Posts Tagged ‘wow’
March 23rd, 2010
The RMS Queen Mary 2 is to date the largest ocean liner ever built (but no longer the world’s largest passenger ship, a record she held until 2006).She arrived in Durban harbour this morning around 07h30 SAT to much fanfare and local excitement, these photographs are from colleagues who watched the arrival from the harbour area (she was also easily visible from the Derivco building).
RMS Queen Mary II’s current status (added bonus – a webcam on the bridge, even if it’s low quality)
Twitter coverage from @MarcForrest and @tequiladiva
Also see Marc Forrest’s Flickr set.
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July 10th, 2009
“On May 26th, photographers Francis Schaefers and Daniel Burger were chasing a thunderstorm along a beach in Vlissingen, the Netherlands, when “the storm turned around and came a little too close for comfort,” says Schaefers. “We were able to photograph lightning hitting the water just 40 meters away.””
Pics taken with a Canon 400D.
http://www.astroengine.com/?p=5631
and
http://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=01&month=06&year=2009
April 13th, 2006
Last night at 21h45 we welcomed Daniel Ben McPhail to the world – the newest member of the McPhail family :-)
All went well, Mom and baby are well and happy, and we have another wonderful little boy to thank God for! 3.4 kgs, 10/10 Apgar score – just like his older brother. Yet again I am incredibly proud of my wife, who endured a really painful final phase of labour when her epidural stopped working, and handled it all with a strength i (and i suspect she) didn’t realise she had.
I almost have feeling back in my right hand.
I can’t wait to see how Caleb reacts to his new little brother in person – visiting at the hospital tonight he kept crying “Daniel! Daniel!” and trying to get to the little person he has heard so much about.
Daniel you share your birthday with the anniversary of the first manned flight into space (Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man to fly in space – 1961) and the first Space Shuttle launch in 1981. You are obviously destined to become an astronaut, no matter what your mom says.
“As through the calendar I delve
I pause to rejoice in April twelve.
Yea, be I in sickness or be I in health
My favorite date is April twealth.
…”
- From “Lines in Praise of a Date Made Praiseworthy Solely by Something Very Nice That Happened to It“, by Ogden Nash.
July 11th, 2005
From today’s APOD – Sunrise Over Kilimanjaro. Beautiful. My current (physical, out there in the real world, tangible) goal is to climb the highest mountain in Africa before I get too old / fat / unfit (also a great excuse to visit my favourite store). Unfortunately my wife is against the whole idea, and was even before Caleb was born (she also won’t let me go into space when I finally win more than $20m in the lottery). Honestly.
My love, read the Wikipedia article – and note phrases like “The climb to Uhuru Peak is considered to be a relatively straightforward endeavour” and ”
Annually, approximately 15,000 people attempt to climb the mountain“. goafrica also says “The exciting thing about this mountain is that anyone who is fit and determined can make it up. No special climbing equipment or expertise is needed.“. I’ll be on babysitting duty for a whole year :-)
