Jenjie

Can't believe its almost a year since Wembley!! :o 11 days for the jukebox singalong 12 days for the 18th 13 days for the 19th 14 days for the picnic

still reading Postscript from Pemberley

oooooooooh hard question! need to go away and create one :)

Stylish start for Sale Mike Brewer's tenure as head coach of Sale got off to the perfect start as the Sharks recorded a convincing 35-18 win over Newcastle. In the first match of the new Aviva Premiership season, debutants Karena Wihongi and Tom Brady ran in tries and fly-half Nick Macleod notched four penalties and two conversions before the half-time interval at Edgeley Park. The Falcons had scored the first try of the night through Brent Wilson and former Munster stand-off Jeremy Manning would eventually kick eight points. But the hosts dominated for the vast majority of the game and two more penalties from Macleod and a drop goal from Dwayne Peel put them out of sight. Both sides were looking for a winning start after disappointing finishes last term and it was the hosts who were in the ascendancy in the early stages. Penalty Ben Cohen collected Macleod's kick-off and set up an attack that would yield a penalty, which the stand-off slotted through the posts with barely a minute on the clock. Props Andrew Sheridan and Wihongi carried the ball with purpose and their endeavour was rewarded with two more penalties, which Macleod also converted to make it 9-3. Manning had earlier nailed a three-pointer before hitting the post with a second attempt, but after five-metre scrum Newcastle flanker Wilson crashed over for a try to give the visitors the lead. Sale continued to enjoy most of the pressure, however, and retook the lead when Wihongi burrowed over after a break from young prospect Brady. And the advantage was extended when Macleod's well-weighted chip through allowed Brady to cross the whitewash to continue his impressive debut. Extras Macleod added the extras and sent another penalty through the posts to make it 23-10 before the interval. Manning was taken off for Jimmy Gopperth at the start of the second half but could not provide the spark that the Falcons needed to get back into the game. After Macleod added his fifth penalty of the night, he swapped places with Peel and the Wales international duly slotted a drop-goal over as Sale raced away from the visitors. Macleod made it 35-13 in the 59th minute with another penalty, although the hosts also suffered from indiscipline as replacement scrum-half Chris Leck was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle seconds after coming on. And the Falcons capitalised to score a late consolation as Wilson powered his way over in the corner with eight minutes left on the clock. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12573_6356606,00.html

its tonight!!! :D

dunno coz it definitely isn't in sight line with the airport hotel :lol:

ty :D its so long since I did a wiki setlist i forgot how to do the numbers :embarrassed: but we have the begiinnings of a Wiki page now :D http://www.wikicoldplay.com/1_September_2010:_Apple_Preview_Event_-_San_Francisco,_CA_(Chris_Martin_Only)

A380 Superjumbo gets a BIG welcome History was made as almost 7,000 people flocked to Manchester Airport to catch a glimpse of its new super-sized arrival - the giant A380 passenger plane. Huge cheers went up as the 517-seat double-decker monster from Dubai touched down at the airport for the first time shortly before 12.30pm yesterday. Airport bosses say the number of spectators was second only to the 10,000 who gathered for Concorde’s last landing in 2004. Susie Melling, 28, from Wigan, was one of the cabin crew as the plane made its maiden voyage into the city. She said: "It’s the fastest, the biggest and the best. I live in Dubai so for me it means I can come home a lot more often and don’t have to take any holidays." Angela Fawley, 44, was at the viewing area with husband Dave Williams, 44, son Haydn Williams, 12, and grandson Macawley Williams, six. She said: "We saw that it was coming in the M.E.N last week and thought we would come down and have a look. "We’ve all been really impressed with it. I stood on one of the picnic tables to watch it come in. "It looks really nice – it must be good when you can afford it. "We had a false alarm when a Cathay Pacific plane touched down first – that was quite funny. "It’s the kids’ last day before school and they have really enjoyed it. It’s been one of the best days in the last six weeks." Carol Bell, 40, her children Shaunna Parkinson, 16, Jamie Parkinson, 18 and stepdad Andy Bell, 38, also travelled to the viewing park from Denton. Carol said: "It’s really, really impressive." Jamie added: "I’ve not been before and I thought it might be a bit boring but there were loads of people here and there was a great atmosphere. When it came in I was using the binoculars to take a look." Leigh-born Sir Maurice Flanagan, founding managing director of Emirates, said: "It’s a proud day for me personally because I am from not far from here and professionally because it shows how far we have come. "Manchester was the first European airport we flew out of and we used to carry 310 passengers a week. Now it’s 6,000." Airport managing director Andrew Cornish said the A380’s arrival was ‘a dream come true’. And an airport spokesman said: "Everything has gone like clockwork. It was rather quiet when it took off again. But it will be back tomorrow and is now part of the airport forever." A 73-year-old man was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital after suffering a heart attack at the viewing point at about 1pm. It is understood that doctors were unable to resuscitate him and he died a short time later. http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1315733_a380_superjumbo_gets_a_big_welcome

Why the Airbus A380 is a big deal for Manchester The arrival of the world's biggest commercial airliner in Manchester certainly grabbed the headlines. At the airport, hundreds of staff joined thousands of plane spotters to watch the twin deck aircraft touch down for the first time [1st Sept 2010]. But why is the A380 such a big deal for Manchester and the North West? Its supporters say the A380 has put Manchester Airport on the map and boosted the economy. Critics, however, have dubbed it "a green monster." Investment Capable of carrying up to 800 passengers, the development of the Airbus A380 is something of a revolution in the airline industry. To accommodate such a big plane, Manchester Airport has spent more than £10m on new fire engines, a new aircraft stand and two bridges to connect the super jumbo to the terminal. It's a major investment that puts it an elite group of the world's top 17 airports big enough to take an airliner of this size. Which is why both the airport and Emirates were keen to celebrate the arrival of Manchester's first A380 complete with luxury features like on-board showers for its first class passengers. Maurice Flanagan, vice chairman of the Emirates Airline and Group said he was confident that bookings for the A380 would prove that it was money well spent. ''The A380 is proving to be a big hit with our customers," he said. "Our advance bookings are already 20% up from the same period last year,'' he said. Services Emirates will be operating two daily services to Dubai from Manchester - one of them serviced by the new A380. For Manchester Airport, it's the culmination of nearly ten years' work. It had to secure Civil Aviation Authority approval to take the super jumbo which has involved widening taxiways, re-aligning junctions and turns and moving dozens of runway signs so the giant plane can pass safely. The airport's managing director Andrew Cornish said it was a "proud day" for Manchester. ''A lot of hard work and planning has gone into the arrival from many people and we're pleased that we can now accept the newest type of aircraft flying today.'' Size So what's different about the A380 apart from its size? It's quieter for a start and more fuel efficient than many of its older rivals. But there are still concerns about its impact. Supporters say it's a greener aircraft and moving large numbers of people on one journey is a better way forward. But critics have claimed the move towards this kind of super jumbo will ultimately have a negative environmental effect. Jeff Gazzard runs the Manchester Airport Environment Network. He disputed the aircraft's green credentials. "The flight to and from Dubai will make 800 tonnes of CO2. Its fuel efficiency is actually 10.4 miles per gallon. "That isn't fuel efficient: it's a green monster not a green dream, it's as simple as that." Jobs Wings for the giant A380 are made at the Airbus factory at Broughton near Chester. They have to be shipped by special barge along the Dee for final assembly in France. Nigel Harvey, head of operations for the A380 at Broughton said its arrival was extremely important in terms of employment. "It's created an awful lot of jobs within the local community," he said. "It's secured jobs for about 1,000 people here within the factory." Emirates is one of Airbus's best customers with twelve A380s in its fleet and a further 78 on order. 'Mark Barclay, Airbus senior vice-president, said it was also big business for the British economy. "On the A380 programme, work valued at over £7.5 billion has already been placed in the UK," he said. "Over the lifetime of the programme this is set to more than double.'' http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/manchester/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8959000/8959787.stm

we'll have to operate in the dark - turn all the lights off to save power! :lol:

Runways have been strengthened, signs moved back and a huge fire engine has been bought to allow the world's biggest passenger plane to land at Manchester. And now the Airport has been given final permission for the Airbus A380 to start flying from its airfield next month. The Civil Aviation Authority officially certified the airport as ready for the Emirates A380, meaning it will be able to touch down for the first time on September 1. The approval makes the airport one of only 17 across the world able to accept the super-jumbo, which seats 517 passengers. Bosses have spent more than £10m upgrading the airfield, including installing a new aircraft stand. Taxiways have been widened and reinforced as well as more than 50 signs moved further away so the jet can pass safely. The airport has also invested in two new fire engines. One of the vehicles has a 30-metre ladder which allows firefighters to reach any level of an aircraft. The certification means that Manchester can now accept any large aircraft operating around the world, which could lead to more business for the airport. The CAA approval is a result of work dating back nearly 10 years with the most detailed and intensive work taking place out on the airfield due to the shear size of the aircraft. Managing director Andrew Cornish explained it was the result of work dating back nearly a decade with extensive alterations needed to accommodate the giant aircraft. He said: “It’s a proud day for Manchester and we’re naturally pleased that Emirates has chosen Manchester to be the first regional airport in the world to welcome an A380 aircraft. “A lot of hard work and planning has gone into the arrival from many people across the business and we’re pleased that as an aerodrome we can accept the newest type of aircraft flying today and http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/transport/s/1314539_video_airport_all_set_for_517seater_a380_superjet_after_10m_upgrade

I've heard rumours about more changes.

Joker pony is scary Princess Leia pony is quite cute

Jonny Depp ponies! :lol:

Admins still have the same powers but they have delegated more of the authority to the global mods. Global mods can now ban people other than for being a spambot, they can issue warnings, and they are your first point of contact for issues you might need to raise. As you can imagine, Ian's PM inbox gets battered with messages. Now he has Sam, as well as his full time job & the site to run, his time to deal with things is more limited.

The sun is setting over South Africa's oldest vineyard and the last of the wine-tasting tourists are climbing onto their buses. But one large family group has no intention of leaving – and there is little the management can do about it. Groot Constantia, in the heart of Cape Town's wine country, can deal with inebriated holidaymakers – but it is invading baboons which have developed a taste for its grapes that the wine makers are struggling with. Each day, dozens of Cape Baboons gather to strip the ancient vines – the sauvignon blanc grapes are a particular favourite – before heading into the mountains to sleep. A few, who sample fallen fruit that has fermented in the sun, pass out and don't make it home. "They are not just eating our grapes, they are raiding our kitchens and ripping the thatch off the roofs. They are becoming increasingly bold and destructive," said Jean Naude, general manager at the vineyard, which is celebrating its 325th birthday this year. Guards banging sticks and waving plastic snakes have been deployed with only limited success, and not even a blast of a vuvuzela, the plastic horn made famous at the World Cup, seems to frighten them. It is not just the vineyards in South Africa which are under siege, however, but also the exclusive neighbouring suburb of Constantia, home to famous residents including Earl Spencer, Wilbur Smith and Nelson Mandela. Crisis meetings between animal welfare groups and traumatised locals are struggling to find a workable solution. "Where there's a mountain, there's a baboon," said Justin O'Riain of the Baboon Research Unit at the University of Cape Town. "As we take up more and more of their land, the conflict increases." The baboons lived in the mountains of Cape Town long before humans took up residence, but development has forced the unlikely neighbours into increasingly closer contact. Before laws afforded baboons a protected status a decade ago, troublesome animals were regularly killed or maimed by home owners and farmers. Now around 20 full-time "baboon monitors" are employed to protect them and guide them away from residential areas. It has proved mission impossible. Last week, a 12 year old boy was left traumatised after confronting a troop who had broken into his family home. Hearing noises from the kitchen, he went to investigate and found the beasts ransacking cupboards. When the child fled upstairs to find his babysitter, three males gave chase and surrounded him as he made a tearful phone call to his mother, while the animals pelted him with fruit. "When he called me he was terrified. They had him surrounded," said the Constantia housewife, who did not wish to be identified. Chickens, geese, peacocks and even a Great Dane dog have been killed in recent weeks by the marauding baboons - the males have huge and terrifying canine teeth. Roof tiles, electric fences, orchards and vegetables gardens have been trashed. "Lunch parties in the garden are now just impossible," a homeowner complained. "It is so unrelaxing. Rather than chatting over our meal, we are looking over our shoulders and bolting the food as quickly as we can before it is stolen. We can't even leave a window open in summer. We are under siege." In a concession to despairing residents, wildlife authorities have begun collaring baboons identified as "troublesome" and imposed a strict "three strikes" policy whereby animals which repeatedly break into homes are humanely destroyed. Fourteen year-old William, a large male known officially as GOB03, who had terrorised the coastal suburb of Scarborough for as long as anyone can remember, was the first to fall foul of this controversial rule. His death last month was greeted with outrage and jubilation in equal measure and dominated the letters pages of the local newspapers for weeks. Meanwhile, For Sale signs are sprouting up in suburbs with baboon populations. Families which have lived in the same house for generations are giving up, moving away to get away from their animal tormentors. By Jane Flanagan in Cape Town http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/7969313/Drunk-baboons-plague-Cape-Towns-exclusive-suburbs.html

Human bones have been found in a state forest where the Australian serial killer Ivan Milat murdered seven backpackers, including two Britons, in the late 1990s. The skeletal remains, discovered by a group of motor bike riders, were located in open ground near a fire trail in the Belangelo State Forest, south of Sydney, where Milat dumped the bodies of seven backpackers. Among his victims were 22-year-olds Caroline Clarke, from Northumbria and Joanne Walters, from South Wales. In 1996, Milat, a former road worker, was found guilty of all seven murders. He is currently serving a prison term of seven life sentences, plus a further term of 18 years. Police confirmed that the remains were human but refused to confirm whether they belonged to any of Milat’s victims. Since Milat’s conviction there has been constant speculation in Australia linking him to many other disappearances and unsolved crimes; Milat continues to protest his innocence. But Superintendent Quarmby said that it was far too early to jump to any conclusion about the new discovery, saying only that police were currently pursuing “many lines of investigation”. In January last year, he cut off his little finger with a plastic knife and sent it to a court. By Mark Chipperfield in Sydney http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/7971781/Bones-found-in-backpacker-killers-forest.html

Vladimir Putin has said it will take decades to reform Russia and that he wants to keep shaping the fate of the world’s largest country, as he gave his strongest indication he will serve a third term as president from 2012. The Russian prime minister described the process of turning Russia into the kind of stable strong state he wants as a “decades-long” job and argued he had no choice but to be involved. “I only have two choices,” he told the daily Kommersant newspaper. “Either to watch from the bank how the waters are flowing away and how something is collapsing or falling away or to get involved,” he said. “I prefer to be involved.” Although the 57-year old former KGB spy refused to confirm whether he would definitely run in a presidential election in 2012, he admitted it was uppermost in his thoughts. “It interests me as much as ... I was going to say 'as much as anyone’, but really more than everyone else!” he quipped. “But I am not making a fetish out of it!” Mr Putin occupied the presidency from 2000-2008 and then gifted the job to Dmitry Medvedev, a hand-picked loyalist, due to a constitutional limit on serving a third consecutive term. However, he is now eligible to return to the presidency in 2012 and to serve a further two consecutive terms if he chooses. The terms have since been extended from four to six years, meaning he could stay in power until 2024 at which point he would be 72. In the same interview, Mr Putin said he was unfazed by his high but fluctuating popularity ratings and had harsh words for Russia’s enfeebled anti-Kremlin Opposition. Activists have been challenging a repressive law that forces them to get permission from the authorities every time they want to hold a protest by organising regular “unsanctioned” protests in central Moscow. Riot police have consistently dispersed such gatherings, often brutally, prompting the US state department to urge restraint. But Mr Putin said he backed the crackdowns and accused the anti-Kremlin activists of trying to deliberately “provoke” the police into attacking them. “You need to get permission (for protests) from the local authorities,” he opined. “If you have received it, then go and demonstrate. If you have taken to the streets without the right to do so then you are going to get bashed over the head with a truncheon. That is all there is to it.” Mr Putin also poured cold water too on the idea that relations between Russia and the United States had undergone a dramatic improvement. Complaining that Washington was continuing to rearm neighbouring Georgia, he said US anti-missile plans for central Europe had not been watered down enough. By Andrew Osborn, Moscow http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/7971827/Vladimir-Putin-gives-strongest-indication-he-will-serve-third-term-as-president.html

Aviva Premiership 2010-11: club-by-club guide A look at the prospects for this season's Aviva Premiership teams. Bath Head coach: Steve Meehan. Captain: Luke Watson. Last season: 4th. Biggest signing: Lewis Moody (Leicester) - flanker (inset, below). Biggest loss: Julian Salvi (ACT Brumbies). Prospects: Expectations are high following the take-over of the club by multi-millionaire Bruce Craig and the signing of high-profile recruits such as Sir Ian McGeechan to the coaching staff and players of the calibre of England captain Lewis Moody, Simon Taylor and Sam Vesty. Prediction: Fourth. ---------------------------- EXETER Head coach: Rob Baxter. Captain:Tommy Hayes. Last season: Championship winners. Biggest signing: Jason Shoemark (Otago Highlanders) – centre . Biggest loss: Matt Cornwell (Northampton). Prospects: The Premiership newboys are favourites for the drop, but Exeter will take heart from Leeds’ ability to cement their place in the top flight. Sandy Park should prove a daunting venue for opponents but a lack of time to sign big names because of the Championship play-offs has left their squad looking a touch lightweight. All eyes will be on Andrew Higgins, who quit rugby after refusing a drug test at Bath last year. Relegated. ---------------------------- GLOUCESTER Head coach: Bryan Redpath. Captain: Mike Tindall. Last season: 7th Biggest signing: Jim Hamilton (Edinburgh) – lock. Biggest loss: Gareth Delve (Melbourne Rebels). Prospects: Bryan Redpath has lost more big names than he has been able to bring in and with Sir Ian McGeechan having moved on to Bath, this season will be a tough test of his coaching credentials. Still, there are enough talented players in the squad for a tilt at a place in the Heineken Cup next season. Eighth. ---------------------------- HARLEQUINS Director of rugby: Conor O’Shea. Captain: Chris Robshaw. Last season: 8th. Biggest signing: Ollie Smith (Montpellier) – centre. Biggest loss: David Strettle (Saracens). Prospects: The honeymoon period is over for O’Shea as he attempts to forge a post-Bloodgate era for Quins. The club lost their way last season following Dean Richards’ controversial exit but if O’Shea can imbue a more robust mental toughness on the road, Quins possess the talent to be in the mix this season. Seventh. ---------------------------- LEEDS Director of rugby: Andy Key. Captain: Marco Wentzel. Last season: 10th. Biggest signing: Steve Thompson (Brive) – hooker. Biggest loss: Calum Clark (Northampton). Prediction: In an attempt to build on their success at avoiding the drop last season, Leeds have gone for quality, not quantity in their recruitment. There are only 11 new faces to replace the 17 departures, but the club’s wage bill has still increased significantly. Nevertheless, they have some experienced players. Ninth. ---------------------------- LEICESTER Director of Rugby: Richard Cockerill. Captain: Geordan Murphy. Last season: Champions. Biggest signing: Thomas Waldrom (Canterbury Crusaders) – No 8. Biggest loss: Lewis Moody (Bath). Prospects: Only Leicester could see such luminary names as Lewis Moody, Ben Kay, Harry Ellis, Aaron Mauger and Lote Tuqiri either move on or retire and not bat an eyelid. Worryingly for everyone else, Richard Cockerill believes his squad is actually now in better shape to adapt to the higher tempo game following the new interpretation at the breakdown. Champions. ---------------------------- LONDON IRISH Head coach: Toby Booth. Captain: Clarke Dermody. Last season: 6th. Biggest signing: Daniel Bowden (Canterbury Crusaders) – fly-half/centre. Biggest loss: Peter Hewat (Suntory, Japan). Prospects: After enduring a horrific injury list last season, London Irish should be in better shape to compete for a place in the top four. The 2009 grand finalists will have learnt much from last season’s travails and now look to have greater depth to their squad in key areas. Sixth. ---------------------------- NEWCASTLE Head coach: Alan Tait. Captain: James Hudson. Last season: 9th. Biggest signing: Ally Hogg (Edinburgh) – back row. Biggest loss: Carl Hayman (Toulon). All eyes on: Jon Golding. Prospects: New coach Alan Tait will bring a fresh approach to Newcastle and his enthusiasm will be key revitalising a squad that lost some big names at the end of last season. Tait has high hopes for new signings Jeremy Manning and Redford Pennycook and an improvement in home form should be enough to guide the club to safety. 10th. ---------------------------- NORTHAMPTON Director of rugby: Jim Mallinder. Captain: Dylan Hartley. Last season: 2nd. Biggest signing: Calum Clark (Leeds) – flanker. Biggest loss: Juandre Kruger (Blue Bulls). Prospects: Northampton notched up more league wins that any other side last season and Jim Mallinder’s side should be even more of a threat to Leicester’s dominance this term. Calum Clark and Tom Wood could be inspired signings while the retention of Soane Tonga’uiha following the bitter tug-of-war with Saracens was crucial following the departure of Juandre Kruger. Second. ---------------------------- SALE SHARKS Head coach: Mike Brewer. Captain: Charlie Hodgson. Last season: 11th. Biggest signing: Paul Williams (Auckland) – full-back/wing. Biggest loss: Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens). Prospects: New coach Mike Brewer has wielded the axe over the summer months and brought in 14 new players following last season’s flirtation with relegation. The extent of the overhaul is laden with risk however and Sale could again find themselves battling at the wrong end of the table. 11th. ---------------------------- SARACENS Director of rugby: Brendan Venter. Captain: Steve Borthwick. Last season: 3rd. Biggest signing: Deon Carstens (Sharks, South Africa) – prop. Biggest loss: Glen Jackson (retired). All eyes on: Alex Goode. Prospects: Saracens were the story of last season. Top of the table at Christmas by dint of a limited kicking game, they came within seconds of winning the final against Leicester having discarded their shackles in the second half of the season. Bolstered by some heavyweight signings, Brendan Venter’s side should be title contenders again. Third. ---------------------------- WASPS Director of rugby: Tony Hanks.Captain: Tom Rees. Last season: 5th. Biggest signing: Riki Flutey (Brive) – centre. Biggest loss: Danny Cipriani (Melbourne Rebels). All eyes on: Dominic Waldouck. Prospects: Wasps are on the move again and the return of Riki Flutey and signing of Andy Powell from Cardiff Blues should sustain last season’s momentum. The question remains though if they have enough quality to break into the top four, given how much ground they have to make up. Fifth. By Gavin Mairs http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/7969691/Aviva-Premiership-club-by-club-guide.html

Premiership Rugby season set for record-breaking opener The opening weekend of the Aviva Premiership season is set to break attendance records after over 70,000 tickets were sold for the London Double Header over the weekend. A record crowd of 67,684 supporters attended the event at Twickenham last season, but officials say they are expecting up to 75,000 fans as the new season gets underway next weekend. Tickets are valid for the two matches next Saturday, with London Irish playing defeated Premiership Rugby finalists Saracens at 2pm and London Wasps taking on Harlequins at 4.30pm. Club matches will now have attracted over 150,000 supporters to Twickenham for the last two Premiership Rugby matches at the famous stadium. Tickets are still available, however due to stadium regulations they will not be available on the day. New Premiership Rugby title sponsors Aviva signed a four-year £20 million deal earlier this summer to take over from Diageo Great Britain under the Guinness brand. http://www.thesportreview.com/tsr/2010/08/premiership-rugby-season-set-for-record-breaking-opener/

The new season starts this weekend, Hurrah!!

An expedition surveying the wreck of the Titanic is showing off some crisp images of the world's most famous shipwreck. But officials from Expedition Titanic said in a statement they are now headed back to Newfoundland because high seas and winds brought on by hurricane Danielle are preventing researchers from carrying out their work. The team of scientists have been using a pair of robots to take thousands of photographs and hours of video of the wreck, which lies roughly 2.5 miles below the surface. The hi-resolution images include shots of the ship's bow, clearly showing the railing and anchors. The expedition left Newfoundland earlier this month to the spot in the Atlantic where the ship struck an iceberg in 1912 and sank. More than 1,500 passengers and crew perished on the ship's maiden voyage. Scientist are using imaging technology and sonar devices that never have been used before on the Titanic wreck. They are probing nearly a century of sediment in the debris field to seek a full inventory of the ship's artefacts. The expedition is a partnership between RMS Titanic Inc, which has exclusive salvage rights to the wreck, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. The expedition will not collect artefacts but is scheduled to probe a 2-by-3-mile debris field where hundreds of thousands of artefacts remain scattered. Expedition officials say they intend to return to finish their work after a delay of a few days. Since oceanographer Robert Ballard and an international team discovered the Titanic in 1985, most of the expeditions have either been to photograph the wreck or gather thousands of artefacts, such as fine china, shoes and ship fittings. Titanic director James Cameron has also led teams to the wreck to record the bow and the stern, which separated during the sinking and now lie one-third of a mile apart. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/feedarticle/9242863

'Skeptical Environmentalist' and critic of climate scientists to declare global warming a chief concern facing world today The world's most high-profile climate change sceptic is to declare that global warming is "undoubtedly one of the chief concerns facing the world today" and "a challenge humanity must confront", in an apparent U-turn that will give a huge boost to the embattled environmental lobby. Bjørn Lomborg, the self-styled "sceptical environmentalist" once compared to Adolf Hitler by the UN's climate chief, is famous for attacking climate scientists, campaigners, the media and others for exaggerating the rate of global warming and its effects on humans, and the costly waste of policies to stop the problem. But in a new book to be published next month, Lomborg will call for tens of billions of dollars a year to be invested in tackling climate change. "Investing $100bn annually would mean that we could essentially resolve the climate change problem by the end of this century," the book concludes. Examining eight methods to reduce or stop global warming, Lomborg and his fellow economists recommend pouring money into researching and developing clean energy sources such as wind, wave, solar and nuclear power, and more work on climate engineering ideas such as "cloud whitening" to reflect the sun's heat back into the outer atmosphere. In an interview with the Guardian, he said he would finance this investment through a tax on carbon emissions that would also raise $50bn to mitigate the effects of climate change, for example by building better sea defences, and $100bn for global healthcare. His declaration about the importance of action on climate change comes at a crucial point in the debate, with international efforts to agree a global deal on emissions stalled amid a resurgence in scepticism caused by rows over the reliability of the scientific evidence for global warming. The fallout from those rows continued yesterday when Rajendra Pachauri, head of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, came under renewed pressure to step down after an independent review of the panel's work called for tighter term limits for its senior executives and greater transparency in its workings. The IPCC has come under fire in recent months following revelations of inaccuracies in the last assessment of global warming, provided to governments in 2007 – for which it won the Nobel peace prize with former the US vice-president Al Gore. The mistakes, including a claim that the Himalayan glaciers could melt by 2035, prompted the launch of a review of the IPCC's processes and procedures by the InterAcademy Council (IAC), an organisation of the world's science bodies. The IAC said that the IPCC needed to be as transparent as possible in how it worked, how it selected people to participate in assessments and its choice of scientific information to assess. Although Pachauri once compared Lomborg to Hitler, he has now given an unlikely endorsement to the new book, Smart Solutions to Climate Change. In a quote for the launch, Pachauri said: "This book provides not only a reservoir of information on the reality of human-induced climate change, but raises vital questions and examines viable options on what can be done." Lomborg denies that he has performed a volte face, pointing out that even in his first book he accepted the existence of man-made global warming. "The point I've always been making is it's not the end of the world," he told the Guardian. "That's why we should be measuring up to what everybody else says, which is we should be spending our money well." But he said the crucial turning point in his argument was the Copenhagen Consensus project, in which a group of economists were asked to consider how best to spend $50bn. The first results, in 2004, put global warming near the bottom of the list, arguing instead for policies such as fighting malaria and HIV/Aids. But a repeat analysis in 2008 included new ideas for reducing the temperature rise, some of which emerged about halfway up the ranking. Lomborg said he then decided to consider a much wider variety of policies to reduce global warming, "so it wouldn't end up at the bottom". The difference was made by examining not just the dominant international policy to cut carbon emissions, but also seven other "solutions" including more investment in technology, climate engineering, and planting more trees and reducing soot and methane, also significant contributors to climate change, said Lomborg. "If the world is going to spend hundreds of millions to treat climate, where could you get the most bang for your buck?" was the question posed, he added.After the analyses, five economists were asked to rank the 15 possible policies which emerged. Current policies to cut carbon emissions through taxes - of which Lomborg has long been critical - were ranked largely at the bottom of four of the lists. At the top were more direct public investment in research and development rather than spending money on low carbon energy now, and climate engineering. Lomborg acknowledged trust was a problem when committing to long term R&D, but said politicians were already reneging on promises to cut emissions, and spending on R&D would be easier to monitor. Although many believe private companies are better at R&D than governments, Lomborg said low carbon energy was a special case comparable to massive public investment in computers from the 1950s, which later precpitated the commercial IT revolution. Lomborg also admitted climate engineering could cause "really bad stuff" to happen, but argued if it could be a cheap and quick way to reduce the worst impacts of climate change and thus there was an "obligation to at least look at it". He added: "This is not about 'we have all got to live with less, wear hair-shirts and cut our carbon emissions'. It's about technologies, about realising there's a vast array of solutions." In a quote for the book launch, Pachauri - who once likened the author to Adolf Hitler - said: "This book provides not only a reservoir of information on the reality of human induced climate change, but raises vital questions and examines viable options on what can be done."Despite his change of tack, however, Lomborg is likely to continue to have trenchant critics. Writing for today's Guardian, Howard Friel, author of the book The Lomborg Deception, said: "If Lomborg were really looking for smart solutions, he would push for an end to perpetual and brutal war, which diverts scarce resources from nearly everything that Lomborg legitimately says needs more money." Juliette Jowit guardian.co.uk, Monday 30 August 2010 20.17 BST http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/30/bjorn-lomborg-climate-change-u-turn

I laughed :D nicely written blog Mr Janitor, I think you're in the wrong job

Belated Happy Birthday for 2010 :D