The Irvken Experience

25 Abandoned Yugoslavia Monuments that look like they’re from the Future 

I arrived in Cricklade around 10.45am in bright sunshine. Discovered Cricklade was a 9th Century Saxon Town with beautiful old stone buildings along a typical English country high street with more pubs than they need. They all looked inviting but it was too early to indulge. Cricklade is built on a junction of the Thames with one of the main Roman Roads to Cirencester, I made a mental note to find out more about the Roman/Saxon origins of the area.

The Thames at Cricklade

Overgrown trees obscured some of the Thames Path signage so it was a bit disorientating trying to find my way out of the town to the Path. In fact I ended up walking on the opposite side of the Thames to where the path ran as I got out of town. In one way I was glad because I see large herds of cattle across the river standing on the official path, but I did have to climb a couple of fences and cross some fields to join back up with the path by a bridge with a cycle path crossing it.

Having turned left off the cycle path the Thames Path then winded its way through huge lakes presumably reclaimed from Gravel pits, industry filled in. I’m always amazed how quickly the industrialised countryside can be filled in. A few professional looking fisherman were dotted about and more than a few Private Property signs. The river and path then skirted the east and north of the small town of Ashton Keynes, passing through a very picturesque housing estate of Cotswold Stone. Although as flat as a pancake according to the map we were on the South East edge of the Cotswolds.

On leaving Ashton Keynes, by a very pretty lawned mill and cottages and , despite once more moving through a complex area of lakes, the riverbed completely dried up. I knew it wasn’t usually like this because I’d seen photos of it in full flow, but nevertheless that was the last I saw of the Thames. Later I was told that 2 largish brooks feed into the Thames at Ashton Keynes and that was what had given it the lease of life I’d experienced up to there.

Path next to dried up riverbed

The last lake before the path meets the next village Somerford Keynes is surrounded on three sides by a gated luxury housing estate. Despite my indignation on rich folks spoiling the view again, I was rather taken with the big steel and glass lakeside properties. Even looking them up when I got home.

Had lunch in the country park at Neigh Bridge with 2 walkers from Cardiff, but left first, heading north through fields and kissing gates, which seem to be preferred to stiles in this area. Running alongside the now empty Thames towards Ewen. Just before you reach Ewen there is a magnificent Grand House and gardens which you almost entirely circle as the path twists back behind it as well. A man in the garden and I eyed each other embarrassingly throughout the whole manoeuvre. I kept thinking hasn’t he got anything useful he should be doing.

The official Thames Path now went along the road through Ewen and out the other side towards Kemble. A road that was busier than it had any right to be. Eventually turning right across fields and just now starting to rise, almost imperceptibly climbing, the very start of the first foothills of the Cotswolds and then finally crossing the A429 I was now just 4 fields away from the Source of the Thames.

Unfortunately the first two long fields were full of large herds of very big cows. Anyone who knows me well is aware I’m a bit cow-phobic, but I’d come this far so gripping the dogs lead tightly and keeping to the dried up river bed, less and less distinguishable, I marched eyes forward on just nervous tension and a prayer, and was relieved to take a well earned breather after getting through.

The final road crossing took me through a few more field still gently climbing and skirting to the east a steeper forested hill t the stone and path that mark the source of the River Tames. Luckily there were 2 nice young women there to take my picture. I reciprocated.

Sign and stone at the source of the Thames

Horror of horrors I then had to repeat traversing the cow fields to hurry back to Kemble railway station for my connection back to Bristol. I think I was very brave.

I’ve decided to do the walk again, the way I originally intended , from Cirencester to Cricklade, in the Winter with Hilary. If anyone else wants to come along they’re more than welcome.

DARPA Encourages Individuals and Organizations to Look to the Stars; Issues Call for Papers for 100 Year Starship Study Public Symposium

June 15, 2011

In 1865, Jules Verne put forward a seemingly impossible notion in From Earth to the Moon: he wrote about building a giant space gun that would rocket men to the moon. Just over a century later, the impossible became reality when Neil Armstrong took that first step onto the moon’s surface in 1969.

A century can fundamentally change our understanding of our universe and reality. Man’s desire to explore space and achieve the seemingly impossible is at the center of the 100 Year Starship Study Symposium. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and NASA Ames Research Center (serving as execution agent), are working together to convene thought leaders dealing with the practical and fantastic issues man needs to address to achieve interstellar flight one hundred years from now.

DARPA and NASA Ames Research Center are soliciting abstracts for papers and/or topics/members for discussion panels, to be presented at the 100 Year Starship Study Symposium to be held in Orlando, Florida from September 30 through October 2, 2011.

The symposium is expected to attract roughly hundreds of people from around the world. Speaking abstracts for papers and proposed panels should be submitted online at www.100yss.org by 2:00 pm ET on Friday, July 8, 2011.

“This won’t just be another space technology conference – we’re hoping that ethicists, lawyers, science fiction writers, technologists and others, will participate in the dialog to make sure we’re thinking about all the aspects of interstellar flight,” said David Neyland, director of the Tactical Technology Office for DARPA. “This is a great opportunity for people with interesting ideas to be heard, which we believe will spur further thought, dreaming and innovation.”

The conference will include a series of tracks. Individuals may submit speaking abstracts directly related to these topics, or they can propose entirely different ideas.
o Time-Distance Solutions [propulsion, time/space manipulation and/or dilation, near speed of light navigation, faster than light navigation, observations and sensing at near speed of light or faster than light]
o Education, Social, Economic and Legal Considerations [education as a mission, who goes, who stays, to profit or not, economies in space, communications back to earth, political ramifications, round-trip legacy investments and assets left behind]
o Philosophical, and Religious Considerations [why go to the stars, moral and ethical issues, implications of finding habitable worlds, implications of finding life elsewhere, implications of being left behind]
o Biology and Space Medicine [physiology in space, psychology in space, human life suspension (e.g., cryogenic), medical facilities and capabilities in space, on-scene (end of journey) spawning from genetic material]
o Habitats and Environmental Science [to have gravity or not, space and radiation effects, environmental toxins, energy collection and use, agriculture, self-supporting environments, optimal habitat sizing]
o Destinations [criteria for destination selection, what do you take, how many destinations and missions, probes versus journeys of faith]
o Communication of the Vision [storytelling as a means of inspiration, linkage between incentives, payback and investment, use of movies, television and books to popularize long term research and long term journeys]

DARPA contends that the useful, unanticipated consequences of such research – benefits from improved propulsion to energy storage and life support – can ultimately benefit the Department of Defense and to NASA, as well as the private and commercial sector.

The 100 Year Starship Study aims to culminate in the creation of a self-sustaining organization that will tackle all the issues and challenges inherent in long duration interstellar space flight. Additional information about the project may be found by visiting www.100yss.org. The public symposium is intended to seed creative energy to “kick-start” long term research goals.

Over 300 pics and rising! I’ll add mine later

Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear –
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

The Reading project stalled almost immediately, I’m reading a lot but writing very little. In the meantime I’m doing other interesting geeky things
Courtesy of Mike:

I have the following articles I found at the end of BarnCamp:

* A white canvass shoulder bag

* A book entitled Property Law by Roger J Smith

* A Cambridge brand notebook with some details of some networks (IPs etc)

* A copy of the June 2011 issue of the Official Playstation Magazine

* A minute xylophone/glockenspiel

* A Let’s Play with Barney fun mobile phone toy

* A metallic plain necklace with a celtic knotwork talisman on it.

* A Barney toy camera (some great shots of Barney to be seen).

I’m not a great collector of books and I have friends who are much wider readers than me, but I do use the library a lot and I do have a medium size collection of books stored in one large ceiling height IKEA bookcase with the paperbacks double shelved. I think that makes me a reader.

Now that the age of the ebook is upon us, storing your own paper books strikes me as being slightly old fashioned. I assume economics will steer libraries inevitably to ebooks (like Project Gutenberg) and most text will become digital, if it’s not already. Actual paper  books will become antique collector pieces, a very specialist format like vinyl, and I’ve never been into old stuff just for old stuffs sake, generally new technology is better than old. I’ve already experimented and read myself a few self published free electronic books books on the net (my first was Q) and in 2010 I finally bought my first ebook and read it on my phone, and am an instant convert.

To mark the ushering in of this new era then I have started and intend to try and read all the books in my bookcase one by one and write about them as I do. As I’ve kept them, they all obviously hold some interest to me or have some significance in my life. A few are books I’ve always meant to read at some point and never got round to. Others are books that significantly shifted my paradigms for good or ill.

I suspect I could never read all of them in the short while I have left in this mortal coil,in addition  I have a steady stream of new arrivals from my Amazon Wish List (people can be very grateful for IT support), so at times the bookcase will be growing faster than it diminishes I expect, but you never know. Like my project to walk around the coast of Europe (another dream I’ve commenced) it’s something to aim for, if not something that actually needs doing or is doable.

I’d like to write, if not for others entertainment or interest, then just for the sheer joy of doing it. I’m not sure if I’m any good,in fact  when I re-read most of what I’ve written it’s always painful. There is the occasional well polished gem, but they are few and far between. I appreciate well meant criticism, though reserve the right to sulk privately and resent you for ages.

I’m aware my reading is not to everyone’s taste, it tends to centre on history, popular science and science fiction, with the odd literary giant thrown in (not that there aren’t a considerable number of giants in my genre collections). You can see my book shelf develop through clicking on the Now Reading widget on the right. This takes you through to my Shelfari account where I will also post most of my reviews and comments. It would be cool to have more book loving friends using that.

I have already started this project and have a lot of catching up to do as I’m 6 books in. The first book on the top shelf left hand side was a previously well thumbed “Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” by William Shirer. I’ll be amazed if anyone bears with me through this process right to the end. The bottom shelf is loaded with Maths and Programming text books from my college days so I might actually learn something. You never know.

I’m sure this won’t get me any readers (and probably sued by the Guardian) but I have to do it.

# 90:00+4:39 The game is over, as the referee blows his whistle.
# 90:00+4:26 Zlatan Ibrahimovic is caught offside. Heurelho Gomes takes the indirect free kick.
# 90:00+3:36 Corner taken short by Gennaro Gattuso.
# 90:00+3:26 De Souza Robinho takes a shot. Blocked by Michael Dawson.
# 90:00+3:16 The ball is delivered by Ignazio Abate.
# 90:00+3:06 The ball is delivered by Gennaro Gattuso, Michael Dawson makes a clearance.
# 90:00+2:52 Centre by Ignazio Abate, Michael Dawson makes a clearance.
# 90:00+2:18 Da Silva Alexandre Pato delivers the ball, clearance by Michael Dawson.
# 90:00+1:22 Short corner worked by Luka Modric.
# 90:00+1:14 Centre by Niko Kranjcar, Mario Yepes gets a block in.
# 88:37 Effort on goal by Zlatan Ibrahimovic from outside the box goes harmlessly over the bar.
# 87:35 Shot from a long way out by De Souza Robinho goes wide of the left-hand post.
# 82:28 Zlatan Ibrahimovic is caught offside. Heurelho Gomes restarts play with the free kick.
# 79:36 Assist on the goal came from Aaron Lennon.
# 79:36 GOAL – Peter Crouch:AC Milan 0 – 1 Tottenham Peter Crouch gets on the score sheet with a goal from just inside the penalty area to the bottom left corner of the goal. AC Milan 0-1 Tottenham.
# 78:53 Da Silva Alexandre Pato sends in a cross.
# 77:32 Zlatan Ibrahimovic takes a shot. Heurelho Gomes makes a comfortable save.
# 76:00 Substitution Niko Kranjcar joins the action as a substitute, replacing Steven Pienaar.
# 75:07 Michael Dawson restarts play with the free kick.
# 75:07 Booking Booking for Gennaro Gattuso for unsporting behaviour.
# 75:06 Steven Pienaar fouled by Gennaro Gattuso, the ref awards a free kick.
# 74:22 The referee blows for offside. Heurelho Gomes takes the free kick.
# 73:02 The ball is swung over by da Silva Alexandre Pato, Michael Dawson manages to make a clearance.
# 71:05 Outswinging corner taken by De Souza Robinho, Mario Yepes takes a shot. Blocked by William Gallas.
# 70:47 Mathieu Flamini takes a shot. Blocked by Jonathan Woodgate.
# 69:21 Mathieu Flamini gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on William Gallas. The ball is delivered by Luka Modric, Peter Crouch takes a shot. Save by Marco Amelia.
# 68:13 Peter Crouch challenges Gennaro Gattuso unfairly and gives away a free kick. Ignazio Abate restarts play with the free kick.
# 67:12 Right-footed shot by Alessandro Nesta went wide of the right-hand post.
# 66:50 Outswinging corner taken right-footed by De Souza Robinho played to the near post.
# 66:09 Foul by da Silva Alexandre Pato on Aaron Lennon, free kick awarded. William Gallas restarts play with the free kick.
# 66:01 Ignazio Abate produces a cross.
# 65:38 Corner taken right-footed by da Silva Alexandre Pato, save by Heurelho Gomes.
# 64:41 Mario Yepes produces a cross, save made by Heurelho Gomes.
# 64:18 Outswinging corner taken by De Souza Robinho from the right by-line.
# 63:26 Luka Modric gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on da Silva Alexandre Pato. Emiliano Thiago Silva takes the free kick.
# 60:59 Free kick taken by Heurelho Gomes.
# 60:59 Substitution Luka Modric is brought on as a substitute for Rafael Van der Vaart.
# 60:59 Booking Mario Yepes booked.
# 60:48 Heurelho Gomes fouled by Mario Yepes, the ref awards a free kick.
# 59:52 The ball is delivered by Emiliano Thiago Silva, Mario Yepes takes a shot. Heurelho Gomes makes a save.
# 59:31 Short corner worked by da Silva Alexandre Pato.
# 59:00 Aaron Lennon gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Gennaro Gattuso. Da Silva Alexandre Pato crosses the ball in from the free kick, Raniere Sandro manages to make a clearance.
# 58:00 Free kick crossed right-footed by Emiliano Thiago Silva, Michael Dawson manages to make a clearance.
# 58:00 Substitution Vedran Corluka leaves the field to be replaced by Jonathan Woodgate.
# 58:00 Steven Pienaar concedes a free kick for a foul on Emiliano Thiago Silva.
# 57:34 Free kick awarded for a foul by Raniere Sandro on Mathieu Flamini. Mathieu Flamini restarts play with the free kick.
# 54:49 Direct free kick taken by William Gallas.
# 54:49 Booking The referee cautions Mathieu Flamini for unsporting behaviour.
# 54:41 Unfair challenge on Vedran Corluka by Mathieu Flamini results in a free kick.
# 52:59 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Peter Crouch by Alessandro Nesta. Shot on goal comes in from Rafael Van der Vaart from the free kick, save made by Marco Amelia.
# 52:12 Luca Antonini sends in a cross, Headed effort from inside the box by Zlatan Ibrahimovic misses to the right of the target.
# 51:18 Shot from just outside the box by Rafael Van der Vaart goes over the bar.
# 49:56 Inswinging corner taken right-footed by De Souza Robinho from the left by-line to the near post, clearance by Benoit Assou-Ekotto.
# 49:39 Gennaro Gattuso takes a shot. Heurelho Gomes makes a fantastic save.
# 49:18 Outswinging corner taken from the right by-line by De Souza Robinho, clearance made by Michael Dawson.
# 49:10 De Souza Robinho crosses the ball, blocked by Steven Pienaar.
# 48:48 Corner taken short by De Souza Robinho.
# 48:39 Centre by Ignazio Abate, clearance made by Raniere Sandro.
# 48:04 Rafael Van der Vaart has an effort at goal from just outside the box which goes wide of the right-hand post.
# 47:58 Aaron Lennon produces a cross.
# 47:16 Unfair challenge on Emiliano Thiago Silva by Steven Pienaar results in a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Mario Yepes.
# 45:01 The game restarts for the second half.
# 45:01 Substitution Da Silva Alexandre Pato joins the action as a substitute, replacing Clarence Seedorf.
# Half Time
# 45:00+2:05 The referee blows for half time.
# 45:00+1:02 The ball is sent over by De Souza Robinho.
# 45:00+0:43 Emiliano Thiago Silva fouled by Wilson Palacios, the ref awards a free kick. Free kick taken by Emiliano Thiago Silva.
# 43:08 Benoit Assou-Ekotto produces a cross, save made by Marco Amelia.
# 42:14 Ignazio Abate produces a cross, save by Heurelho Gomes.
# 41:19 Corner from right by-line taken by Rafael Van der Vaart.
# 41:00 Rafael Van der Vaart takes a shot. Save by Ignazio Abate.
# 40:38 A cross is delivered by Aaron Lennon.
# 39:38 Mathieu Flamini challenges Rafael Van der Vaart unfairly and gives away a free kick. William Gallas restarts play with the free kick.
# 38:21 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Wilson Palacios by Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Michael Dawson restarts play with the free kick.
# 34:59 The ball is swung over by Benoit Assou-Ekotto.
# 34:47 The ball is sent over by Rafael Van der Vaart, clearance by Alessandro Nesta.
# 34:04 A cross is delivered by Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Alessandro Nesta gets a block in.
# 33:38 Zlatan Ibrahimovic concedes a free kick for a foul on Michael Dawson. Michael Dawson takes the direct free kick.
# 31:39 Foul by Peter Crouch on Gennaro Gattuso, free kick awarded. Free kick taken by Gennaro Gattuso.
# 30:21 Michael Dawson challenges De Souza Robinho unfairly and gives away a free kick. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has an effort direct from the free kick.
# 27:32 Centre by Clarence Seedorf.
# 26:52 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Zlatan Ibrahimovic by Michael Dawson. Zlatan Ibrahimovic takes the free kick.
# 25:49 Unfair challenge on Clarence Seedorf by Wilson Palacios results in a free kick. Free kick taken by Mario Yepes.
# 21:49 Aaron Lennon produces a cross.
# 21:24 Inswinging corner taken left-footed by Rafael Van der Vaart, save by Marco Amelia.
# 21:03 A cross is delivered by Aaron Lennon, blocked by Luca Antonini.
# Correction – 20:22 Zlatan Ibrahimovic sends in a cross, Heurelho Gomes makes a save.
# 20:22 De Souza Robinho produces a cross, save by Heurelho Gomes.
# 19:53 The offside flag is raised against Zlatan Ibrahimovic. William Gallas takes the indirect free kick.
# 15:06 Ignazio Abate restarts play with the free kick.
# 15:06 Substitution Marco Amelia comes on in place of Christian Abbiati.
# 15:06 Steven Pienaar challenges Emiliano Thiago Silva unfairly and gives away a free kick.
# 13:50 Steven Pienaar takes a shot. Blocked by Gennaro Gattuso.
# 13:31 Inswinging corner taken by Rafael Van der Vaart, clearance made by Alessandro Nesta.
# 13:24 The ball is sent over by Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Mario Yepes manages to make a clearance.
# 13:06 A cross is delivered by Rafael Van der Vaart, Alessandro Nesta makes a clearance.
# 12:06 Rafael Van der Vaart takes a shot. Save by Christian Abbiati.
# 12:01 Vedran Corluka sends in a cross.
# 11:02 Gennaro Gattuso fouled by Peter Crouch, the ref awards a free kick. Gennaro Gattuso takes the direct free kick.
# 9:39 Zlatan Ibrahimovic is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Heurelho Gomes restarts play with the free kick.
# 8:33 The ball is sent over by Aaron Lennon, Mario Yepes makes a clearance.
# 6:42 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Clarence Seedorf by Raniere Sandro. Direct free kick taken by Alessandro Nesta.
# 5:55 The ball is delivered by Clarence Seedorf, comfortable save by Heurelho Gomes.
# 4:20 Vedran Corluka crosses the ball, Peter Crouch takes a shot. Save made by Christian Abbiati.
# 3:37 Emiliano Thiago Silva concedes a free kick for a foul on Rafael Van der Vaart. Rafael Van der Vaart takes the direct free kick.
# 3:17 Raniere Sandro concedes a free kick for a foul on Gennaro Gattuso. Gennaro Gattuso restarts play with the free kick.
# 2:55 Foul by Peter Crouch on Christian Abbiati, free kick awarded. Christian Abbiati takes the free kick.
# 1:16 Peter Crouch is ruled offside. Indirect free kick taken by Christian Abbiati.
# 0:58 Inswinging corner taken left-footed by Rafael Van der Vaart from the right by-line.
# 0:40 Steven Pienaar delivers the ball, clearance made by Alessandro Nesta.
# 0:00 The match begins.

Julian Assange:

The west has fiscalised its basic power relationships through a web of contracts, loans, shareholdings, bank holdings and so on. In such an environment it is easy for speech to be “free” because a change in political will rarely leads to any change in these basic instruments. Western speech, as something that rarely has any effect on power, is, like badgers and birds, free. In states like China, there is pervasive censorship, because speech still has power and power is scared of it. We should always look at censorship as an economic signal that reveals the potential power of speech in that jurisdiction. The attacks against us (wikileaks) by the US point to a great hope, speech powerful enough to break the fiscal blockade.

via Julian Assange answers your questions | World news | guardian.co.uk.

Looking back at Smallcombe Farm

Ramblers persevere through unexpected snow

I went out on my second ever Ramblers Association walk yesterday. Temperatures had dropped considerably but 6 intrepid hikers still turned out as the unexpected snow began to fall. By the time we reached the hills overlooking Bath , the city had disappeared into the storm. Eight miles in the first blizzard of winter was a bit of an adventure though