Joe asks 'Is it me or what?'

No Telescope to Cure Shortsightedness

The BBC reports that Britain's involvment in the Gemini Telescope programme is about to end.

Despite the fact that we've contibuted over £70m already and that the project's almost finished the powers that be have decided to end our involvement. This will incur a fine of £8m and mean that we will have no access to the two telescopes when they are complete. Others have suggested we carry on with a view to renting out time with the facility as a method of recoupment; this suggestion was turned down for no apparent reason.

So we can afford £25 billion on Northern Rock, which happened because various government quangos were not doing their job, £10+ billion on the Olympics which are an ephemeral event and God knows how much on the Iraq war but can write-off £78m to save what appears to be £15m on a long-lasting astronomical facility.

Do You Feel Lucky?

Reminiscent of Dirty Harry is this tale recounted on The Register concerning a Dallas man who was showing off his pistol by firing a few rounds. He then apparently decided to test his counting ability by pointing the weapon at his head and pulling the trigger...

A sure favourite for the 2008 Darwin Awards.

Reason to Smile or Reason for Smiting?

I noticed this mural in Exeter St.David's, my local railway station a while ago.

Now although at first glance it's a porter giving directions the first thing I thought of was Michelangelo's depiction of God giving life to Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Now I found it enjoyable and amusing but it occurred o me that had I been of a different faith I might have found this a grave insult and immediately call for the station to be picketed by demonstrators as well as calls for the death of the artist.

There are some other scenes too, I can't say it's worth trekking to Exeter especially, just for the station art - although we do have other attractions, but if you ever happen to be there keep your eyes open.

Unfortunately, as you may notice if you view the full picture by clicking on the thumbnail above, the mural could do with some repair. I'm sure the whole work was expensive so why not spend on having it preserved, it's probably a fraction of the upkeep of the station as a whole?

I have also been unable to find out who the artist was, no-one at the station seems to know, or care in some cases. If you happen to know please could you inform me?

Life Imitating Art?

The joke writer's art in this case...

The recent demise of The Astrological Magazine is announced on its web site. Needless to say this was due to unforeseen circumstances.

When I first saw this I thought it was a send up, I'm still not sure it isn't. If only they had sold advertising on the site they could have made plenty with the number of hits they've had over the last few days. But then they wouldn't have closed down so there wouldn't have been a story and...

The World's Dumbest Criminal?

If you're planning an insurance scam over a stolen mobile phone there's one or two pointers in this article from the BBC web site.

This seems to top the account I read of a man who tried to rob a bank and passed the cashier a note demanding all the money. The problem was he'd written it on the back of an old gas bill...

Apparently the police arrived at his house before he'd got back from the bank.