Back to Aber...

So tomorrow I return to Aber, for my third year there and to start my second year of my degree, it's a long and complex story, but basically wrong A level choices and therefore a foundation year was needed.

This year is shaping up to be the best yet, the physics ramps up in terms of interest and also difficultly. Over the next year more of my time is taken up with space and astrophysics, the area of physics I find most interesting.

But before I get there I have had the joy of packing... should be able to do it by now, but I still hate it.

Anyway, this summer break has flown by very quickly, it doesn't seem possible for nearly 4 months to have past. One minute I was on my school placement, next in Scotland, then packing for starting a new year in Aber. Madness. It has been a busy summer, but also at times very quiet.

Anyway, hopefully the blog will last the next year, so after I am doing my best in three years of trying. Maybe third time lucky.

Until next time.

Spending cuts and hopes in science

As the government's spending review draws closer, I thought I would air some of my views on the subject... so here begins the rant.

Firstly to start with I am of the view that national deficit is being over played by this Troy government to push and enforce right wing welfare and social reform, but doing so under the cloak of "needed" spending cuts.

However, I understand that public spending must be cut, due to the fact that as country as a whole we are not producing as much money back in the economy. But whether the economy is ready for major cuts in the public sector, which will cause problems for the private section which is closely linked the public sector work, ie school building, or outsourcing cut backs etc.

One of the problem with the current UK economy, is the fact that it is far too dependant on services, which in turn needs a consumer. So in times in economic problem, like the last few years, this fails.

Look at Germany, their economy is growing much stronger than the UK, this because they actually made things and export them, therefore making money!!! It's not rocket science, you make something and someone buys it from you, so you then have money to spend on services. This is the problem in the UK, we are missing or have a too small engine to drive and power the British economy.

Therefore, I can not see cutting the deficit and cutting public spending will solve this problem in the short to mid term yes... long term no chance we will be back in the same boat 15/20 years time from now, if we do not change whole economy.

This is the time Britain could become a world leader is science and engineering again. However, this will need investment to grown this, but in return a solid base for the economy lead by science and innovation and not consumer good and services. A good example is this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11150831.

But I fear that the Troy government will fail to see this. Rant over.

Found this interesting http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11218802. Hunting exo-planet is outer space seems a cool job to do.

Until next time.

Two years...

Right, I will be upfront, I haven't got the hang of this blogging lark. I have been trying to keep a blog for the past two years, however I still haven't got it.

Anyway update time, August has been a busy old month, started with Iron Maiden at Sonisphere festival, what away to kick off a month. This was followed by my ending of being a teenager and I enter "true adulthood". Watched the persied meteor shower.

I was a wedding photographer for my uncle in Scotland, which was a

success, dispite some worries before hand, then on to the Lake District, and literally climbed

a mountain, Old Man of Coniston.

View at top.

Then, being a student physicist, I visited Jodrell Bank and the Lovell radio telescope.

This was an enjoyable and very interesting division from the journey home. Hope to return one day and not as a visitor.

O yes I was FINALLY paid for my work at the school, only took 2 months from me finishing at the school. I mean all whole payment problems over £600, it makes me wonder whether if I became a teacher, how long, if at all will I get the "golden hellos" and bursary money from the TDA?

So in three...ish weeks I head back to Aber to start my third year at Uni and I think, wow the past two years have progressed, at a rapid speed, with ups and downs.

But writing this post and thinking back over the past month, the wedding seems as long as the two years ago, I find this the strange and odd thing about time and the human memory.

Time, now there is mystery.

Until next time.

Persied meteor shower

Last night, was the peak activity for this year's Persied meteor shower.

This year I was at home and able to go and sit my garden and look at the skies in wonder. The cloud cover during the day was less than promising, grey and overcast... I wasn't holding up much hope for seeing much of nature's firework display.

However, whilst walking home last yesterday clearing skies, re-engaged my hope of see some meteors.

So at about 10:30pm I ventured into the garden in slippers and shorts...yes in hindsight probably not a wise choice.

Between 10:30 and 11pm I saw only a few faint meteors. One of the main problems for star gazing in the Medway towns is the light pollution.
But slowly as time passed, there was more noticeable meteors, travelling at a great speed across the skies night. It was all pretty magical. Probably counted over 15 meteors that I was sure of over the in hour and quarter I was outside.

However, due to the poor choice of clothing and a stiffening neck, I was forced retreat back to the house. As I got the patio door I noticed an object too bright to be a star, therefore it was most likely to been a planet, from a bit of research it transpired the object was most probably the largest planet in out solar system, Jupiter.

Overall a successful night watching the night's sky.

In other news I have started a Photobox gallery selling my photography work... link is www.photoboxgallery.com/huntphotography. There is a cracking star trail photography for sale on it.

Also on Monday I will be the photographer for my uncle's wedding, which will hopefully be a valuable and useful experience.

Until next time.

Random Sketch

I have not being blogging, (is that the correct term?) much recently.

Quick recap, got my key to my new flat in Aber, awesome place. Looking forward to living, working and generally being a student within it.

On a cynical note, everything the Tory government seem to make no logical sense... health reform, schools and education, the "big" society. The list is goes on and on.

Also the US with BP and Libya. They seem to think that the UK government must as it is told and if we don't do as told, we go to the headteachers office and get told off.

Then they investigate another country's decision of the release of a prisoner, as if the UK is the 51st State of America...

After looking at the work of Ralph Steadman, I quickly sketched this...

Past week...

The past week has progressed at some rapid speed...still not sure how in ended up being Friday so soon.

This week has been fairly quiet, and strangely productive in away... after last weekend at Brands with my camera, I decide to spent some time using Photoshop Elements 8 to created some digitally manipulated images, which can be found on Flickr, link is on the side.

After watching a film on the life the America writer Hunter S Thompson (famous for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.) This re-engage my interest in the work of artist Ralph Steadman, who's work I studied during my art A level. So hopefully over the next week, I will make a start on some Steadman style pieces.

Also this week, certain things the Tories are cutting concerned me one is the planned rebuilding of secondary school, this seems short sighted from the government, I feel that need to be proper investment within children of this country to ensure a strong future. It worries me that this is just the privatisation of the state education system in this country, but labelled as a cut. Also could a multi-million pound school not just benefit the children, but also the local community, ie sports and art facilities.

On a positive note about the new government is the science David Willetts who speech at the RI, seemed positive for the future of science research in this country. "Willetts said that science can help to boost growth in an age of austerity"

See http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/thesword/2010/07/uk-science-minister-research-m.html for more info the speech, as I feel I have written enough for today...

PS Good news, I passed my this year at University with a First.

Weekend...

Not a great deal has happened, therefore a lack of stuff to write a blog on really. Anyway is a run down what has happened since the last post;

Friday evening was very geeky/nerdy, a friend is back into retro/older gaming. So this took us on a memory trip with Crash Bandicoot on the Playstation. I remember first playing it at his at the age of 7... anyway nearly 13 years later and after 3 and a bit hours of spinning boxes and jumping over pits, the game was completed... then I remembered the frustration of playing such platform games. God idea of the level is simple, but getting the timings right...so frustrating at points

Saturday was lazy.

Sunday saw me at Brands Hatch watching classic old Forumla One cars race around the Grand Prix loop which was celebrating 60 years of racing. The old F1 cars are awesome to watch race, the noise and smell is intoxicating.
Some of the guys are not messing around when it comes to the racing...



This was the pass for the lead...close. More photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/eosgreg/

On a different note, but still involving heavy metal. I finally watched the Story of Anvil film.

They are a band from Canada, inspired bands like Metallica, Megadeth...etc
They toured Japan with Whitesnake, Bon Jovi and Scorpions in '84. But they didn't make it, was of poor management and production, but they never gave up...



Pretty good and interesting film, shows how harsh the music business can be.

An evening at the Royal Institute...

Yesterday evening I went to the Royal Institute of Great Britain for a join event between the Royal Institute (RI), Institute of Physics (IOP)and the TDA.
The event was aimed at people thinking of becoming a physics teacher as a possibly career. (This was partly the reason for me attending the event, but more I just wanted to have a look around the RI.)

The RI is located in one the most exclusive parts of London, Mayfair. The impressive building is surrounded by some of the most expensive designer shops known to the Capitalist World.



The evening was made up of two parts, formal talks from the IOP, TDA and RI. I apologise for all the acronyms. The lecture theatre was more like a theatre that would be found it the West End of London. Then there was a "networking" session ie meeting teachers, people who run PGCE course etc, however this took place in what was the labs for Michael Faraday and alike. As a physics geek, I found this very interesting being surrounded with so much scientific history, maybe even more than the talks about teaching.

This event confirmed my feeling and thought about teaching after I completed my school placement.

Now for a bit of Art?

Once I got to London I decided to venture to the Tate Britain, a galley with a good mix of modern and classical art. Now, I did an A level in Art and Photography and they nearly went to Uni to study one.

Well in the main galley I was welcomed by a Harrier fighter jet hanging from the roof.

So the Summer begins...

My summer break really started yesterday, as once I was home from Aber, I start working on the following Monday... so for the past three weeks I been subjected to 6:30 am wake ups and commuting to the school.

I was taking part in the SAS training scheme from the government, and no, it wasn't the secret air service but the student associate scheme. The schemes aim is to encourage physics and maths students to consider a possible career in teaching after graduation. So I spend three weeks working at a local grammar school within the science department.

The experience gained for my time at the school was invaluable, not only did I get a insight in the education system from the teachers viewpoint,something I never really got to see as a pupil. One of the challenging parts, was thinking of ways to explain aspects of physics so the pupils could understand. This came important in the second week due to staff absences, I was placed in physics classes with a cover teacher, but I did most of the teaching. However, some of the pupils questions showed they had a real interest in the subject, therefore showed a real enthusiasm for the subject, whic made in worth while and enjoyable.

So, after spending the time in the school, teaching it a very possible career after I graduation, even if that is still 3 years away.

I would definitely recommend anyone to take part in the scheme, even if you haven't thought about teaching as career...plus you get paid £600 :)

No rant today...

As I posted on Friday, the library has claimed that I had overdue books and a fine greater than £10...

Well, this morning at 8:45 am, I got an apology and confirmation that I didn't have overdue books.

I was impressed at the speed of the reply, normally I am waiting several working days before getting a reply, and that's if get get a reply.

On a geeky/techy note, found this article on New Scientist interesting,

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19065-innovation-microsofts-kinect-isnt-just-for-games.html