Friday and a lovely (wet) bank holiday to look forward to!
Just a couple of links this week -
Why you don't pour pertrol on a fire...
This guy has been (single-handedly) building his own metro system since 1984...
The Geek Alphabet...
"Yes, this is an actual PC Game screenshot" (how things have moved on)... ;)
Colosseum to open underground corridors for the first time...!
Why did you build a death ray? (the sad truth)...
Russian Lord of the Rings illustrations...
...and finally a telescope fail and a great wedding picture fail... ;)
Enjoy the long weekend...!! ;)
28 May, 2010
27 May, 2010
26 May, 2010
Twelve cups of tea a day...
Prompted by my (soon to be ex) office manager, yesterday I kept a tally of how many cups of tea I drank during the course of the day...I don't know if, in a quantum way, by the very act of monitoring my behaviour I altered it in any way (I tried not to, but you never know) but the end result is that, on this occasion at least, I consumed twelve cups (with a spot of milk, no sugar, ta)...
This, slightly surprising figure, caused both he and I to raise our eyebrows a little...but is it actually bad?
From one point of view, no, it's actually quite the contrary - to quote Wikipedia -
"Tea leaves contain more than 700 chemicals, among which the compounds closely related to human health are flavanoides, amino acids, vitamins (C, E and K), caffeine and polysaccharides. Moreover, tea drinking has recently proven to be associated with cell-mediated immune function of the human body. Tea plays an important role in improving beneficial intestinal microflora, as well as providing immunity against intestinal disorders and in protecting cell membranes from oxidative damage. Tea also prevents dental caries due to the presence of fluorine. The role of tea is well established in normalizing blood pressure, lipid depressing activity, prevention of coronary heart diseases and diabetes by reducing the blood-glucose activity. Tea also possesses germicidal and germistatic activities against various gram-positive and gram negative human pathogenic bacteria. Both green and black tea infusions contain a number of antioxidants, mainly catechins that have anti-carcinogenic, anti-mutagenic and anti-tumoric properties".
- however, it does also contain quite a lot of caffeine...50mg per cup in fact...which means I am dosing (although spread out over 9-ish hours) on roughly 600mg of caffeine per day...this *seems* like a lot to me, even though (medically) there is "very little risk of harm" (see the note above the chart) - and (in my defence) - I barely touch a drop of tea outside the office (I go every week night and all weekend long without so much as a sniff, with no ill effects at all)...
But it's given me pause...What do you think? Is twelve cups of tea a day too much?
This, slightly surprising figure, caused both he and I to raise our eyebrows a little...but is it actually bad?
From one point of view, no, it's actually quite the contrary - to quote Wikipedia -
"Tea leaves contain more than 700 chemicals, among which the compounds closely related to human health are flavanoides, amino acids, vitamins (C, E and K), caffeine and polysaccharides. Moreover, tea drinking has recently proven to be associated with cell-mediated immune function of the human body. Tea plays an important role in improving beneficial intestinal microflora, as well as providing immunity against intestinal disorders and in protecting cell membranes from oxidative damage. Tea also prevents dental caries due to the presence of fluorine. The role of tea is well established in normalizing blood pressure, lipid depressing activity, prevention of coronary heart diseases and diabetes by reducing the blood-glucose activity. Tea also possesses germicidal and germistatic activities against various gram-positive and gram negative human pathogenic bacteria. Both green and black tea infusions contain a number of antioxidants, mainly catechins that have anti-carcinogenic, anti-mutagenic and anti-tumoric properties".
- however, it does also contain quite a lot of caffeine...50mg per cup in fact...which means I am dosing (although spread out over 9-ish hours) on roughly 600mg of caffeine per day...this *seems* like a lot to me, even though (medically) there is "very little risk of harm" (see the note above the chart) - and (in my defence) - I barely touch a drop of tea outside the office (I go every week night and all weekend long without so much as a sniff, with no ill effects at all)...
But it's given me pause...What do you think? Is twelve cups of tea a day too much?
25 May, 2010
DLR from Lewisham to Canary Wharf
Here we go, just a few shots from my HTC Hero of my new Journey, unfortunately an operator came and took my place by the only clean window so my later shots are through rather a lot of grime, but actually, that improved some of them (imho)...anyway, this is where the journey on the DLR starts, Lewisham station -
- I've only got down the stairs to these two platforms *twice* and not managed to walk straight onto a train and choose a seat, once was a points failure (when I ended up walking through the docklands heading for the big tower from Crossharbour), and once was a sub-station failure (last week, and was fixed in about ten minutes flat), trains come in every two minutes or so, so if one were to find both trains full, it's only a very short wait for another empty one to arrive (as this is the end of the line)...
The first couple of stops are very close together, Elverson Road -
- and Deptford Bridge...it's then a slightly longer hop to Greenwich (where I change for CannonStreet services on the way home), the reason why I don't change here in the morning is because all the seats have now (usually) been filled...
- at Greenwich we are usually full and standing, ready to start the journey under the Thames -
- stopping underground at Cutty Sark (for historic Greenwich) -
- (yeah, sorry 'bout that - cameraphone no likie low lightie) - and Island Gardens, then back out into the daylight for Mudchute (named thusly as it was the dumping ground for all the mud when Millwall Dock was being dug) -
- lucky really, as, as a result it became a sort of improptu nature reserve, eventually becoming home to a big urban farming project (the one on Junior Apprentice last week, if you saw it) and actually quite a pretty area -
- from here it's another fairly short hop to Crossharbour (which, as I mentioned already, I now know how to walk from if needs be) -
- this is a busy little shopping area, full of waterside cafes and bars, just a taste of the buzz a stone's throw away -
- then on (past the foundations of the old Crossharbour stop, demolished I imagine, as the platforms were too short for the new trains), the towers of the Wharf now clearly visible glittering in the sunshine off to our right through South Quay and Heron Quays (in very quick succession) -
- and then into Canary Wharf station (where I get off and walk for 30 seconds to find myself in reception, One Canada Square)...DLR Commute - Done!
Update - found this time lapse video -
- I've only got down the stairs to these two platforms *twice* and not managed to walk straight onto a train and choose a seat, once was a points failure (when I ended up walking through the docklands heading for the big tower from Crossharbour), and once was a sub-station failure (last week, and was fixed in about ten minutes flat), trains come in every two minutes or so, so if one were to find both trains full, it's only a very short wait for another empty one to arrive (as this is the end of the line)...
The first couple of stops are very close together, Elverson Road -
- and Deptford Bridge...it's then a slightly longer hop to Greenwich (where I change for CannonStreet services on the way home), the reason why I don't change here in the morning is because all the seats have now (usually) been filled...
- at Greenwich we are usually full and standing, ready to start the journey under the Thames -
- stopping underground at Cutty Sark (for historic Greenwich) -
- (yeah, sorry 'bout that - cameraphone no likie low lightie) - and Island Gardens, then back out into the daylight for Mudchute (named thusly as it was the dumping ground for all the mud when Millwall Dock was being dug) -
- lucky really, as, as a result it became a sort of improptu nature reserve, eventually becoming home to a big urban farming project (the one on Junior Apprentice last week, if you saw it) and actually quite a pretty area -
- from here it's another fairly short hop to Crossharbour (which, as I mentioned already, I now know how to walk from if needs be) -
- this is a busy little shopping area, full of waterside cafes and bars, just a taste of the buzz a stone's throw away -
- then on (past the foundations of the old Crossharbour stop, demolished I imagine, as the platforms were too short for the new trains), the towers of the Wharf now clearly visible glittering in the sunshine off to our right through South Quay and Heron Quays (in very quick succession) -
- and then into Canary Wharf station (where I get off and walk for 30 seconds to find myself in reception, One Canada Square)...DLR Commute - Done!
Update - found this time lapse video -
24 May, 2010
A few things I don't miss...
Commuting from Redhill, on the stupid full-and-standing or late/cancelled pink Thameslink/First Capital Connect service...
Trying to empty the spare room to build a nursery...
Alcatraz...
Santa Pod in the rain...
The Jubilee Line...
Queueing for the number 17 bus...
Shopping for the Wedding (although luckily Flyingpops rather enjoyed it)...
Colin the Camper breaking down...
The Jubilee Line...
My Xbox breaking (twice)...
Putting up the thermal shields in Colin (seemed to take forever)...
Our rubbish old boiler and being able to run out of hot water...
Tent camping in the rain...
The Jubilee Line...
Experimenting (foolishly) with the various chilli sauces in Mexico in the "native" section of the buffet (despite my asbestos mouth)...
Trying to fit everything into Poppy the Beetle's boot...
Giant spiders on the doorstep...
Brain dead domestic terrorists...
Kings cross (in general)...
Trying to commute in the snow...
Chaotic scenes at NCT sales, when we needed *everything*...
Nokia N73 headphones...
Trying to be a plasterer...
Daves insanity sauce...
23 May, 2010
West Wittering
West Wittering
Originally uploaded by finkangel.
...just sat enjoying our second glorious day in the sun on West Wittering beach, even managed to use our local knowledge to skip the three mile tailback to the car park! ;)
21 May, 2010
Finks Links #96
Friday!
The facts in the case of Dr Andrew Wakefield...
Hilarious campfire joke (if you are geeky enough)...
Fallout shelters for the next generation...
Time is Money!
Only in America...*sigh*...what a waste...
All the trailers from Cannes in one handy package...
(only slightly fake looking, but amusing) Lost Cat Posters... ;)
Some (slightly old) pictures of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (exciting)!
Manned mission to Mars launching on 3rd of June...
...and finally a rather nice Zombie t-shirt...
Enjoy the forecast great weather weekend...!! ;)
The facts in the case of Dr Andrew Wakefield...
Hilarious campfire joke (if you are geeky enough)...
Fallout shelters for the next generation...
Time is Money!
Only in America...*sigh*...what a waste...
All the trailers from Cannes in one handy package...
(only slightly fake looking, but amusing) Lost Cat Posters... ;)
Some (slightly old) pictures of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (exciting)!
Manned mission to Mars launching on 3rd of June...
...and finally a rather nice Zombie t-shirt...
Enjoy the forecast great weather weekend...!! ;)
20 May, 2010
A few things I miss...
*Proper* crunchy Buffalo chicken wings (New York Style) - with insane American Hot Sauce and salty creamy blue cheese dip...no-one in England can get it quite right (apart from Chillis - which was killed by the credit crunch)...
Waking up in Colin the Camper...
Cheeky lunchtime burgers at Smithy's...
Chilli Pepper Pete turning up to Laughton...
The view down the Thames on a summer day when stranded at Blackfriars station by First Capital Connect...
The route of the number 17 bus...
New Harry Potter books...
Being able to stand in the shed at the end of the strip at Santa Pod (and be almost choked to death by toxic fume - much better than it sounds)...
My Mavica MVC-CD500 (effortless quality)...
Our front garden, that one year (with the throw-and-grow) although it did take a lot of watering...
Widemouth Bay...
Living in the penthouse...
Breakfast in Mexico...
Wondering what would be in the window of the Porcupine Book Shop...
Holidaying in the Canary Islands...
Cheesesteak...
"All new" episodes of Star Trek...
My C500 running Windows Mobile (Smartphones didn't start with the iphone, here's to full internet, movies and apps way back in 2004, I wasn't even blogging back then)... ;)
My Nyko Airflow...
New Years Day at Hedley Wood...
All the evening papers except the Evening Standard (it's far too grown up)...
Fillet steak at the Arkle Manor (or anywhere else for that matter) I think my most recent one was before the wedding...!
James May's Lego House...
So I'm obviously in desperate need of a holiday and something nice to eat (just to start with)... ;)