Monday, April 7, 2008

Local Imagery

Take some time to peruse this flickr link. It's a stream of all of the public photos uploaded to flickr, a photo sharing site, that have a "Yorkshire" tag.

Some are by travelers and visitors, and some by locals. Some amateur and some professional. Just a few clicks through will give you a nice shot of the local texture. javascript:void(0)

The landscape you would be so lucky to be familiar with



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Time Machine

It may have only been ten years ago, but I'd like to take you back to 1998 for a bit.

Here's a list of notable world events that shaped 1998, and where we were at in the world of technology at the time.

Events

Financial Crisis hits much of South East Asia


Worlds biggest airport in the world opens in Hong Kong


Terrorist Bombing attacks at two US Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam killing 250 people


Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland


Bill Clinton denies he had "sexual relations" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. starting the Lewinsky scandal and investigations


An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter Scale in northeast Afghanistan kills more than 5,000.
66-day blackout begins in Auckland, New Zealand.


Tornadoes in central Florida destroy or damage 2,600 structures and kill 42


Osama bin Laden publishes fatwa declaring jihad against all Jews and Crusaders.


The Belfast Agreement is signed between the Irish and British governments and most Northern Ireland political parties ending many years of terrorist activity in Northern Ireland and mainland Britain


A tsunami triggered by an undersea earthquake destroys 10 villages in Papua New Guinea killing an estimated 1,500,


In China the Yangtze River breaks through the main bank. The death toll was more than 12,000 injuring many thousands more.


Devaluation of the rouble. The ruble lost 70% of its value against US dollar in 6 months . Several of the largest Russians banks collapsed, and millions of people lost their savings.


Hurricane Mitch makes landfall in Central America killing an estimated 18,000 people


Islamic extremists attack two villages in Algeria and massacre 400 local villagers


Europeans agree on a single currency the Euro


President Bill Clinton Impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice.


Two boys Mitchell Johnson ( 13 yrs old ) and Andrew Golden ( 11 Years Old ) shoot and kill four fellow students in Jonesboro, Arkansas.


The European Central Bank is Established in Frankfurt Germany


U.N.I.C.E.F. reports over 130 million children worldwide do not attend school and their is approximately 250 million child laborers worldwide


The two oil companies Exxon and Mobil merge to create the worlds largest petroleum company


Low Flying US Military jet severs the cable of a ski lift in Italy and 20 people plunge to their death


Israel celebrates it's 50th Anniversary of it's founding


An oil pipeline running through a village in Nigeria, explodes killing 700 people with the resulting fire burning for nearly a week.


The Worlds Longest Suspension Bridge ( as of 2007 ) in Akashi, Japan is Completed


Iraq prevents UN weapons inspectors from conducting a search and President Bill Clinton orders a series of air strikes against Iraq


BMW buys Rolls-Royce cars for $570 million


France Wins 1998 World Cup in France


The Winter Olympic Games are held in Nagano, Japan


Technology

Worlds first Digital Terrestrial Television Service launched in the UK


Windows 98 released by Microsoft


During 1998 with the technology maturing e-commerce started to take off as more and more companies decided to create a presence on the Internet with their own web sites.


The Search Engine Google is founded.


The Worlds largest suspension Bridge 1.234 miles in Japan opens


19 European nations agree to forbid human cloning.


Data sent from the Galileo probe indicates that Jupiter's moon Europa has a liquid ocean under a thick crust of ice


The FDA approves Viagra for use as a treatment for male impotence, becoming the first pill to be approved to treat this condition in the United States.


Apple Computer unveils the iMac.


Danish Catamaran Cat Link V sets new record for fastest crossing of the north atlantic Blue Ribband in 2 days 17.59 hours


India and Pakistan test nuclear weapons

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And here's what was topping the music charts in the UK.



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Sunday, April 6, 2008

Out the Bedroom Window



Now picture it show covered while I find some blizzardy versions...

Glossary (under construction)

Georgette Heyer (p.6): very popular romance and historical novelist; see this site for excerpts of her work; Heyer died in 1972

iron lung (p.7): a non-invasive medical ventilator (technically known as a negative pressure ventilator) used to treat patients in respiratory failure in the early to mid 20th centrury and is often associated with the polio outbreaks of this time; the iron lung has been widely replaced by the mechanical ventilator

The High Chaparral (p.8): a western/action television series that took place in Arizona in the 1870s; episodes centered around the Cannon family who owned the ranch the show was named after; this American series was very popular in Europe; ran for four seasons from 1967-1971

Scott of the Antarctic (p.11): 1948 film that told the true story of British explorer Robert Falcon Scott’s treacherous expedition to the South Pole

PMT (p.12): premenstrual tension; another way of referring to PMS

Gary Glitter (p.13): an English pop/rock singer and performer; from his website: “Gary Glitter is not just a superstar - he is a phenomenon whose life, both private and public, mirrors his extravagant, controversial and over the top, but always entertaining, live performances.”

paracetamol (p.14): mild pain reliever known as acetaminophen in the US; ie: Tylenol; pronounced para-see-ta-mol

barley cup (p.14): a caffeine free beverage used as a coffee substitute; made of barley and other grains; it is freeze dried and used like instant coffee

Rescue Remedy (p.15): an all natural substance made of flower essences that is used for stress and anxiety relief; its original form is a liquid that is dissolved in a glass of water before drinking, but it is now also sold as a spray, a cream, and as lozenges

beta blockers (p.15): prescription drug with many indications, most commonly high blood pressure, glaucoma, and migraines; may be prescribed for generalized anxiety disorder

carbonade of beef (p.15): beef stew

yogic flying (p.16): check it out here

Shreddies (p.19): malted, whole grain wheat breakfast cereal