Blog Feed: Andromeda Child

ANDY FLEMING reviews a superb documentary that reveals the gargantuan engineering task that faced NASA and its contractors in meeting President Kennedy's challenge of putting a man on the Moon by the end of the 1960s. The Moon landings are often regarded as mankind's finest achievement, and this 2008 Discovery Science Channel miniseries certainly gives an in-depth account of why. At its peak in the 1960s, NASA's Project Apollo employed nearly 400,000 people, and this series is a tribute to the [..] > read more

Moon Machines

Published on 2012-03-07 11:26:00

ANDY FLEMING reviews a superb documentary that reveals the gargantuan engineering task that faced NASA and its contractors in meeting President Kennedy's challenge of putting a man on the Moon by the end of the 1960s.The Moon landings are often regarded as mankind's finest achievement, and this 2008 Discovery Science Channel miniseries certainly gives an in-depth account of why. > read more

The Wonders of Andromeda

Published on 2012-01-30 16:57:17

How the Andromeda Galaxy reveals itself through standard sized binoculars (say 10x50s). For reasons that are mainly due to the human eye's sensitivity to low colour light levels, deep sky objects such as galaxies and nebulae appear as in greyscale through both binoculars and telescopes. This is due to their low surface brightness... we've all been spoilt by DSLR camera and CCD images! ANDY FLEMING takes a look at a constellation everyone can see without optical aids, and how at a dark site if [..] > read more

The Wonders of Andromeda

Published on 2012-01-30 16:37:00

Mars The Wonderworld: We’re Just 3.5 Billion Years Too Late!

Published on 2011-12-24 14:33:16

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope took this snapshot of Mars 11 hours before the planet made its closest approach to Earth on August 26, 2003. The two planets were 34,648,840 miles (55,760,220 km) apart. This image was made from a series of exposures taken with the Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2. Photo credit: NASA/J. Bell (Cornell U.) and M. Wolff (SSI). Evidence is mounting that Mars was once a wet and warm world, similar to the early Earth. What went wrong with the R [..] > read more

Mars The Wonderworld: We’re Just 3.5 Billion Years Too Late!

Published on 2011-12-24 14:33:00

Astronomy for Everyone: Jupiter-fest!

Published on 2011-12-02 11:06:04

The innermost of Jupiter's Galilean satellites, Io, superposed in front of the gas giant planet. To the left of Io is a dark spot that is Io's own shadow. A solar eclipse would be seen from within the shadow spot on Jupiter. Viewed from planet Earth, similar shadows of Jupiter's large moons can often be seen crossing the giant planet's disk. (Credit: NASA/Cassini spacecraft imaging, 2004) In this edition of Astronomy for Everyone, ANDY FLEMING reports that our solar system’s largest planet rig [..] > read more

Astronomy for Everyone: Jupiter-fest!

Published on 2011-12-02 11:06:00

The innermost of Jupiter's Galilean satellites, Io, superposed in front of the gas giant planet. To the left of Io is a dark spot that is Io's own shadow. A solar eclipse would be seen from within the shadow spot on Jupiter. Viewed from planet Earth, similar shadows of Jupiter's large moons can often be seen crossing the giant planet's disk. (Credit: NASA/Cassini spacecraft imaging, 2004)In this edition of Astronomy for Everyone, ANDY FLEMING reports that our solar system’s largest planet righ [..] > read more

The Light-Not-So-Fantastic!

Published on 2011-11-08 03:45:44

The projected increase in light pollution is all too apparent in the above graphics. ANDY FLEMING takes a look at one of the scourges of the twenty first century: light pollution, and looks at the health and environmental problems it causes. Take a look at the above graphic. It shows something that is having a profound and adverse effect on the Earth's wildlife and come to that, human life. The chart on the left shows the measured light pollution, the wasted light and hence electricity being [..] > read more

The Light-Not-So-Fantastic!

Published on 2011-11-08 03:44:00

The projected increase in light pollution is all too apparent in the above graphics.ANDY FLEMING takes a look at one of the scourges of the twenty first century: light pollution, and looks at the health and environmental problems it causes.Take a look at the above graphic. It shows something that is having a profound and adverse effect on the Earth's wildlife and come to that, human life. The chart on the left shows the measured light pollution, the wasted light and hence electricity being los [..] > read more

20/20 Vision? How Far Can You See?

Published on 2011-10-03 05:02:20

M31, The Andromeda Galaxy, the furthest object we can see with our naked eyes, and the closest large galaxy to our own Milky Way (Credit: NASA/Robert Gendler) ANDY FLEMING investigates the furthest object that we can see with our naked eyes You may be very surprised at what it is, and its distance from us! Think that you’re doing well seeing the mountain range 50 miles away? Think again, the answer’s astronomical! Reckon you’ve got good eyesight huh? Twenty-twenty vision right? So what [..] > read more

Real Astronomy Under Velvet Black Skies!

Published on 2011-10-03 04:57:52

ANDY FLEMING reminisces about his first experience of astronomical observing with a telescope at a dark sky location deep inside the North Yorkshire Moors National Park. It is one of life’s subtle ironies that thanks to our industry and high technology that in other ways brings so many benefits to our everyday lives, one of the greatest of all natural wonders, has been lost to the majority of our country’s population. We’re talking, of course about a velvet-black night sky dotted with coun [..] > read more

Real Astronomy Under Velvet Black Skies!

Published on 2011-10-03 04:43:00

ANDY FLEMING reminisces about his first experience of astronomical observing with a telescope at a dark sky location deep inside the North Yorkshire Moors National Park.It is one of life’s subtle ironies that thanks to our industry and high technology that in other ways brings so many benefits to our everyday lives, one of the greatest of all natural wonders, has been lost to the majority of our country’s population. We’re talking, of course about a velvet-black night sky dotted with count [..] > read more

20/20 Vision? How Far Can You See?

Published on 2011-10-02 13:15:00

M31, The Andromeda Galaxy, the furthest object we can see with our naked eyes, and the closest large galaxy to our own Milky Way (Credit: NASA/Robert Gendler)ANDY FLEMING investigates the furthest object that we can see with our naked eyes You may be very surprised at what it is, and its distance from us!Think that you’re doing well seeing the mountain range 50 miles away? Think again, the answer’s astronomical!Reckon you’ve got good eyesight huh? Twenty-twenty vision right? So what’s t [..] > read more

When It Comes to Stars... Size Matters!

Published on 2011-10-02 04:44:14

This illustration compares the different masses of stars. The lightest-weight stars are red dwarfs. They can be as small as one-twelfth the mass of our Sun. The heaviest-weight stars are blue-white super giants. They may get as large as 150 solar masses. Our Sun is between the lightweight and heavyweight stars. The red giant star at the bottom of the graphic is much larger than the other stars in the illustration. Its mass, however, can range from a fraction of the Sun's mass to a few solar mass [..] > read more

When It Comes to Stars... Size Matters!

Published on 2011-10-02 04:44:00

Saturn: Lord of the Rings, Lord of the Skies

Published on 2011-10-01 13:27:23

NASA's robot spacecraft Voyager 2 made this image of Saturn as it began to explore the Saturn system in 1981. Saturn's famous rings are visible along with two of its moons, Rhea and Dione which appear as faint dots on the right and lower right part of the picture. Astronomers believe that Saturn's moons play a fundamental role in sculpting its elaborate ring system. (Credit: NASA, Voyager 2).ANDY FLEMING takes a look through his telescope at his favourite night sky object, our solar system's be [..] > read more

Saturn: Lord of the Rings, Lord of the Skies

Published on 2011-10-01 13:27:00

Did Monks Witness a Violent Medieval Impact on the Moon?

Published on 2011-09-28 16:15:21

Lunar crater Giordano Bruno (Credit: NASA) Did the monks of Canterbury witness a violent impact event on the Moon in 1178AD? And did the event lead to the formation of a well known crater? ANDY FLEMING investigates. If you take a look through binoculars at the lunar surface on any moonlit night, you will be immediately reminded of the routine planetary violence that has created its surface that we see today. Over billions of years our Moon (and for that matter, the Earth) has been pummelle [..] > read more

Did Monks Witness a Violent Medieval Impact on the Moon?

Published on 2011-09-28 16:15:00

Lunar crater Giordano Bruno (Credit: NASA)Did the monks of Canterbury witness a violent impact event on the Moon in 1178AD? And did the event lead to the formation of a well known crater? ANDY FLEMING investigates.If you take a look through binoculars at the lunar surface on any moonlit night, you will be immediately reminded of the routine planetary violence that has created its surface that we see today. Over billions of years our Moon (and for that matter, the Earth) has been pummelled by [..] > read more

The Splendour of Orion the Hunter!

Published on 2011-09-28 15:44:58

The Orion Nebula, one of the most brilliant star-forming regions in our galaxy. Other, newly-discovered regions like the Orion Nebula could help astronomers determing the chemical composition of our galaxy. Image Credit: APOD/Hubble Space Telescope ANDY FLEMING starts tothink about late autumn and the rise of his favourite night sky constellation: Orion the Hunter. The constellation of Orion is one of the most magnificent spectacles in our nightsky. It is one of the brightest constellations, de [..] > read more

The Splendour of Orion the Hunter!

Published on 2011-09-28 15:41:00

The Orion Nebula, one of the most brilliant star-forming regions in our galaxy. Other, newly-discovered regions like the Orion Nebula could help astronomers determing the chemical composition of our galaxy. Image Credit: APOD/Hubble Space TelescopeANDY FLEMING starts tothink about late autumn and the rise of his favourite night sky constellation: Orion the Hunter. The constellation of Orion is one of the most magnificent spectacles in our nightsky. It is one of the brightest constellations, defy [..] > read more

When Health and Safety Meant Fingers Crossed!

Published on 2011-07-05 16:06:17

The former ICI factory at Billingham, County Durham. With the demise of this chemical giant, the factory was split and sold off to many other chemical companies such as Terra, Huntsman and Akzo Nobel. ANDY FLEMING takes a trip back to his employmen > read more

Reflections on a Mote of Dust

Published on 2011-07-04 17:52:16

This photograph of the Earth was taken by NASA/JPL's Voyager 1 spacecraft at a distance of 4 billion miles after it had finished its primary mission. It is commonly called "The Pale Blue Dot" photograph. Carl Sagan pushed NASA/JPL for the p > read more

Ottorino Respighi: Going For A Song

Published on 2011-07-04 13:57:27

Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936). ANDY FLEMING identifies some beautiful long lost television theme music from the 1960s when antiques were Going for a Song... If you're British and a similar age to me (50!) you may remember a BBC Sunday evening televis > read more

Memories of Educational Cruises on Board SS Uganda

Published on 2011-07-04 06:45:49

SS Uganda, photographed off Gibraltar during one of her many voyages between the UK and East Africa as a passenger-cargo liner. She was a regular visitor to the Rock as an educational cruise ship and underwent her conversion to a hospital ship there > read more

96% of Our Universe is Missing - What Can the Matter Be?

Published on 2011-07-03 17:19:49

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) located at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland. This photograph shows the Atlas Experiment. Scientists are hopeful that the LHC may shed new light on both Dark Energy and Dark Matter.It's an embarrassment of garg > read more

Fixing Windows Pains - Part 2

Published on 2011-07-03 02:03:16

THE COMPUTER EXPERT doesn't glaze over Windows Pains on the Andromeda Child Blog! In the second part of this new series we'll show you how to spring clean and boost the speed of your PC by removing the litter left behind by all versions of > read more

Durham: A First Class Cricket Club Worthy of More Support

Published on 2011-07-02 14:50:40

Phil Mustard guides Durham to a comfortable win over Nottinghamshire at the Friends Life T20 game on June 14, 2011 at the Emirates Riverside ICG. ANDY FLEMING takes a look at a gem in the north east of England's sporting crown, and concludes that not > read more

Astronomy for Everyone: The Moon

Published on 2011-07-02 13:19:12

Eclipsed Moon and background stars. Credit and copyright: Johannes Schedler (Panther Observatory). ANDY FLEMING takes a look at the Moon and provides a simple guide to what you can see with both the naked eye and binoculars. Inc > read more

Elitism Killed the Tennis Star

Published on 2011-07-01 14:31:05

Andy Murray in action during the men's semif inal match against Spain's Rafael Nadal at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, Friday, July 1, 2011. Photo: Alastair Grant / AP SHOOT FROM THE HIP asks why the UK fails > read more

Back to the Unemploymenthon

Published on 2011-07-01 10:04:13

The ever-lengthening queues of jobless outside one of the UK's Jobcentre Plus branches. The inability of the global economic system to alleviate unemployment and its associated poverty is analysed in this edition of SHOOT FROM THE HIP.There’s somet > read more

Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Anatomy of a Chronic and Serious Illness

Published on 2011-07-01 07:06:42

The treatment for provided by top surgeons for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers at the NHS's James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough is some of the best in the world. In part one of weekly series, guest blogger GILL FLEMING provides an insigh > read more

Public Sector Pensions Strike Bites

Published on 2011-06-30 13:30:45

SHOOT FROM THE HIP takes a look at a day of unrest in Britain’s public sector, and justifies the rights of working people to withdraw their labour. So the big day has finally arrived. The day that sees the most intensive industrial action by > read more

Observing the Glorious Hercules Cluster (M13)

Published on 2011-06-29 06:04:31

The heart of the stunning Hercules Globular Star Cluster, M13. Image credit: ESA/Hubble Space Telescope and NASA. The stunning Hercules Cluster (M13, NGC 6205) also called the 'Great globular cluster in Hercules' is perhaps the most famous globular > read more

The Reasons Behind the Fall of the Roman Empire

Published on 2011-06-29 06:03:59

What were the causes of the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 476AD? ISAAC VUSTERLY investigates. The fall of the Roman Empire is traditionally dated to year 476 when the last Western Roman Emperor Romulus Augustulus was deposed by > read more

The Railway That Refused to Die

Published on 2011-06-29 03:23:27

46115 Scots Guardsman crosses Ribblehead Viaduct on a Settle Carlisle Venturer on August 16, 2008. The viaduct came to symbolise British Rail's duplicitous attitude in its ultimately unsuccessful attempt to close by stealth this wonderful part > read more

Did Monks Witness a Violent Medieval Impact on the Moon?

Published on 2011-06-28 17:06:13

The Lost World of Barnard's Star

Published on 2011-06-28 08:38:48

Artist's impression of the dim and very old red dwarf Barnard's Star from a hypothetical orbiting planet. With new technology, if any such planet does indeed exist, then it should now be within our limits of detection. ANDY FLEMING > read more

Sovereign Bankruptcy: Who's to Blame?

Published on 2011-06-27 16:46:18

Stand off: Greek police dodge petrol bombs hurled by rioters on the streets of Athens as protests against new measures to boost the economy turn violent.First to be insolvent were banks such as Lehman Brothers... now it is sovereign states. S > read more

Take a Time Passage with Al Stewart

Published on 2011-06-27 07:29:40

We review the life and albums of talented singer, songwriter and musician Al Stewart. If there’s one musician who typifies the best of the late 1970s album scene it is Glasgow-born singer-songwriter Al Stewart. Born in 1945, and best known fo > read more

James Whale: Britain’s Original Shock Jock

Published on 2011-06-25 14:52:46

ANDY FLEMING takes a look at the remarkable broadcasting career of James Whale, known to millions from his popular and often controversial late night radio phone-ins. According to Dictionary.com the term ‘shock jock’ is defined as a radio disc > read more

Stellarium: A Star amongst Planetarium Software

Published on 2011-06-25 13:31:49

Stellarium's astronomical object search facility. The COMPUTER EXPERT reviews a piece of versatile and capable planetarium software. Many people with 3G mobile phones and portable media devices such as Apple’s iPod have been amazed at the quality o > read more

Backyard Astronomical Sketching

Published on 2011-06-23 15:56:24

My first attempt at astronomical sketching. The target is M82, the Cigar Galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear) as recorded on March 4, 2010. The realistic reverse out of my original sketchin > read more

Coax Your Soul with Raymond Lefèvre’s Fabulous Orchestral Mastery!

Published on 2011-06-23 08:23:19

ANDY FLEMING looks back at the life and music of French orchestral leader, arranger and composer, the late Raymond Lefèvre. As regular visitors to this blog will know I’m a lover of instrumental music whether of the classical, jazz, rock or ea > read more

Enjoy a Good Haunting from Roger Moore!

Published on 2011-06-23 00:33:58

Harold Pelham (Roger Moore) is comforted by beautiful French photographer (Olga Georges-Picot) in The Man Who Haunted Himself.ANDY FLEMING reviews The Man Who Haunted Himself, a hard to find gem of a British Hitchcock-style psychological thriller sta > read more

A Really Good Kick up the 80s!

Published on 2011-06-22 08:55:02

The Battle of Orgreave Colliery was one of the defining moments in the UK's year-long National Union of Mineworkers' (NUM) Strike in 1984. The strike had been called by the NUM and its President, Arthur Scargill over the Thatcher government's p > read more

Depression: The Way Out of Your Prison

Published on 2011-06-21 15:06:46

ANDY FLEMING lifts the lid on the twenty first century's health elephant in the room: Depression. In the process he shares his considerable experience of this dangerous and often life-threatening chronic illness, and offers some advice to suffe > read more

Fixing Windows Pains - Part 1

Published on 2011-06-20 12:50:26

THE COMPUTER EXPERT doesn't glaze over Windows Pains on the Andromeda Child Blog! In the first part of a new series we'll show you how to turn off the annoying User Account Control in Windows Vista and Windows 7. The development of Windows > read more

What Are Your Top 5 Super Classic TV Themes?

Published on 2011-06-20 09:15:46

ANDY FLEMING shares his favourite classic TV themes from the 60s, 70s and 80s, and invites readers to post theirs. Do you remember the 1960s when television itself was new, fresh and exciting? Or the 1970s when colour television sta > read more

Elvis: The King In Every Respect

Published on 2011-06-19 18:36:49

He was the undisputed King of Rock and Roll, and it’s hard to believe that it's 34 years since his untimely and early death in August 1977. ANDY FLEMING looks back at Elvis Presley’s remarkable music and movie career, and concludes that it > read more

Princess Andromeda Reveals Her Secrets

Published on 2011-06-19 15:43:51

The Return of the Nasty Tory Party

Published on 2011-06-18 12:38:24

> read more

The Throw-Away Society

Published on 2011-06-17 16:39:40

Whether it is cars or computers, the cost of new build to the environment in terms of resources and energy consumption is huge. SHOOT FROM THE HIP analyses the contradictions between environmental sustainability and global capitalism, and speculates > read more

Is Eastenders Gonna Make David Essex a (Reborn) Star?

Published on 2011-06-17 08:05:15

Alfie played by Shane Richie (left) is happy to let Eddie Moon (right) stay at the Queen Vic.Pop icon, movie star, and star of musicals David Essex turns his talented hand to the world of soap operas. ANDY FLEMING reviews his career, as he embarks o > read more

Real Astronomy Under Velvet Black Skies

Published on 2011-06-16 16:33:37

National Newspapers: The End of the Print Run?

Published on 2011-06-16 11:42:30

SHOOT FROM THE HIP speculates about the future of national newspapers in the digital age. A couple of months ago there was a fascinating segment on BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine Phone-In Show concerning the future of local newspapers. The consens > read more

Concorde-busting Bus Fares

Published on 2011-06-16 01:06:25

SHOOT FROM THE HIP investigates why UK bus fares are the highest in the civilised world, with a per mile rate that even exceeds that of luxury supersonic Trans-Atlantic air travel. There is something wrong with a country's transport policy whe > read more

What Was Your Favourite ‘Micro’?

Published on 2011-06-15 09:44:08

Screen shot from the 256 Megabit MSX Konami cartridge games 'Salamander'. The graphics, audio and gameplay of MSX computers was superior to many of the microcomputers available at the time. ANDY FLEMING reminisces about computers long-gone > read more

Hubble - The People's Telescope: The Best May Still Be To Come

Published on 2011-06-14 15:54:48

The Hubble Space Telescope (Credit: NASA) Named after the astronomer Edwin Hubble, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched in April 1990. It was the first space telescope designed to be serviced in space, which is lucky, all things considered. > read more

20/20 Vision? How Far Can You See?

Published on 2011-06-13 15:08:07

Dance, While Abba’s Music Still Goes On!

Published on 2011-06-13 14:29:14

ANDY FLEMING takes a nostalgic trip back to the UK's long hot summer of 1976, and an album that epitomised Swedish group Abba at their very best. Did you like me, purchase and treasure a copy of Abba’s first compilation album, Greatest Hits in 1976 > read more

Why Commercial Music Radio No Longer Rocks

Published on 2011-06-12 16:30:05

A modern radio studio and not a presenter in sight. Whether or not the studio is manned is irrelevant as the computerised play-out system ensures that any time critical voice links are broadcast at the correct time. To the listener, the p > read more

Queen of Latin Pop Still Gets to Me

Published on 2011-06-11 11:01:26

ANDY FLEMING reviews the career of one of America’s most successful Latin Pop recording artists - Gloria Estefan. It seems ages since I last heard a track from one of my eighties and nineties heart throbs, 'Queen of Latin Pop' the diminutiv > read more

Smashing Microsoft’s Windows

Published on 2011-06-11 06:02:56

The entrance to Microsoft's Headquarters in Richmond, Washington. In Shoot from the Hip, ANDY FLEMING takes a critical look back at his love and hate two decade old relationship with the world’s most ubiquitous operating system, analysing its many > read more

Archbishop’s Potent Cocktail of Politics and Religion

Published on 2011-06-10 15:56:18

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. In this edition of Shoot from the Hip, ANDY FLEMING shares his views on this week’s foray into Britain’s national politics by Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury. He deduces that in t > read more

When It Comes to Stars... Size Matters!

Published on 2011-06-10 07:28:07

More Mozart Music Magic!

Published on 2011-06-10 05:57:56

ANDY FLEMING reviews and appreciates Mozart’s superb Sinfonia Concertante (KV364).When life’s getting you down or you’re feeling unwell (and the latter has certainly been the case for me recently, as I wrote in a recent blog post!), there’s n > read more

Don’t be Miserable, it’s Alfie Boe!

Published on 2011-06-09 10:41:36

affiliate marketing Guest blogger Gill Fleming appreciates the inspirational voice of Alfie Boe.To be told that you are suffering from a degenerative condition in your late forties is a harsh > read more

Have a Healthy Recession: A Painful Personal Lesson in Looking After Yourself

Published on 2011-06-09 07:01:22

From a recent serious personal experience ANDY FLEMING shows that it’s false economy to place the needs of your employer before your health, even in a recession. To do so can result in hospitalisation (as in his case), or even worse... It's > read more

Carl Sagan - A Life in the Cosmos

Published on 2011-06-08 09:59:37

Carl Sagan was one of the key popularisers of science in the twentieth century. ANDY FLEMING reviews the life of a remarkable astronomer, astrobiologist, NASA/JPL key figure and scientist who believed passionately about bringing scientific know > read more

Take a Fantastic Cosmic Voyage!

Published on 2011-06-08 07:05:27

ANDY FLEMING reviews a superb short documentary that takes the viewer on a journey across the visible Universe, and in the process effectively portrays our true place within it. Cosmic Voyage is one of a series of "powers of ten" short documentary f > read more

Saturn: Lord of the Rings, Lord of the Skies

Published on 2011-06-08 02:53:30

A Dinosaur on the Line!

Published on 2011-06-08 00:15:48

English Electric Class 55 Deltic number 55018 Ballymoss in York Station in January 1982 with a north bound express.Forget about leaves on the line, or the wrong type of snow... Britain’s Railfreight Revival is ensuring some old British Rail workhor > read more

It’s Yesterday Once More

Published on 2011-06-06 16:49:00

They were the brother and sister duo whose music inspired and captivated a generation. Nearly thirty years after the tragic death of Karen Carpenter from anorexia nervosa, the wonderful music of her short life lives on to enthral a whole new ge > read more

The Magical Voice of Vicky Leandros

Published on 2011-06-06 11:21:52

Technorati Token. K7Z57MUU6EFV It's back to the 1972 Song for Europe Competition as ANDY FLEMING appreciates the superb continental voice of Greek songstress Vicky Leandros. I'm not normally one who enjoys viewing the Eurovision Song Contest - > read more

Mars The Wonderworld: We’re Just 3.5 Billion Years Too Late!

Published on 2011-06-06 05:31:49

The Future’s Fantastic!

Published on 2011-06-05 18:10:46

Take a journey back to a time to before CGI, when pyrotechnics and model-making were the chief tools in science fiction’s special effects. From Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey to Gerry Anderson’s UFO and Space: 1999, one man was c > read more

Kerry Packer – The Man Who Saved Cricket

Published on 2011-06-05 06:02:30

Australian business tycoon and media mogul, the late Kerry Packer. He was an Australian media mogul who was denied the rights to show Test Cricket on his television network. His solution: to organise his own Cricket World Series and circumvent > read more

The Railways of County Durham: Now and Then

Published on 2011-06-04 03:54:20

It's July 7th, 1966 and time is fast running out for steam in north east England. No. 62004 stands at West Hartlepool. ANDY FLEMING with steam in both nostrils takes a nostalgic look at steam in action on the railways of north east England in 1 > read more

What are your Stars on 45?

Published on 2011-06-03 13:07:56

Those were the days: my first record player, a Fidelity HF45 mono system, all for the price of £20! ANDY FLEMING takes a trip down memory lane to the 60s and 70s, and asks for your Top 5 singles of all time I was listening to a rather good show by > read more

Charles Messier, Comet Hunter

Published on 2011-06-03 06:58:11

Messier 51 (M51), the Whirlpool Galaxy and companion galaxy NGC5194/5 in Ursa Major (Credit: NASA/ESA)Amateur astronomer DAVID FLEMING remembers Charles Messier, a French eighteenth century astronomer more famous for what he didn't want to see, > read more

Remove Google Instant... Instantly!

Published on 2011-06-02 05:31:49

ANDY FLEMING explains how you can return to the Google search engine that you knew and loved! One of the really nice things about using the Google search engine is its effectiveness, simplicity and clean page layout. You just key in your search term > read more

The Dawn of Commercial Radio in North East England – Part 2

Published on 2011-06-01 16:57:21

The Radio Tees studios at 74, Dovecot Street, Stockton-on-Tees. ANDY FLEMING engages in a second nostalgic retrospection as he journeys back to June 1975, and the launch of a brand new broadcasting phenomenon in the north east of England – the area > read more

The Dawn of Commercial Radio in North East England - Part 1

Published on 2011-06-01 08:53:52

Metro Radio's studios at Radio House, Longrigg, Swalwell, Gateshead, NE99 1BBANDY FLEMING engages in his first nostalgic retrospection as he journeys back to July 1974, and the launch of a brand new broadcasting phenomenon in the north east > read more

BT Vision: It's Time to Believe in Better

Published on 2011-06-01 04:36:21

In with the good old UHF TV aerial (left), and out with the Sky dish (right). Looking for a great value alternative to Sky and Virgin Media's monopolies? ANDY FLEMING road tests BT Vision, a great IP-TV service that puts the viewer firmly i > read more

Britain’s Railways at the Brink of the Millennium

Published on 2011-05-31 16:02:09

affiliate marketing GNER class 143 HST train and a Virgin Pendelino at Carlisle Citadel station. Ironically, GNER and its highly regarded service is now defunct after its parent company Sea Containers ran into financial problems. Credit: Ben > read more

Shoot from the Hip: The State We're In

Published on 2011-05-31 16:01:08

In it together: Faces of the credit crunch from 2008: Clockwise, Tom McKillop former chairman of RBS; Alastair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer; Gordon Brown, Prime Minister; Sir Fred Goodwin, former chief executive of RBS. ANDY FLEMING inv > read more

UFOs, Space and Sanity

Published on 2011-05-31 15:57:13

As an amateur astronomer, ANDY FLEMING delves into the world of ufology, armed with his baloney detection kit of scientific scepticism.Immediately your friends, acquaintances and colleagues discover that your hobby is amateur astronomy you can prepar > read more

The Lesson of Richard Cory

Published on 2011-05-30 07:35:12

ANDY FLEMING reflects on Western values including aspiration, materialism and consumerism, and through Simon and Garfunkel's superb lyrics realised their is more to human life than money. In the West, we have many positive shared values concern > read more

The Magic of the Movies: Episode 2

Published on 2011-05-29 16:35:48

The original cinema poster for the World War II drama "Schindler's List" (1993). The main title music is by John Williams. ANDY FLEMING presents a special 90-minute-long INSPIRATION-FM Radio documentary featuring another selection of some of t > read more

The Magic of the Movies: Episode 1

Published on 2011-05-29 16:30:10

The original cinema poster for the World War II action film, "633 Squadron". The main title music is by Ron Goodwin. ANDY FLEMING presents a special hour-long INSPIRATION-FM Radio documentary featuring a selection of some of the world's greate > read more

Knowledge or Certainty and the Road to Auschwitz

Published on 2011-05-28 13:26:37

It's August 20 1977 and the NASA/JPL Voyager 2 spacecraft launches atop a Titan IIIE/Centaur heavy lift booster from the NASA Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida. It's trajectory, that encompassed the famed 'grand tour' of the planets of > read more

Children of the Stars

Published on 2011-05-27 15:47:50

An artist's impression of a Type II Supernova showing the layers of gas ejected prior to the ultimate detonation of a massive star. Credit: NASA/Swift/Skyworks Digital/Dana BerryANDY FLEMING examines the story of how we, and all of the creatures > read more

When it comes to Dogs, Trust Stray Aid!

Published on 2011-05-23 17:23:45

Now, who's the real owner of that toy? A little friendly tug of war competition with Patch (left) and Joe (right) When considering re-homing a stray dog, it pays to be choosy when visiting animal charities. ANDY FLEMING investigates.Althou > read more

The Pantheon – the most Exquisite Building in the World!

Published on 2011-05-22 14:35:16

The Pantheon as it is today, located in the Piazza della Rotunda in Rome. On a visit to Rome, ANDY FLEMING was astounded by the presence of a 2,000 year old intact large Roman temple. Here he details, why to him, it’s the Pantheon is the grea > read more

The Dawn of Commercial Radio in North East England

Published on 2011-05-21 01:28:56

Metro Radio's studios at Radio House, Longrigg, Swalwell, Gateshead, NE99 1BBANDY FLEMING engages in a nostalgic retrospection as he journeys back to 1974, and the launch of a brand new broadcasting phenomenon in the north east of England – local c > read more

30 Years of The Planetary Society

Published on 2011-05-19 16:01:30

A FREE recording of a lecture and presentation given by ANDY FLEMING at the November 12, 2010 meeting of the Cleveland and Darlington Astronomical Society, Wynyard Planetarium, Stockton-on-Tees on November 12, 2010. 2010 marked the thirtieth annivers > read more

Hadrian’s Wall: The World Heritage Site on my Doorstep

Published on 2011-05-18 23:56:51

Hadrian's Wall Milecastle 39 at Cawfields.ANDY FLEMING is fortunate to live close to the World Heritage Site of Hadrian’s Wall, near his home in Hartlepool, UK, and investigates the history and raison d’être of this superb ancient feat of engine > read more

The Magic of the Movies: Episode 1

Published on 2011-05-18 17:44:37

An Inspiration in Sport: t20 and Pro 40 Cricket

Published on 2011-05-17 18:15:11

Durham County Cricket Club v Hampshire CCC, Sunday May 15, 2011 at the Riverside, Chester-le-Street. Overlooked by the scenic Lumley Castle, Durham won this exciting Clydesdale Bank Pro 40 match by seven wickets ANDY FLEMING reflects on his ren > read more

The Magic of Mozart

Published on 2011-05-15 16:51:57

Tom Hulce plays Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the 1984 blockbuster movie Amadeus. The life of the great composer has been immortalised by this fantastic film, that popularised his classical music and introduced millions of people worldwide to the > read more

The Golden Era of Eurovision

Published on 2011-05-14 18:00:38

Lys Assia, the first Eurovision winner, and Dima Bilan, winner in 2008ANDY FLEMING reflects on the Eurovision Song Contest, and why the event no longer cuts the ice, either vocally or technically.There was a time, a couple of decades ago when the Eur > read more

Hadrian’s Wall: The World Heritage Site on my Doorstep

Published on 2011-05-11 19:47:21

Liberal Democrat Problems Run Much Deeper than Clegg's Leadership

Published on 2011-05-10 17:37:52

I beg your pardon, you made promises in the rose garden... Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Prime Minister David Cameron in the 10 Downing Street garden following the signing of the Coalition Agreement in > read more

The Magic Furnace

Published on 2011-05-10 00:30:54

Award-winning writer and broadcaster, Marcus Chown. Formerly a radio astronomer at the California Institute of Technology, he is now cosmology consultant of the weekly science magazine New Scientist.ANDY FLEMING reviews Marcus Chown's 1999 book The M > read more

When Radio Jingles Sounded as good as the Music!

Published on 2011-05-08 18:04:50

Legendary presenter and DJ, the late Kenny Everett presenting on the main mixing desk at London's Capital Radio 194 in July, 1977. There was a time, only a couple of decades ago when the UK’s early commercial radio stations played sung station ide > read more

The Railway That Refused to Die

Published on 2011-05-07 18:50:58

Mars The Wonderworld: We’re Just 3.5 Billion Years Too Late!

Published on 2011-05-06 16:42:18

T. Rex and the Crater of Doom by Walter Alvarez

Published on 2011-02-21 15:49:16

Despite the title, this is not another Indiana Jones blockbuster, but an account of a 65 million year old cosmic detective story, that ends with a theory, now accepted by a majority of the world’s scientists, as to what caused the extinction of the > read more

Video Killed the Home Movie Star

Published on 2011-02-20 10:23:54

Memories, what memories, a photograph of the Chinon Sound 7500 projector, the same model as I owned.There was a time, a few decades ago, before Blu-Ray, DVD, VHS, Betamax or Video 2000 when some dedicated movie buffs used to invite their fr > read more

Space and Sanity

Published on 2011-02-19 12:18:43

An iconic image taken by the crew of NASA's Apollo 8. It's Christmas Day, 1968 and the whole world is in awe as the astronauts take a photograph of our fragile home rising above the desolate and lifeless lunar surface.It seems to be a sad fact > read more

Relax... it's Mozart!

Published on 2011-02-18 16:37:14

Relax... it's Classic FM... well so the liner used to say. There's no doubt about it, classical music is veryrelaxing, and none more so than the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Sorry to be boring, but he's my favourite classical compose > read more

Freeview and BT Vision: It's time to Believe in Better

Published on 2011-02-15 15:48:50

In with the good old UHF TV aerial, and out with the Sky dish We should all dislike and distrust cartels and monopolies. In my view Virgin Media (once the excellent service originally owned by Comcast Teesside, and then the not so e > read more

The Medium Society is What We Need

Published on 2011-02-14 17:11:37

...and what will you be doing to contribute to the 'Big Society'?Perhaps the thing that I dislike the most about politicians of all hues is the way that they tend to treat the electorate as thick, stupid and/or gullible. In the UK, people are g > read more

A Cosmos of Musical Heaven from Jon and Vangelis

Published on 2011-02-14 17:00:32

Mention Jon and Vangelis to me and as an amateur astronomer I immediately think of the exquisite PBS Cosmos series presented by the late and sadly missed Dr Carl Sagan, with its superb and haunting title music of Heaven and Hell. But of course Vange > read more

Fixing Capitalism

Published on 2011-02-13 13:39:06

Remove Google Instant permanently -- in an Instant!

Published on 2011-02-13 08:43:28

One of the really nice things about using the Google search engine is its effectiveness, simplicity and clean page layout. You just key in your search terms, hit the enter key and voila... up pops a whole list of relevant web entries pertaining to yo > read more

Listen to a Superstar, and Rainy Days and Mondays Will Never Get You Down!

Published on 2011-02-09 18:08:48

Karen Carpenter (1950-1983) One of the really nice things about YouTube is that you can watch virtually anything... and that includes music (if that isn't a contradiction in terms!). And there are some damn fine music videos on there... as inde > read more

Spending a penny may cost you a fortune!

Published on 2011-02-09 17:11:00

If you're caught short in the Manchester area, you could soon be in real trouble. As part of its attempt to save £109 million Manchester City Council is closing fifteen out of sixteen sets of public toilets, along with swimming pools, communit > read more

A Medieval Crater on the Moon? The intriguing case of Giordano Bruno crater

Published on 2011-02-09 15:33:27

Lunar crater Giordano Bruno (Credit: NASA) If you take a look through binoculars at the lunar surface on any moonlit night, you will be immediately reminded of the routine planetary violence that has created its surface that we see today. Over > read more

When Libraries Fall to the Mob

Published on 2011-02-07 15:57:45

The great Library of Alexandria, established by Ptolemy II (circa 280 BC), has come to symbolize the receptacle of knowledge of Classical civilization Europe's descent into the medieval Dark Ages was heralded by a couple of major events. Undoub > read more

Come What May, I'll Always Like French Songs

Published on 2011-02-07 14:43:56

I'm not normally one who enjoys viewing the Eurovision Song Contest - I find it brings out the worst in judges, composers and singers/bands alike. That being said, we were out walking the dogs today when my son got onto the subject of lear > read more

Come What May, I'll Always Like French Songs

Published on 2011-02-06 18:47:44

Martian Meteorites, Microbes and Muck: Astronomy in a Demon-Haunted World

Published on 2011-02-06 17:12:43

Scientists think that millions of years ago a high velocity impactor struck the planet Mars at an acute angle. The resultant ejecta achieved Martian escape velocity with some of these fragments eventually being captured by the Earth's gravity (Graphi > read more

Symphony of Science - A Glorious Dawn featuring Carl Sagan

Published on 2011-02-03 16:23:59

The Symphony of Science is a musical project headed by John Boswell designed to deliver scientific knowledge and philosophy in musical form. The project owes its existence in large measure to the wonderful work of Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan, and Steve S > read more

Radio That's Out of This World!

Published on 2011-02-01 17:06:17

The Planetary Society's Mat Kaplan interviews Dr Bob Pappalardo of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Planetary Radio In November 2010, Planetary Radio celebrated its seventh anniversary as a weekly space-exploration public-outreach podcast. Hosted > read more

Are We Living In A Multiverse?

Published on 2011-01-31 16:34:30

A familiar face from TV science documentaries, and author of Parallel Worlds, Dr Michio Kaku. You know it's a really good book when you get round to reading it for a third time. Such is Parallel Worlds - The Science of Alternative Universes and > read more

Shoot from the Hip: Poverty is Only Relative

Published on 2011-01-31 16:01:54

I never have time to contact my favourite phone-in as I'm far too busy driving and working my socks off trying to keep a roof over my family's heads. It's introduced by Jeremy Vine on the UK's BBC Radio 2 and the first hot topic today was the p > read more

John Barry: Another Legend Has Gone

Published on 2011-01-31 15:21:54

John Barry, OBE, November 3, 1933 - January 30, 2011 Another sad day in the world of music, as one of the all time great composers, John Barry has died of a heart attack, at the age of 77. Perhaps most famous for scoring eleven out of fourteen& > read more

Oldies Station Big L International Cuts Medium Wave Service

Published on 2011-01-30 12:17:53

Big L 1395's AM Transmitter at Trintelhaven, Holland Independent international pop and rock radio station Big L International which broadcasts to Western Europe and the UK on 215 metres/1395kHz on the medium wave band has suspended its AM service. Th > read more

Take a Real Cosmic Voyage

Published on 2011-01-29 17:49:04

Morgan Freeman, narrator of IMAX Cosmic VoyageCosmic Voyage is one of a series of "powers of ten" short documentary films, which portrays our true place in the Cosmos. It takes on a similar format as the National Film Board of Canada's "Cosmic > read more

Look Again at the Plough or Big Dipper!

Published on 2011-01-29 13:40:29

The beauty of the night sky... the Big Dipper or Plough, an asterism that is part of Ursa Major, the Great Bear. If there's one constellation in the Northern Hemisphere that most living there learnt as a child, it's The Plough, or Big Dipper. Truth b > read more

Five Octaves Enjoying a Renaissance

Published on 2011-01-29 12:42:39

Talking about music (which I wasn't), on a day of bad economic news and dreary weather in the north east of England, I thought it was time to publicise another fine singer... that happy, hippy chick Annie Haslam of seventies progressive rock band, Re > read more

SETI @ 50!

Published on 2011-01-28 16:14:11

Arecibo Radio Telescope, Puerto Rico, used in SETI Experiments It's always nice to know of things marginally older than oneself.... and in this case its the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). It is 50 years since the great Dr > read more

Electoral Suicide Case at Wynyard Hospital

Published on 2011-01-28 15:42:26

Wynyard Superhospital (artist's impression, courtesy of Hartlpool Mail) I see that the new hospital for East Durham, Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees at Wynyard is 'back on', and its financing has been approved by the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Fou > read more

Don't some folks just have wonderful, timeless voices?

Published on 2011-01-28 08:05:21

Don't some folks just have wonderful, timeless voices? Take a listen to Judith Durham and the Seekers from 1968, singing their famous 'Georgy Girl' (the title music of the film of the same name). What a great song, what a great voice... and she > read more

Saturn V: After Nearly 50 Years, Still the Biggest Rocket in the World!

Published on 2011-01-28 07:24:25

Apollo Saturn V launch November 9, 1967, T-minus 8.9 seconds: Thousands of gallons of kerosene and liquid oxygen begin coursing through the giant centre F1 rocket engine: The Saturn V's ignition sequence has begun. Next, two outer engines are lit, f > read more

Barbarians Running Bus Services in Hartlepool?

Published on 2011-01-28 04:09:50

Libraries closing, community centres closing, no public transport after 7pm or Sundays... it's as I expected... the council cutting front line services for the vulnerable, whilst those on the Civic Centre gravy train like the Mayor and the woman who > read more

UK Music Radio Sucks!

Published on 2011-01-27 16:06:24

What has happened to commercial music radio in the United Kingdom? To me, as a listener, every thing has become homogenised, sanitised, computerised and automated... in short, what should be a very personal medium has had its ‘heart and soul’ rip > read more

One Man and His Dog

Published on 2011-01-27 10:57:43

A nicely framed shot taken by friend Tony Readman on the Green at Wolviston Village. Some people have said it is the village idiot, but I'll allow you to comment for yourself..... > read more

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