LDS post New Irish Genealogy records on Familysearch

The LDS have added three new record sets to their Irish genealogy record Collection

          Ireland Births and Baptisms 1620 - 1881

          Ireland Deaths 1864 - 1870

          Ireland Marriages 1619 - 1898


They can be found on the FamilySearch pilot site at
 
http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#r=1&p=allCollections

Aliens - If NASA finds them don't talk to them and remember to wash your hands

"Scientists haven't found ET just yet, but they may be pinning down the best places and ways to look..." was the message that came from the Astrobiology Science Conference according to a recent article.

Scientists at the conference were still eager to find life elsewhere in the universe said the article and, quoting Mary Voytek, astrobiology senior scientist at NASA Headquarters, the article continued, "We're interested and prepared to discover any form of life."

This comes hot on the heels of comments made by noted astrophysicist Stephen Hawkings who has said he "strongly believes in aliens" and warning that "Earth could be at risk from an invasion."

The comments, (widely reported in the media including the Daily Mail) were made in an interview about a new documentary series he has made for the Discovery Channel called Universe which uses imagined illustrations to explains why he believes in extraterrestrial life and the forms it could take.

"We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet." said Professor Hawkings. 

Like discussing the plot of a SciFi blockbuster movie Professor Hawkings said, "I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet. Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonise whatever planets they can reach."

But before you start panicking it should be remembered that this isn't the first time Hawkings has expressed his belief in there being extraterrestrial life. At that time though he claimed it was dumber than us.

In 2008, during a speech to mark the 50th birthday of NASA at George Washington University, Professor Hawkings said "The universe is teeming with alien life but little of it is intelligent." "... if you meet an alien," he said, "you could be infected with a disease to which you have no resistance." (Of course after reading HG Well's War of the Worlds I was looking to microbes to save us from the nasty aliens :)

He then went on to say the odds were in favour of the existence of suitable planets ripe for colonisation. "We cannot envision visiting them with current technology, but we should make interstellar travel a long-term aim," he said.

So, to recap, when NASA finds a likely planet we should send out ships to colonise it "for the good of humanity" but if we run in to any nasty aliens we shouldn't talk to them in case they notice us and if we have to shake their hands... or tentacles or whatever... remember to wash your hands.

Burglars Break Into Dutch Jail To Steal TVs

I just love this story from Sky News.  We've all heard how cushy prisons are getting these days (alledgedly) but one which sends them home at the weekend?

Burglars have broken into a prison and stolen inmates' television sets.

 Het Keern prison (Photo: Ministerie van Justitie)

The thieves crept into a minimum-security jail in the Dutch town of Hoorn, near Amsterdam, when the inmates were away for the weekend, authorities have revealed.

The facility is used for prisoners who are coming to the end of their sentences and, because they are soon to be released, are often allowed out for weekends.

The establishment is described as "a very modestly protected environment".

The thefts took place on two separate weekends, in March and April.

It is still not known how the burglars broke in.

No arrests have been made yet, a police spokeswoman said.

All you wanted to know about Volcanic ash clouds and why you don't fly through them

Among the many wonderful podcasts from the BBC is one from the BBC World Service called Discovery which covers a range of scientific topics.

In a new special episode the podcast deals with the science of volcanic ash clouds and why you don't fly through them.

It discusses the Icelandic volcano, the impact it's ash cloud has had on aviation and the many other implications ash clouds can have.

This podcast is well worth a listen and can be downloaded through iTunes here

What a Waste! The nine-bin nightmare...

Now I'm all for recycling - just ask the family -  but according to the report in the Daily Mail recycling in England is going to take on a new meaning and if the story is only half true it is indeed going to be a nightmare.

According to the report the containers wil include 

1 a silver slopbucket for food waste, which is then tipped in to 

2 a larger, green outdoor food bin, 

3 a pink bag for plastic bottles,

4 a green bag for cardboard, 

5 a white bag for clothing and textiles.

6 a blue bag for paper and magazines

7 a brown bin for garden waste

8 a blue box for glass, foil, tins and empty aerosols 

9 a grey bin for non-recyclable waste.  

When the nine-bin system was introduced in Newcastle-under-Lyme last month they had to publish step-by-step instructions on how to fold down a cardboard box so that it fits into the green bag. 

The new system was introduced to help boost recycling rates from 26 per cent in 2008 to a target of 50 per cent by 2015 but means only food waste is now taken each week and all other rubbish has to be stored for a fortnight before it is collected.

This all seems a step too far to me.

It was bad enough when the blue and brown bin where introduced here.  While it is not too onerous to keep three bins going the fact that the grey bin was changed to fortnightly meant that I have to make a dump run every few weeks cause there is just no room in the grey bin.

Things have improved since they were introduced though as more recyclables can now go into the blue bin and food waste can now be put into the brown bin as well so kudos to Ards Borough Council for helping rate payers.

The report went on to say "Around half the country now has fortnightly collection systems imposed by town halls that prefer to compel their residents to carry out complex recycling than either organise recycling themselves in waste plants or absorb the cost of landfill taxes. 

"A report for the Environment Department last week revealed that the burning of household rubbish by those trying to evade recycling rules has now become the greatest source of highly poisonous and cancer-causing dioxins in the environment."

All I can say is that if this nine-bin system is introduced more widely along with some of the fines currently in place and binmen refusing to empty bins because they are "contaminated" you'll find even more waste being burnt.

 

Yes, we all need to recycle more, but the Councils need to make it easier for people to do it not make their lives more difficult.

iPad for the iGran

Following on from highlighting iPad for the iCat heres one for the silver surfers.

99-year-old Virginia Campbell is the star of the latest viral YouTube video

Never looking up at the camera, she’s totally focused on her new iPad which daughter and son-in-law got her the first day they came out.



An avid reader Viginia suffers from glaucoma, making it difficult to read.

Having never owned a computer before when she heard all the hype about the iPad she wanted one and now she’s reading books on the iPad and writing limericks as well.

Heres a tribute in appreciation of her newfound freedom from the frailties of old age.

To this technology-ninny it’s clear
In my compromised 100th year,
That to read and to write
Are again within sight
Of this Apple iPad pioneer.

 Full story www.oregonlive.com

Every ash cloud has a silver lining

With all the tales of tribulation suffered by the passengers stranded by the grounding of aircraft due the Icelandic ash cloud and all its attendant negative press its hard to believe there would be anything positive to report.

But here's a story for all you with a plot that could have come straight from a romantic movie.

It seems that when Sean Murtagh and Natalie Mead were stranded in Dubai techology came to the rescue to save their wedding when with the use of laptop and webcam the ceremony was broadcast on Skype to family and friends at home to enable them to join the happy couple.

In the report from the Sydney Morning Herald Natalie said, "Passengers stranded in the hotel were getting excited for the first time in days when they heard about our wedding; some even helped me with my hair and make-up. It was also great to see everyone in the UK on our wedding day, even if it was via webcam.

"It has been an amazing day and we are just so grateful for everything that everyone has done for us. It is definitely a story to tell the grandchildren. There was no way we were going to let this volcano stop us [from] getting married."

Read the full story at the Sydney Morning Herald here.