involved going through half a dozen menus, none of which was exactly obvious. And yet that still makes it more logical than some of the bits on the new system we're using at work. <br />I did find myself twittering the contest, reading other tweets, texting a friend in the Lakes, using the interactive services (sing-a-long-a-eurovision, the translations were brilliant!), chatting with a mate in the US and generally being an interactive sort of guy. We're not friendless, it's just most of them are hundreds of miles away.<br />Well there's a Green Day special about to start on TV so I'm going to slap the surround system on loud and enjoy it!Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-49744401520235968412009-04-26T21:16:00.006+01:002009-04-26T22:52:05.291+01:00Friends, girlfriends and driving. Not all at the same time.Earlier this month my friend Swiral came to visit, which was brilliant, then a couple of weeks later my girlfriend Kate finally made it up to visit, which goes without saying as superb.<br />While she was visiting we went up Cairngorm - taking the train as there was still too much snow on the ground and Kate didn't have winter kit with her. That and it was blowing about 40 mph and was -2 C in the carpark, let alone 1000 FT higher up the mountain. We did wander outside the doors at the top, but it was gusting around 60 mph and dang cold there, so rather than walking up to the summit we went to have some (somewhat over priced but rather good) food.<br />Kate told me that she loves castles so I told her that we were going to go for a drive, without telling her where we were heading. Our destination, the most photographed castle in Scotland, Eilean Donan. Featured in Highlander, The World Is Not Enough and almost every other film made in Scotland in the last 50 years. And no, it's not on Loch Ness - that's Urquhart Castle.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SfTVrrwhhbI/AAAAAAAAAgI/zLzOUGOJ3gI/s1600-h/IMG_1430.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SfTVrrwhhbI/AAAAAAAAAgI/zLzOUGOJ3gI/s200/IMG_1430.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329119205543478706" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SfTVsOWnslI/AAAAAAAAAgY/_Vi9pQht9bw/s1600-h/IMG_1449.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SfTVsOWnslI/AAAAAAAAAgY/_Vi9pQht9bw/s200/IMG_1449.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329119214830072402" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SfTVryhZ5oI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/EyxGAk-q9oE/s1600-h/IMG_1432.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SfTVryhZ5oI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/EyxGAk-q9oE/s200/IMG_1432.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329119207359112834" border="0" /></a><br />Worth a visit if you're up here. Worth a trip if you're not, but I think next time I'm going to either get a bigger car beforehand or hire one for the duration.<br />It was more wonderful than I can say to see Kate again, and it felt like she went home far too soon, but hopefully she'll be back soon.<br />Just afterwards there was an IAM (local advanced motoring ground) fun day at the local skid pan and driver training centre. We did a bit of skid pan work (as I'd done some a few months before the instructor skipped the instruction part and went straight to the "I'm not going to tell you what sort of skid I'm going to use, just correct it." part. Great fun actually), a bit of HGV work and driving and reversing a trailer.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SfTTAox8BFI/AAAAAAAAAf4/18vkq9gGHu4/s1600-h/IMG_1543.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SfTTAox8BFI/AAAAAAAAAf4/18vkq9gGHu4/s200/IMG_1543.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329116266986472530" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SfTTAEoBlEI/AAAAAAAAAfo/kMvbFCRZxkA/s1600-h/IMG_1516.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SfTTAEoBlEI/AAAAAAAAAfo/kMvbFCRZxkA/s200/IMG_1516.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329116257281217602" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SfTS_652n4I/AAAAAAAAAfg/NPdCq9IwAzk/s1600-h/IMG_1504.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SfTS_652n4I/AAAAAAAAAfg/NPdCq9IwAzk/s200/IMG_1504.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329116254671642498" border="0" /></a><br />As I got my licence after 1997 (about 7 years after 1997..) I can't legally drive with a trailer so I have no experience of driving or reversing one. Turns out, I'm not bad at it. Or at least in the situation we were using I did OK. All I need now is to get someone to cough up the £300 for a trailer licence for me. One of the things that made the day a bit more difficult was the presence of a herd of cattle, wandering all across the driving area and generally licking the other cars.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SfTTAUvLPII/AAAAAAAAAfw/LyXcKW1Tn5g/s1600-h/IMG_1525.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/SfTTAUvLPII/AAAAAAAAAfw/LyXcKW1Tn5g/s200/IMG_1525.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329116261606177922" border="0" /></a><br />So, apart from some great cartoons and some "stuff" at work, that's been about it. I might be posting more about what's going on there, but for now let's just say that I'm not a big fan of the government, especially the treasury...<br />In closing, I'd recommend the New York Times best seller Turn Coat, but do read the rest of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher first. And listen to Invaders Must Die by the Prodigy. No, I'm not on commission. Yet.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-17127001441727968092009-04-02T21:55:00.005+01:002009-04-02T22:31:53.063+01:00April, fool.Yesterday being the first of April there was a fair bit of pressure on us to try to do something "funny" at some point. This was a problem. I was trying to think of something that I could do but nothing presented itself.<br />I was running out of time.<br />I drove over to give a brief at one of the squadrons, got ready with the usual banter. They asked what April fools joke I'd be doing and I responded with the usual "I would but as a corporation we have no sense of humour" (Men in Black misquote FTW!)<br />Got to the end of the presentation and on the last slide it came to me.<br />"For Friday we've got a front moving in from the west; and next week we've got the TV weather girls coming up for their routine defence rotation."<br /><br />I managed to dead-pan the entire thing and the pure joy on the faces of the guys was beautiful. They started planning to re-arrange time off and asking me details such as which girls, how long they were staying and would they be visiting the mess?<br /><br />After a few seconds I looked up, smiled and simply said, "Gotcha!"<br /><br />Much good natured verbal abuse ensued and as I left the briefing room I heard someone (might have been the boss) clearly enunciate, with a hint of begrudging respect, "Bastard!"<br />(Today the squadron boss admitted he had been hooked nicely.)<br /><br />Didn't quite work as well with the other squadron, but then again I'm not sure if they realise it was a joke...<br />I'm not going to say which squadrons were involved but I think it's fair to say that I am pretty dang happy with that one.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-15892293662404356722009-03-30T18:20:00.004+01:002009-03-30T18:29:55.605+01:00IdentityWe had another directive at work telling us that we shouldn't put any information on the web that could allow anyone to identify who we are or where we work.<br />OK, fine, I can see why, but given the work we do, and who we work for, sometimes this rule doesn't make sense.<br />Take my mate Simon for example, he's on the BBC at times and has a photo profile on the BBC homepage. I've been on "national" radio - admittedly it was Falkland Islands radio but was still broadcast across the Islands. It did result in my being recognised by voice in Stanley (woohoo, I'm famous!!!!) but back here I'm much more anonymous.<br />I don't think anyone would mistake me for an official viewpoint about anything, in fact I'm pretty sure I said as much in one of the early entries, but I'm not going to blatantly state who I work for. Besides, I'm sure I've been oh-so-subtle and no one could possibly guess... ;)Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28061915.post-30939018821598887372009-03-18T17:11:00.007+00:002009-03-18T18:12:49.036+00:00Terror, it's about 3 foot high!Today, I learned a new type of terror.<br />I had to give a talk about the weather (and my job) to a group of Primary 2 children - ages 5-6. 25 of them. I'm not really that good with kids, so trying to aim the talk at the right level was hard enough, working with the teacher to control the children was even worse and I made the usual mistake - open questions! Ah, I'm a fool!<br />I was told, "never ask questions with more than two answers," and "never ask any question that could lead to a story about the weekend," but I ended up doing exactly that... Not horrifically but I guess I'm just not cut out to work with sprogs very much.<br />Having said all of that, I actually think it went quite well. I've got no idea what a good lesson is with kids that age (should have asked Kate for advice!) but their teacher seemed pretty pleased. I'd taken a load of the old school met kit that we have as back-ups, sunshine recorder (looks like a crystal ball on a stand), an "aspirated psychrometer" (two thermometers with a clockwork fan attached), hand-held anemometer (wind measuring thingy in black Bakelite - very 50s retro), small Stevenson Screen, satellite images and charts.<br />I had a few print outs of my favourite images such as a global map with nothing on it then ask the kids how many lightning strikes they thought would have happened in half an hour world wide (they thought 31) and then show them. In this case I'd printed out another chart with the strikes shown, and there were a few hundred at least. Certainly impressed the teacher, and I think the kids liked it.<br />So, although not a full win, I think I came out ahead. If nothing else when the children came in and saw all the kit laid out one of the lads said , "he's got cool stuff!" I liked that kid then.<br /><br />Well, apart from that, I've had a couple of chances to get some pictures from work, and I think a few of them were alright. Comments welcome.<br />Firstly a Pax (passenger) transport that popped up:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/ScE1b3IsLbI/AAAAAAAAAeM/whIDPYY11oA/s1600-h/Cesna.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/ScE1b3IsLbI/AAAAAAAAAeM/whIDPYY11oA/s200/Cesna.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314587788047035826" border="0" /></a><br />Then a Merlin:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/ScE1y2zCLGI/AAAAAAAAAe8/5fSIm-xMclM/s1600-h/Merlin+Leaving.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 130px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/ScE1y2zCLGI/AAAAAAAAAe8/5fSIm-xMclM/s200/Merlin+Leaving.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314588183093193826" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/ScE1yRoQLkI/AAAAAAAAAe0/9sn-9eU-XUg/s1600-h/Merlin.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/ScE1yRoQLkI/AAAAAAAAAe0/9sn-9eU-XUg/s200/Merlin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314588173115862594" border="0" /></a><br />Then a Hawk (in this case from the centre of aviation medicene):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/ScE1cuaL4UI/AAAAAAAAAes/9XJnLXXtf18/s1600-h/Hawk.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 122px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/ScE1cuaL4UI/AAAAAAAAAes/9XJnLXXtf18/s200/Hawk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314587802884366658" border="0" /></a><br />And finally some of our guys in the sun:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/ScE1cRuSkeI/AAAAAAAAAek/RnkMCCekKOY/s1600-h/GR4+Taxi.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/ScE1cRuSkeI/AAAAAAAAAek/RnkMCCekKOY/s200/GR4+Taxi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314587795184062946" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/ScE1b7XjKFI/AAAAAAAAAeU/eWrEzLTUNto/s1600-h/GR4+flying.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 128px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/ScE1b7XjKFI/AAAAAAAAAeU/eWrEzLTUNto/s200/GR4+flying.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314587789183101010" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/ScE1cLXoxPI/AAAAAAAAAec/4N-blfUizkw/s1600-h/GR4+Landing.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 121px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Vv_1OhUbLEA/ScE1cLXoxPI/AAAAAAAAAec/4N-blfUizkw/s200/GR4+Landing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314587793478436082" border="0" /></a><br />I need to use a bit of a faster shutter speed but had dropped it to get a bit of blur on the blades.Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06109314035107550910noreply@blogger.com0