Just been down the pub with my Dad and brother before I take the train tomorrow to see my girlfriend. We had some dinner and a few drinks together. It was really good to share memories and experiences that we've all had and now that we're all adults, we're able to appreciate the totality of each person's experience.
Dad shared lots of stories of his time at sea, working as a trawlerman and the times he ate meals without eyebrows due to his crewmates shaving them off as he slept, exhausted from a long shift up on deck. He also shed some light on his time as a cheeky lad running around alleys, picking gooseberries.
My brother shared his stories from work where he works metal into complex pipe systems for the chemical industries. He showed us all his scars from the work and some of his funny stories when he worked with other pipe-fitters.
It's times like these that I miss when I go away to study and I'm glad that I'm able to take advantage of the time between terms of university so I can see my family and spend quality time with each other and share our stories and laugh at it all over some drinks.
Friday, 22 July 2011
Yoga for cycling
As an avid cyclist, I want to take care of my body so I can continue to enjoy cycling often and with as little injury-incurred recovery as possible. To do this there are many factors to consider, some obvious and some more subtle. A lot of the techniques put forward here aren't cycling specific but can help support a cyclist well during a training regime or through the daily commute by bike.
Nutrition
The age-old Adage 'You are what you eat' is an old chestnut that keeps coming back, especially around times of traditional food and drink abuse (Xmas, New year, Birthdays, etc.). It is true, to a certain extent, and worth bearing in mind if you're particularly motivated toward a healthy lifestyle. Diet is an important factor and to ensure that you're not deviating from a pretty healthy set-up already, see your GP for some advice. They will undoubtledly point you towards the food pyramid and this is an excellent way to start your food planning. For cyclists, it is essential that you consume lots of good quality protein. This can come in the form of protein shakes but if you want to keep it real, then eating quality chicken breast and turkey steaks is the way forward. These food sources are lean and healthy and swapping these into your diet in place of red meat will help protect your heart from copious amounts of fat that run through the animal flesh.
Fish Supper
Another good tip for food intake is tinned macarel and tuna, it keeps for ages and when it is stored under oil, it takes on the aroma of the oil as it penetrates the fish tissue. The oil from the fish is the same kind of oil which makes up the cod liver oil capsules and when combined with the sunflower storage oil, it gives the benefits of B vitamins too. The oil from the fish penetrates your joints and keeps them supple and fluid. You can capitalise on this extra bendiness by taking up some yoga practise.
Yoga: Bend and Stretch and Breathe
Normally given a cameo appearance in sit-coms on television, yoga is typically personified in popular media by people so bendy, they can fire a bow and arrow with their feet... whilst standing on their hands or all coiled up to the size of a small suitcase. These, like many other stereotypes are true to an extent but the reality is much more diverse. There are people looking to support their back as they work in offices and are concerned about posture and joint pain.
The cyclist can benefit from yoga by reversing all the damage done to the upper back, shoulders and neck from being hunched over the handlebars for hours a week (a day in the case of the cyclist commuter). There is yoga designed specifically for cyclists and is easily found via google search but the general focus is working out the afore mentioned areas. There is an emphasis on groundwork and back bends to reverse the position the body has been in. This is an excellent way to ensure that you don't get a long term injury requiring physiotherapy and, when used in tandem with regular yoga, can help eliminate sprains and strains by making the muscles and joints more supple and mobile. Also, as time goes on, your posture will improve as you're essentially practising putting your body into poses.
Not only can a regular yoga practise ensure that your body is flexible and not damaged by cycling, the breathing component of all yoga moves can help still the mind so the poses become a way to relax and de-stress after a trying work day. It can help give you a much more balanced approach to life and as you're breathing more, more oxygen gets to the brain and muscles so you get an pronounced feeling of well-being relative to not using yoga.
I hope this post helped and keep on enjoying cycling :)
health
Nutrition
The age-old Adage 'You are what you eat' is an old chestnut that keeps coming back, especially around times of traditional food and drink abuse (Xmas, New year, Birthdays, etc.). It is true, to a certain extent, and worth bearing in mind if you're particularly motivated toward a healthy lifestyle. Diet is an important factor and to ensure that you're not deviating from a pretty healthy set-up already, see your GP for some advice. They will undoubtledly point you towards the food pyramid and this is an excellent way to start your food planning. For cyclists, it is essential that you consume lots of good quality protein. This can come in the form of protein shakes but if you want to keep it real, then eating quality chicken breast and turkey steaks is the way forward. These food sources are lean and healthy and swapping these into your diet in place of red meat will help protect your heart from copious amounts of fat that run through the animal flesh.
Fish Supper
Another good tip for food intake is tinned macarel and tuna, it keeps for ages and when it is stored under oil, it takes on the aroma of the oil as it penetrates the fish tissue. The oil from the fish is the same kind of oil which makes up the cod liver oil capsules and when combined with the sunflower storage oil, it gives the benefits of B vitamins too. The oil from the fish penetrates your joints and keeps them supple and fluid. You can capitalise on this extra bendiness by taking up some yoga practise.
Yoga: Bend and Stretch and Breathe
Normally given a cameo appearance in sit-coms on television, yoga is typically personified in popular media by people so bendy, they can fire a bow and arrow with their feet... whilst standing on their hands or all coiled up to the size of a small suitcase. These, like many other stereotypes are true to an extent but the reality is much more diverse. There are people looking to support their back as they work in offices and are concerned about posture and joint pain.
The cyclist can benefit from yoga by reversing all the damage done to the upper back, shoulders and neck from being hunched over the handlebars for hours a week (a day in the case of the cyclist commuter). There is yoga designed specifically for cyclists and is easily found via google search but the general focus is working out the afore mentioned areas. There is an emphasis on groundwork and back bends to reverse the position the body has been in. This is an excellent way to ensure that you don't get a long term injury requiring physiotherapy and, when used in tandem with regular yoga, can help eliminate sprains and strains by making the muscles and joints more supple and mobile. Also, as time goes on, your posture will improve as you're essentially practising putting your body into poses.
Not only can a regular yoga practise ensure that your body is flexible and not damaged by cycling, the breathing component of all yoga moves can help still the mind so the poses become a way to relax and de-stress after a trying work day. It can help give you a much more balanced approach to life and as you're breathing more, more oxygen gets to the brain and muscles so you get an pronounced feeling of well-being relative to not using yoga.
I hope this post helped and keep on enjoying cycling :)
health
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Sleep
Because I've been moving around all over the place recently, I've been sleeping in lots of different houses at different times. It's safe to say that my typical sleep pattern is shot. I do have some simple techniques that I use to help implement a regular sleep routine to help me maximise the amount of good sleep I can get out of a night.
Techniques
For me there are a few simple techniques that I use and I'll talk a little about each one below:
Darkness
For me, there's one thing I can't do without when it comes to sleep and that's darkness. I'm a bit of an owl in that I like total coal-black darkness in order to fall asleep. This means no hall lights, blinds / curtains cut and closing doors to rooms which permit light from outside in.
Quiet
I like real quiet when I go to bed, the dead space is like a blanket and wraps around your mind and body, sending me to sleep. To remedy any noises from outside, I don't go to sleep early and if there is an occasional ambient noise, I focus on the silence and apply a pillow to my ears.
Airflow
It has been proved through countless sleep studies that a good flow of cold (not freezing) air through your bedroom can help put your body to sleep and help you relax. I always have my window open a crack. This cold air is hard to come by in summer so I just switch out a duvet for simple sheets and this helps attain the desired coolness.
Sheets
As mentioned above, I use a bed covering appropriate to the season. In the height of summer, I use a couple of thin comfy cotton sheets to drape over myself to keep the chill off. In the winter, I snuggle under a thick duvet of many tog.
I hope these tips help you get some good rest yourself
health
Techniques
For me there are a few simple techniques that I use and I'll talk a little about each one below:
Darkness
For me, there's one thing I can't do without when it comes to sleep and that's darkness. I'm a bit of an owl in that I like total coal-black darkness in order to fall asleep. This means no hall lights, blinds / curtains cut and closing doors to rooms which permit light from outside in.
Quiet
I like real quiet when I go to bed, the dead space is like a blanket and wraps around your mind and body, sending me to sleep. To remedy any noises from outside, I don't go to sleep early and if there is an occasional ambient noise, I focus on the silence and apply a pillow to my ears.
Airflow
It has been proved through countless sleep studies that a good flow of cold (not freezing) air through your bedroom can help put your body to sleep and help you relax. I always have my window open a crack. This cold air is hard to come by in summer so I just switch out a duvet for simple sheets and this helps attain the desired coolness.
Sheets
As mentioned above, I use a bed covering appropriate to the season. In the height of summer, I use a couple of thin comfy cotton sheets to drape over myself to keep the chill off. In the winter, I snuggle under a thick duvet of many tog.
I hope these tips help you get some good rest yourself
health
Summer Cycling
I had a great time cycling today. I had to go and pick up some groceries from the shops and I decided that, rather than take the bus, I would go by bike. It had rained about 4 hours previously so the air was nice and crisp. Perfect for cycling as it keeps you cool and is really nice to breathe as it keeps you fresh.
Riding down the street, there was a light breeze and that helped keep me cool too. I have a tendancy to ride quickly even if I intend to go out for a slow, easy ride. The breeze helped me from turning into a sweatbox as I cycled to the shops. I parked my bike and locked it to the steel sheffield frame outside and went in.
After finishing buying some essentials, I cycled home again. The whole trip was really pleasant and simply goes to highlight how useful and fun cycling can be when integrated into one's daily routine or, as I did, taken as an option to mix it up a bit.
Riding down the street, there was a light breeze and that helped keep me cool too. I have a tendancy to ride quickly even if I intend to go out for a slow, easy ride. The breeze helped me from turning into a sweatbox as I cycled to the shops. I parked my bike and locked it to the steel sheffield frame outside and went in.
After finishing buying some essentials, I cycled home again. The whole trip was really pleasant and simply goes to highlight how useful and fun cycling can be when integrated into one's daily routine or, as I did, taken as an option to mix it up a bit.
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Bike Maintenance Basics
So you've got your shiny new bike and you've ridden it all over the place. You've been up and down and round and back home. Your bike has definately had a bit of hammer and will need support in the way of maintenance and regular upkeep to ensure you can go many miles further together.
Chain Reaction
Depending on how long you've ridden your bike for and where you store your bike day-to-day, you can work out how much maintenance you need to give your chain to ensure that your drivetrain will continue to work effectively.
If you ride your bike a lot, over great distances, it will be important to keep your chain well lubricated to keep the wear on the bike components down. There are many different lubes out there for this purpose but there is a runaway favourite of mine which is Finish Line Teflon Lube http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=317 . This lubricant is for use really only in the dry conditions and this may be impractical in old blighty so there's also a wet conditions equivalent: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=1041 and at roughly 3 quid a pop, it's not gonna break the bank.
Working at the.... Bike.... wash (Seamless :D)
As important as it is to keep your chain in good condition, it is also a good idea to keep your bike relatively clean as this will prevent transfer of muck to you from the bike. A good fluid for this is the Muc Off Nano Tech bike cleaner (£5.99) : http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=520 . I really like this product because it's a no gimmicks fluid with a spray bottle container. It's really just a point and shoot system which works great if, like me, you have a busy life and just want to keep your bike in good working order.
Stop!!
On the more mechanical / physical side of bike maintenance, it's important to keep an eye on your tyres and brake pads. I'll deal with brake pads first as they're more likely to go before your tyres do ( again, like so much in this article, it depends on the type and frequency of the riding that you do). Brake pads are the traditional way to stop a bike and there are specific types of brake pads for different bikes. Mountain bikes generally have longer brake pads and road bikes have smaller pads mounted in a side-pull fashion. These can be picked up at Halfords or from Chain Reaction Cycles for little money and especially with CRC, there is a massive selection to choose from.
Tyres, again vary depending on the bike and type of riding you do. If you do a lot of mountain biking then slick tyres are not for you. Likewise, a knobby tyre on a road bike lends the it to more cyclo-cross type riding rather than a fast morning commute into the City. A good thing to watch out for with the commuter tyre is whether it has kevlar in it. Kevlar in this application is the same stuff used in bullet proof vests and will go a long way to help protect you from punctures.
Chain Reaction
Depending on how long you've ridden your bike for and where you store your bike day-to-day, you can work out how much maintenance you need to give your chain to ensure that your drivetrain will continue to work effectively.
If you ride your bike a lot, over great distances, it will be important to keep your chain well lubricated to keep the wear on the bike components down. There are many different lubes out there for this purpose but there is a runaway favourite of mine which is Finish Line Teflon Lube http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=317 . This lubricant is for use really only in the dry conditions and this may be impractical in old blighty so there's also a wet conditions equivalent: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=1041 and at roughly 3 quid a pop, it's not gonna break the bank.
Working at the.... Bike.... wash (Seamless :D)
As important as it is to keep your chain in good condition, it is also a good idea to keep your bike relatively clean as this will prevent transfer of muck to you from the bike. A good fluid for this is the Muc Off Nano Tech bike cleaner (£5.99) : http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=520 . I really like this product because it's a no gimmicks fluid with a spray bottle container. It's really just a point and shoot system which works great if, like me, you have a busy life and just want to keep your bike in good working order.
Stop!!
On the more mechanical / physical side of bike maintenance, it's important to keep an eye on your tyres and brake pads. I'll deal with brake pads first as they're more likely to go before your tyres do ( again, like so much in this article, it depends on the type and frequency of the riding that you do). Brake pads are the traditional way to stop a bike and there are specific types of brake pads for different bikes. Mountain bikes generally have longer brake pads and road bikes have smaller pads mounted in a side-pull fashion. These can be picked up at Halfords or from Chain Reaction Cycles for little money and especially with CRC, there is a massive selection to choose from.
Tyres, again vary depending on the bike and type of riding you do. If you do a lot of mountain biking then slick tyres are not for you. Likewise, a knobby tyre on a road bike lends the it to more cyclo-cross type riding rather than a fast morning commute into the City. A good thing to watch out for with the commuter tyre is whether it has kevlar in it. Kevlar in this application is the same stuff used in bullet proof vests and will go a long way to help protect you from punctures.
Use Your Blog
Blogging is a pastime / distraction for millions of people around the world. Some blogs are little more than a dry account of someone's day but some are really in-depth tomes about tough issues and can be a really enriching read. Depending on what you like to read and what kind of writing you like the most, different blogs can be an instant turn-off or instill a great affinity for them. It is important, however, to ensure that you blog about things that are true to you and
what you feel is important. People of the same mind will find your blog and engage with what you have put forward.
Clear-cut
When you write, you should write about something that is a very important subject to you. A subject area in which you have great skill or expertise. That way, you're contributing your wealth of knowledge to the internet and when people in need find it, you'll have helped them immensely. By blogging about a few key themes, you can also ensure that you have a focus to your blog and people will come back again and again for that. The reason is, to get the same high quality information in an area that interests them. This adds strength to your blog and makes it a powerful social tool as people may take your advice / experience into their decision making when they see that you're a bit of a guru on the matter.
Opportunity knocks
It may seem strange but by blogging, you are demonstrating the skills you have as a perceptive writer who chronicles life and issues in the real world. This can be an attractive proscpect for employers. Remember, employers read blogs too as they're only human and if they spot that pizzazz in your blog. This demonstration of skills is much better than any interview as it shows the employer directly that you're able to see things and write them down in the way that many people can't. You never know, you may get a job offer in the (e)mail.
Support
As I said above, blogging is an excellent way to put down your opinions and advice for the benefit of others and this works well in many cases. It's also a good way to let of some steam about a trouble in your life. By blogging, you can start a focus group on a specific issue and discuss problems that people have in life then move toward a solution. The anonymity of the internet can give people solace as they can get support in this way when they feel they are at their most vulnerable. This is a more social application of the blog. However, the opportunities afforded by potential job offers resulting from your writings should also be borne in mind.
Remember, blogging can be fun, a crutch in times of emotional hardship and a route to a new life through the potential to get a job from it. Above all though, be true to yourself and write what you feel is important and the world should know.
what you feel is important. People of the same mind will find your blog and engage with what you have put forward.
Clear-cut
When you write, you should write about something that is a very important subject to you. A subject area in which you have great skill or expertise. That way, you're contributing your wealth of knowledge to the internet and when people in need find it, you'll have helped them immensely. By blogging about a few key themes, you can also ensure that you have a focus to your blog and people will come back again and again for that. The reason is, to get the same high quality information in an area that interests them. This adds strength to your blog and makes it a powerful social tool as people may take your advice / experience into their decision making when they see that you're a bit of a guru on the matter.
Opportunity knocks
It may seem strange but by blogging, you are demonstrating the skills you have as a perceptive writer who chronicles life and issues in the real world. This can be an attractive proscpect for employers. Remember, employers read blogs too as they're only human and if they spot that pizzazz in your blog. This demonstration of skills is much better than any interview as it shows the employer directly that you're able to see things and write them down in the way that many people can't. You never know, you may get a job offer in the (e)mail.
Support
As I said above, blogging is an excellent way to put down your opinions and advice for the benefit of others and this works well in many cases. It's also a good way to let of some steam about a trouble in your life. By blogging, you can start a focus group on a specific issue and discuss problems that people have in life then move toward a solution. The anonymity of the internet can give people solace as they can get support in this way when they feel they are at their most vulnerable. This is a more social application of the blog. However, the opportunities afforded by potential job offers resulting from your writings should also be borne in mind.
Remember, blogging can be fun, a crutch in times of emotional hardship and a route to a new life through the potential to get a job from it. Above all though, be true to yourself and write what you feel is important and the world should know.
Old Friends
I met up with some of my friends from school / college and went for lunch. It was a really fun time and we reminisced about all sorts of different things that happened during our time at school. We also talked about what we were up to in our social lives and what kinds of things we were doing in our spare time. The conversation was rich and flowed well without pause but we kept coming back to one specific topic - education.
Education
As we had all been through the education machine ( school / college and university) we each had a degree and we kept talking about how we got on at university as we had all recently graduated. This was an interesting conversation in itself as we all went to different universities and read different courses. I contributed all that I had done at university at York and how I really enjoyed my time but moreover, how I had grown as a person and developed from quite a shy and retiring person to a vibrant guy with varied interests and hobbies. This conversation continued for a while fine before I sensed an undercurrent to the conversation. As time went on, we began talking about what we were up to post-graduation and then I hit upon the sensation I felt earlier as tension regarding the jobs market and further education.
Employment
As I've already stated in my profile here, I read chemistry at York and have been accepted into UCL to start an engineering masters in the September. I've already sorted my next path out but I talked to my friend and she said that she was freaking out. She was really nervous about what she wanted to do now as she had no idea and the current jobs market (as of July 2011) is pretty pants. She had told me previously that she wanted to work as an archivist as she had a real affinity for books and written records. She has now lost her passion for that idea but remains really interested in books and the written word. The problem for her is that she read English literature and she is now looking for some general admin work to tide her over. My other friend read a business degree with a gap year. These degree choices aren't the problem; the job choice is. As they have general english skills degrees, they have to compete with all the other people who want a general admin job and have general english skills like graduates in history, history of art, sociology, media. This list can go on and on. There are so few jobs in this sector and they are very heavily oversubscribed. I recently read the figure of 83 graduates going for every job out there.
Engineering
There is a massive need for engineers in the UK as there is plenty of new infrastructure to help install, especially in the IT sector where new servers and electronics engineering are essential to keep pace with modern living and the demand for fast, on-demand services. This sector requires specialist skills in maths, physics and depending on the flavour of engineering, further knowledge in a natural science (physics / biology / chemistry / medicine). This immediately cuts out a lot of the 'normal' competition from general skilled graduates and easily separates the workers from the blaggers as it's hard to 'wing it' in a situation requiring logical engineering principle minded employees.
Neglect
In recent years, there have been many news articles written concerning the type of course being read at university and that there have been great numbers of people reading and studying arts degrees and that the maths and sciences have been grossly neglected. This is true and the consequences of this are now coming to fruition as there are a relatively low number of engineering graduates out there but a great new need for them. This is excellent news if you're into your engineering in a big way. The situation is changing though and the news of neglected science has been overtaken in recent years by the story that the numbers of students opting for maths and sciences have been growing year on year. This could be a reaction to the new government fees for university of £9000 a year. The students could be looking for more value for money and better value in the way of a nearly 9 - 5 teaching day as opposed to 9 or 5 teaching hours a week. There are lots of trends that can be picked out of recent graduate unemployment numbers and new student discipline preferences but one thing's for sure: the neglect of science in favour of arts is being reversed as students look for a strong set of skills with which to start their careers.
Education
As we had all been through the education machine ( school / college and university) we each had a degree and we kept talking about how we got on at university as we had all recently graduated. This was an interesting conversation in itself as we all went to different universities and read different courses. I contributed all that I had done at university at York and how I really enjoyed my time but moreover, how I had grown as a person and developed from quite a shy and retiring person to a vibrant guy with varied interests and hobbies. This conversation continued for a while fine before I sensed an undercurrent to the conversation. As time went on, we began talking about what we were up to post-graduation and then I hit upon the sensation I felt earlier as tension regarding the jobs market and further education.
Employment
As I've already stated in my profile here, I read chemistry at York and have been accepted into UCL to start an engineering masters in the September. I've already sorted my next path out but I talked to my friend and she said that she was freaking out. She was really nervous about what she wanted to do now as she had no idea and the current jobs market (as of July 2011) is pretty pants. She had told me previously that she wanted to work as an archivist as she had a real affinity for books and written records. She has now lost her passion for that idea but remains really interested in books and the written word. The problem for her is that she read English literature and she is now looking for some general admin work to tide her over. My other friend read a business degree with a gap year. These degree choices aren't the problem; the job choice is. As they have general english skills degrees, they have to compete with all the other people who want a general admin job and have general english skills like graduates in history, history of art, sociology, media. This list can go on and on. There are so few jobs in this sector and they are very heavily oversubscribed. I recently read the figure of 83 graduates going for every job out there.
Engineering
There is a massive need for engineers in the UK as there is plenty of new infrastructure to help install, especially in the IT sector where new servers and electronics engineering are essential to keep pace with modern living and the demand for fast, on-demand services. This sector requires specialist skills in maths, physics and depending on the flavour of engineering, further knowledge in a natural science (physics / biology / chemistry / medicine). This immediately cuts out a lot of the 'normal' competition from general skilled graduates and easily separates the workers from the blaggers as it's hard to 'wing it' in a situation requiring logical engineering principle minded employees.
Neglect
In recent years, there have been many news articles written concerning the type of course being read at university and that there have been great numbers of people reading and studying arts degrees and that the maths and sciences have been grossly neglected. This is true and the consequences of this are now coming to fruition as there are a relatively low number of engineering graduates out there but a great new need for them. This is excellent news if you're into your engineering in a big way. The situation is changing though and the news of neglected science has been overtaken in recent years by the story that the numbers of students opting for maths and sciences have been growing year on year. This could be a reaction to the new government fees for university of £9000 a year. The students could be looking for more value for money and better value in the way of a nearly 9 - 5 teaching day as opposed to 9 or 5 teaching hours a week. There are lots of trends that can be picked out of recent graduate unemployment numbers and new student discipline preferences but one thing's for sure: the neglect of science in favour of arts is being reversed as students look for a strong set of skills with which to start their careers.
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Albert Speer
I'm reading a book on Albert Speer, Hitler's Minister for Armaments and prior to the war, Hitler's personal architect. It's a biography which gives a really in depth coverage of Speer's time in the Reich and a thorough account of the situations that he found himself in day to day, working under the Fuhrer. The book also explores the mindset of Speer during his time as Hitler's close aide and during his later years after his time in prison. A curious point to pull out of the book is that while he denied all knowledge of the industrialised killing of millions of Jews, the slaughter of millions of soviets and the extermination of gypsies, he knew that he was using slave labour to construct many of his most grand works. It is for this that he received 20 years in prison and avoided the firing squad after the war ended.
the book is: Albert Speer - His Battle With Truth. Available on Amazon.
the book is: Albert Speer - His Battle With Truth. Available on Amazon.
Pushing Economy Further
New technology to increase the fuel efficiency of fossil fuelled vehicles is coming onto the market all the time. The idea is to either tinker with the engine so one can produce a less thirsty engine or reduce the drag coefficient of the vehicle (making the vehicle body more aerodynamic so it slips through the air with less resistance). This is the approach of the car manufacturers to the new EU legislation which requires all car manufacturers to have an average emission from their range of vehicles of 130g CO2 / km or less (130 grams of carbon dioxide emitted per kilometre or less). There are many technologies already on the market as part of new cars but there are some more subtle technologies seeking to push the economy to the limit.
Already Present
Some excellent examples of this new and emergy branch of automotive engineering are the aerodynamic enhancements made by Ford to their new breed of vehicles. http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=34312 This article shows how the designers and engineers put their cars in the wind tunnel and test for drag and they work to minimise this. An excellent product of this process is the active shutting grille. At high speeds, motors at the front of the car shut the grille fins forming an air dam. This minimises air drag off the front of the car and this kind of technology is used all the time by hypermilers wishing to increase fuel economy by crazy amounts: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/effects-air-dam-ford-f350-pickup-3171.html
Another passive technology is the sculpting of the bodywork of the new vehicles to reduce disrupted airflow over the vehicle: http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/#/new/car-range
Start, stop, restart
A technology usually reserved for the higher end luxury models is the start-stop technology which involves an on board computer shutting down the engine when the car comes to a stop then starting it up again when the accelerator pedal is depressed when the lights change. This saves fuel by simply turning the engine off and this technique can be utilised by every vehicle when a lengthy stop at the traffic lights is on the cards.
A look to the future
New exhaust technology being pioneered at the Universities of Cardiff and Birmingham intends to further increase the fuel economy of vehicles by injecting fuel into a conversion unit in the exhaust, allowing it to react using the heat of the exhaust gases and then passing it through the engine. This is a more efficient way to use fuel as it converts simple diesel or petrol into carbon monoxide and molecular hydrogen which are better fuels than simple hydrocarbons. It is a 'green' approach too as it utilises the waste heat of the engine to drive the chemical reaction of conversion of the fuel. The average gains from preliminary testing are suggested to be around an extra 10% mileage with diesel engines and 20% with petrol engines. The lead scientist for this process, Stan Golunski, has been working on the concept for more than 10 years and expects the techology to be perfected and on the road before 2020. http://www.theengineer.co.uk/news/on-board-fuel-reforming-could-enhance-vehicle-efficiency/1005487.article
Already Present
Some excellent examples of this new and emergy branch of automotive engineering are the aerodynamic enhancements made by Ford to their new breed of vehicles. http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=34312 This article shows how the designers and engineers put their cars in the wind tunnel and test for drag and they work to minimise this. An excellent product of this process is the active shutting grille. At high speeds, motors at the front of the car shut the grille fins forming an air dam. This minimises air drag off the front of the car and this kind of technology is used all the time by hypermilers wishing to increase fuel economy by crazy amounts: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/effects-air-dam-ford-f350-pickup-3171.html
Another passive technology is the sculpting of the bodywork of the new vehicles to reduce disrupted airflow over the vehicle: http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/#/new/car-range
Start, stop, restart
A technology usually reserved for the higher end luxury models is the start-stop technology which involves an on board computer shutting down the engine when the car comes to a stop then starting it up again when the accelerator pedal is depressed when the lights change. This saves fuel by simply turning the engine off and this technique can be utilised by every vehicle when a lengthy stop at the traffic lights is on the cards.
A look to the future
New exhaust technology being pioneered at the Universities of Cardiff and Birmingham intends to further increase the fuel economy of vehicles by injecting fuel into a conversion unit in the exhaust, allowing it to react using the heat of the exhaust gases and then passing it through the engine. This is a more efficient way to use fuel as it converts simple diesel or petrol into carbon monoxide and molecular hydrogen which are better fuels than simple hydrocarbons. It is a 'green' approach too as it utilises the waste heat of the engine to drive the chemical reaction of conversion of the fuel. The average gains from preliminary testing are suggested to be around an extra 10% mileage with diesel engines and 20% with petrol engines. The lead scientist for this process, Stan Golunski, has been working on the concept for more than 10 years and expects the techology to be perfected and on the road before 2020. http://www.theengineer.co.uk/news/on-board-fuel-reforming-could-enhance-vehicle-efficiency/1005487.article
Monday, 18 July 2011
A TV cartoon series I picked up a few months ago. Quite dark humour and some jokes requiring a visit to Urban Dictionary. The main character of the programme is Sterling Archer, a secret agent who uses misdirection, distraction and muttering under breath to get the upper hand in most situations and dole out loads of funny turns of phrase. There's a different storyline in every episode and a small degree of continuity between episodes so it's probably best to watch them 'in order' to understand some of the more subtle jokes.
There are two seasons available to watch at the moment and there's another in the pipeline. They're a hilarious diversion from day-to-day life and draw you in right from the start with the bright colours and 80's style cop beat soundtrack. There's a future-retro theme to the show. An example is that the agents have high-tech equipment and the staff at the headquarters all have mobile phones but the computers are bulky CRT models and there's no room without a decent smattering of formica effect veneer.
It's certainly worth giving them a try and let me know what you think, compare notes on episodes etc. They're available to watch on channel 5. Another possibility is to watch them after torrenting from p2p sites.
Watch on channel5 with : http://www.channel5.com/shows/archer
There are two seasons available to watch at the moment and there's another in the pipeline. They're a hilarious diversion from day-to-day life and draw you in right from the start with the bright colours and 80's style cop beat soundtrack. There's a future-retro theme to the show. An example is that the agents have high-tech equipment and the staff at the headquarters all have mobile phones but the computers are bulky CRT models and there's no room without a decent smattering of formica effect veneer.
It's certainly worth giving them a try and let me know what you think, compare notes on episodes etc. They're available to watch on channel 5. Another possibility is to watch them after torrenting from p2p sites.
Watch on channel5 with : http://www.channel5.com/shows/archer
My day at the Boating Lake
Hi guys, I went to the boating lake the other day and took some pictures of all the birds and things. Coming from at three year stint at York, it's safe to say I had a bit of a craving to see some wildfowl. Hope you enjoy.
Advances in Engineering
This is a picture of the new 480 meter long vesseldue to be comissioned by the Dutch petrochemical company Shell. It will be a floating natural gas extraction, refining and storage facility. It has been designed to meet the needs of today's natural gas market.
Distance
As we have heard over and over in recent history, the earth's oil and gas are running out and as a result, more extreme enviroments must be braved to unearth the natural resources we need. This new vessel will be the first giant development to that end. The vessel, as yet unnamed, will be moored 200 miles from the northern coast of Australia to harvest gas from a natural gas field in that area. The vessel overcomes the need for pipes to be laid on the seabed. This is important because being 200 miles away from land, the gas cannot be tapped and recovered through seabed pipes. It also gives a nod to sustainable, reusable, mobile infrastructure as once the gas in the field is depleted, the huge vessel can be towed to the next field for exploitation.
Shipping and transport
The vessel, once moored, will spend 25 years working on the one field, in the same place, in open sea. This means that it needs to withstand massive storms and the gas needs to be transported to the mainland. The vessel has been designed to withstand the most ferocious of storms and the vessel's gas storage tanks are used to fill empty sea-going LNG tankers which will transport the gas to nearby China, Australia, Japan and South Korea as it's expected main buyers. After the field is depleted, it will be refurbished then sent to work on another gas field to sustain supply to buyers. Shell expects 2-3 of these vessels to be built to order from Samsung Heavy Industries Shipyards in Japan
Mad about Maths?
2 + 2 = 5. Simple. Many people think that's where it ends and after school, it has no relevance. This is not the case.
It is becoming more and more common, people in their middle ages returning to school to enroll
in night courses to improve their skills in maths / english / science or languages. In recent years there have been many government initiatives to engage the general public in improving their skills in maths and english specifically to help them better themselvesin the workplace and increase their confidence with sums they encounter in their day to day lives.
A prime example is the Direct gov programme where parents / adults who find they are bafflled
by their childrens' homework, they should contact the phoneline to get involved with the free
skills courses on offer. This is an excellent initiative as it increases the general level of learning
of the populace. However, this scheme shouldn't be a necessity in today's society and we should examine the root of the problem, the cause of the apathy towards maths in the early years when these skills should be nailed.
Benefits of maths - confidence
The benefits of learning maths skills are many and varied. For one, having a good grasp
of maths means that one isn't forever scowling at a problem and asking colleagues for help.
Having maths skills means you can be more independant and can take on problems head on, without fear. This can greatly increase your confidence and lead to more senior role in the workplace as you oversee those who are developing their skills.
Employability
Having skills and qualifications in maths allows you to apply for a greater variety of jobs.
They instantly open more doors and brighten your outlook as you can say yes to a lot of
different opportunities. Maths not also helps with a professional post with a company but
it can also help by opening up doors to part-time freelance work like tutoring. Many children
suffer at school and need extra help to get their skills up to par and working as a tutor allows
you to aid them whilst also making some money with your own skills. This is a direct example of the maths skills at work but there are also many other different opportunities out there using the same kinds of skills. Bookmaking and small-time accounting are just a few examples.
Economic Wellbeing
There are many benefits to learning maths and keeping your skills up to scratch. the above confidence boost and ability to moonlight as a tutor/ bookmaker are to name but a few. These are personal benefits of learning maths skills but the wider picture is that with better maths skills, there will be less waste in the economy: less time wasted as employees tackle problems quicker. Less waste at events and in government departments as employees gain confidence in the art of estimation and mininise the waste originating from buying too much of a particular consumable. There are many good reasons behind getting involved in learning more english and maths skills. confidence, employability. There is also the lucrative path of working as a tutor, earn part time wage as maths tutor.
Maths, Maths, everywhere !
However, there are many jobs where a good grasp of even elementary mathematics skills are a necessity. A good example is the humble P.A.. Working under someone doesn't mean your skills needn't be up to scratch. The assistant needs to help organise the superior's day. This means calculating time intervals when tasks can be carried out, keeping track of calls and reports. In addition, the seemingly simple task of getting the coffees also requires a sharp mind so correct remuneration for each person's drink can take place.
Root of the problem
In the UK, school doesn't foster the importance of maths skills as a concept. In fact, the opposite occurs frequently. Children are expected to simply pick up the maths at an exponential rate like a savant (Rain Man) with little explanation or reinforcement of how to gofrom A to B in a mathematical system. This 'you know it or you don't' strategy, borne out of the lack of specialist maths tutors and a strict time sensitive curriculum maths in schools.
Patience is the key
These factors are the main reason that children aren't learning the essential skills they'll need
in the working world. The above benefits should be stressed to children when the despair with their maths homework and the concept of delayed gratification, working hard now for something good later in life, should be cemented into their minds. Remember, a good knowledge of maths needs patience to be able to learn it in the first place.
It is becoming more and more common, people in their middle ages returning to school to enroll
in night courses to improve their skills in maths / english / science or languages. In recent years there have been many government initiatives to engage the general public in improving their skills in maths and english specifically to help them better themselvesin the workplace and increase their confidence with sums they encounter in their day to day lives.
A prime example is the Direct gov programme where parents / adults who find they are bafflled
by their childrens' homework, they should contact the phoneline to get involved with the free
skills courses on offer. This is an excellent initiative as it increases the general level of learning
of the populace. However, this scheme shouldn't be a necessity in today's society and we should examine the root of the problem, the cause of the apathy towards maths in the early years when these skills should be nailed.
Benefits of maths - confidence
The benefits of learning maths skills are many and varied. For one, having a good grasp
of maths means that one isn't forever scowling at a problem and asking colleagues for help.
Having maths skills means you can be more independant and can take on problems head on, without fear. This can greatly increase your confidence and lead to more senior role in the workplace as you oversee those who are developing their skills.
Employability
Having skills and qualifications in maths allows you to apply for a greater variety of jobs.
They instantly open more doors and brighten your outlook as you can say yes to a lot of
different opportunities. Maths not also helps with a professional post with a company but
it can also help by opening up doors to part-time freelance work like tutoring. Many children
suffer at school and need extra help to get their skills up to par and working as a tutor allows
you to aid them whilst also making some money with your own skills. This is a direct example of the maths skills at work but there are also many other different opportunities out there using the same kinds of skills. Bookmaking and small-time accounting are just a few examples.
Economic Wellbeing
There are many benefits to learning maths and keeping your skills up to scratch. the above confidence boost and ability to moonlight as a tutor/ bookmaker are to name but a few. These are personal benefits of learning maths skills but the wider picture is that with better maths skills, there will be less waste in the economy: less time wasted as employees tackle problems quicker. Less waste at events and in government departments as employees gain confidence in the art of estimation and mininise the waste originating from buying too much of a particular consumable. There are many good reasons behind getting involved in learning more english and maths skills. confidence, employability. There is also the lucrative path of working as a tutor, earn part time wage as maths tutor.
Maths, Maths, everywhere !
However, there are many jobs where a good grasp of even elementary mathematics skills are a necessity. A good example is the humble P.A.. Working under someone doesn't mean your skills needn't be up to scratch. The assistant needs to help organise the superior's day. This means calculating time intervals when tasks can be carried out, keeping track of calls and reports. In addition, the seemingly simple task of getting the coffees also requires a sharp mind so correct remuneration for each person's drink can take place.
Root of the problem
In the UK, school doesn't foster the importance of maths skills as a concept. In fact, the opposite occurs frequently. Children are expected to simply pick up the maths at an exponential rate like a savant (Rain Man) with little explanation or reinforcement of how to gofrom A to B in a mathematical system. This 'you know it or you don't' strategy, borne out of the lack of specialist maths tutors and a strict time sensitive curriculum maths in schools.
Patience is the key
These factors are the main reason that children aren't learning the essential skills they'll need
in the working world. The above benefits should be stressed to children when the despair with their maths homework and the concept of delayed gratification, working hard now for something good later in life, should be cemented into their minds. Remember, a good knowledge of maths needs patience to be able to learn it in the first place.
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Ready Steady Cook
Hours slaving away in the kitchen to produce a small dish of inedible rubbish, burnt hands and lots of waste and cleaning to take care of afterward. Laughing at your pitiful efforts and crying at the poor quality 'food' you've created. Cooking does come with some horror stories but it need not be like this. In this article, there are a few tips and tricks to getting your skills fast tracked to Masterchef finalist levels.
Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail.
The most important thing to remember when attmepting to cook something is to ensure you have ready all the things you will need to cook your delicious meal. This means having the chicken breasts defrosted or the pork chops bought and in the fridge ready. It also means having the spices and flavourings ready too. Don't be tempted to swap one thing that you do have for the spice that you don't have but the recipe specifies. As you go through your cooking career,
you will start to amass a great number of spices and flavourings that you can use. So it will enable you to experiment more and more as more combinations of flavours are at your disposal.
Read your Recipe
To ensure that you get your food exactly how you want it, it is a good idea to invest in a cooking timer or use the timer on your watch. It is important to ensure that you have a good sense of the amount of time your food has been cooking for as it's not nice to eat runny eggs or burnt steak. This simple device will help you time your cooking to perfection. As you start out with the cooking, it is a good idea to follow the times in the recipe but as you progress and develop a sense of how long food takes to cook, you can rely on the timer less and just cook as if it were natural.
Cleaning
The dreaded pots and pans put a lot of people off from cooking. But it shouldn't be feared. After each step of your cooking, simply pop the dirty equipment in the sink to soak so food doesn't dry onto it. The dried on food is difficult to and needs a lot of effort to remove so get those dishes in soak as soon as you can. The other benefit of cleaning as you go is that there isn't a massive heap of stuff to clean when your potato bake/ beef wellington/ pasta bake. Remembering this will make your life easier. Don't be afraid to get your hands 'dirty' either, many recipes that involve marinated meat or baking require that you get your hands involved and manipulate the food yourself. This is a close relationship with food that has been severed in recent times with the growth of sterile boxed food that is simply microwaved for convenience.
Good Luck
Once you've picked your recipe, gathered the ingredients and set the timers, dive in!! Don't be afraid to try any dish you want to because the worst that can happen is burned food and the best thing; tasty dishes all round. If at first you go wrong, don't worry, practise makes perfect and as you go through your favourite recipes, you will find that you can cook them better and better. Once you have this confidence, you can start tweaking the food and cook what your heart desires, changing spices and meats and accompaniments here, there and everywhere.
Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail.
The most important thing to remember when attmepting to cook something is to ensure you have ready all the things you will need to cook your delicious meal. This means having the chicken breasts defrosted or the pork chops bought and in the fridge ready. It also means having the spices and flavourings ready too. Don't be tempted to swap one thing that you do have for the spice that you don't have but the recipe specifies. As you go through your cooking career,
you will start to amass a great number of spices and flavourings that you can use. So it will enable you to experiment more and more as more combinations of flavours are at your disposal.
Read your Recipe
To ensure that you get your food exactly how you want it, it is a good idea to invest in a cooking timer or use the timer on your watch. It is important to ensure that you have a good sense of the amount of time your food has been cooking for as it's not nice to eat runny eggs or burnt steak. This simple device will help you time your cooking to perfection. As you start out with the cooking, it is a good idea to follow the times in the recipe but as you progress and develop a sense of how long food takes to cook, you can rely on the timer less and just cook as if it were natural.
Cleaning
The dreaded pots and pans put a lot of people off from cooking. But it shouldn't be feared. After each step of your cooking, simply pop the dirty equipment in the sink to soak so food doesn't dry onto it. The dried on food is difficult to and needs a lot of effort to remove so get those dishes in soak as soon as you can. The other benefit of cleaning as you go is that there isn't a massive heap of stuff to clean when your potato bake/ beef wellington/ pasta bake. Remembering this will make your life easier. Don't be afraid to get your hands 'dirty' either, many recipes that involve marinated meat or baking require that you get your hands involved and manipulate the food yourself. This is a close relationship with food that has been severed in recent times with the growth of sterile boxed food that is simply microwaved for convenience.
Good Luck
Once you've picked your recipe, gathered the ingredients and set the timers, dive in!! Don't be afraid to try any dish you want to because the worst that can happen is burned food and the best thing; tasty dishes all round. If at first you go wrong, don't worry, practise makes perfect and as you go through your favourite recipes, you will find that you can cook them better and better. Once you have this confidence, you can start tweaking the food and cook what your heart desires, changing spices and meats and accompaniments here, there and everywhere.
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