An Age of Magic

British explorer sets unusual world record…in laundry basket!

The British explorer David Hempleman-Adams has broken two world records by staying put for more than fourteen hours in a small-sized hot air balloon over the United States. The 52-year-old adventurer spent fourteen hours and fifteen minutes in a basket the size of a household laundry basket when he flew more than 200 miles from Butler, Missouri, over farming fields to Cherokee, Oklahoma. He has smashed the record for the AA-01 class balloon, which had stayed unbroken for more than twenty-six years at eight hours and twelve minutes, and also broke the record for the bigger AA-02 class of balloon. What will the guy think of next…sailing across the Atlantic in a couple of stone sinks !

For the uninitiated – the AA class of balloon is a free balloon that does not have an airborne heater – very like the giant version of the type sold to children at funfairs. The AA-01 class must contain 250 cubic meters of gas or less, while an AA-02 contains 250-400 cubic meters. In this case helium was used, but hydrogen gas is also an option.

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Liz still pines for Dicky…

I suppose I can pat myself on the back for being just about the only blog in the world which has not, to date, made any mention at all about Micheal Jackson and anything to do with his death, autopsy, first funeral, second funeral…and so on. Did anyone else though NOT believe that he was inside that gold casket at the big public memorial ‘do’ some time ago…?

I caught bits and bobs of his funeral but was amazed by the sight of poor ol’ Liz Taylor sitting there looking every bit her age. Poor old girl, she has not had a good time of it herself and says she still pines for her twice-ex’d Ex-Richard Burton. He was known as Pock Face when he was younger (this is some trivia for you…) due to the fact that he had suffered from severe acne in his youth. Trouble was there was not the acne products around then that you have today. Still, Liz never cared and neither did millions of his female fans!

RIP Jacko…

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Water discovered on the moon!

A manned Moon base could become a reality within 20 years after scientists revealed today there are large quantities of water on the surface of the Earth’s satellite. The discovery increases the chances that humans may one day live permanently on the Moon inside protective domes,  mining the rocks and dust for water to drink and power spacecrafts. The scientific discovery made by the Indian lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 is due to be announced by Nasa today.

Dr Jessica Sunshine, one of the researchers who found the water, said: ‘It’s sort of just sticking on the surface. We always think of the Moon as dead, and this is sort of a dynamic process that’s going on.’ Ten years ago, scientists found traces of water lying in the shadowy craters at the Moon’s poles.  The latest announcement comes two weeks before a Nasa probe will be smashed near the Moon’s south pole to see whether it can kick up buried ice.

The discovery, with three studies being published in the journal Science today and a Nasa briefing, could refocus interest in the moon.

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