Stabilization at Fukushima Daiichi

UPDATE 1: 2.56pm GMT Units 5 and 6 in cold shutdown, tsunami heights

UPDATE 2: 3.30pm GMT IAEA graph of fuel pond temperatures

Workers on site have succeeded in increasing the stability of the Fukushima Daiichi reactors, with units 5 and 6 now in cold shutdown. Pressure built up within unit 3 but a more significant venting does not seem necessary now.

External power has now been connected to unit 5 and 6, allowing them to use their residual heat removal systems and transfer heat to the sea. This has been used to cool the fuel ponds and bring the units to cold shutdown status, meaning that water in the reactor system is at less than 100ºC.

This graph from the International Atomic Energy Agency illustrates how fuel pond temperatures have dropped at units 5 and 6 since the connection of external power and use of the residual heat removal system was restarted

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Surprise

6 year old Alexis gets a surprise lunchtime visitor

Alexis McGregor, 6, a first-grader at Redbud Run Elementary School in Winchester, Va. reacts as her father, U.S. Army Sgt. Jon McGregor, 27, surprises her by showing up at her school at lunchtime Tuesday September 28, 2010. Alexis did not know her father was home on leave from Afganistan for the first time since April, 2010.

U.S. Army Sgt. Jon McGregor talks with his daughter Alexis McGregor during her lunch period at Redbud Run Elementary School, in Winchester, VA. after surprising her Wednesday September 28, 2010. First grade student ,Alexis,6, was showing him a charm bracelet she received recently. It was the first time they had seen each other since April 2010.

One Hell of a Party

Are you using chopsticks?

Give this man a PRIZE!

The Sandpit

The Sandpit from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.

New York City, tilt-shifted and time lapsed.

Team Santa

Team Santa

I would totally watch this - cartoon, movie and TV show... and then buy these action figures. It looks so friggin' awesome!

Zombie Nazis

Best Hot Coco Ad Ever

“The cocoa will bring the warmth and life back to you on a cold winter day. Could it also be so good it will bring the dead back to life?”

Awesome: Star Wars/Dallas

What the Star Wars would look like if it was the Dallas TV series. My only gripe is that they didn't incorporate any of the John Williams score, but I'll look past that just for the editing.

Retro Awesome

For anyone who was around in 1978/79 and played with Star Wars figures, you probably remember this artwork. It graced the very first Kenner Star Wars figure "collector's case".

In order to get a nice scan of this piece though, I bought a beat-up case off Ebay and tore it apart, removing the paper insert from the sealed vinyl cover.

What I learned from this operation was that Kenner had used a piece of double-sided tape to keep the insert in place before the vinyl was sealed around it. Over the years, the glue on the tape began to bleed into the paper, staining it through a bit.

I was able to remove most of the stain, though some of it might remain.

But here it is -- for all to enjoy. A piece of early Kenner Star Wars artwork, that is rarely seen "off the case".

Thanks to Jason

PS - Click on the picture to make it huge, and then download it. Make it your awesome new Star Wars Desktop picture!

Authentic IPA to be Brewed

A Scottish brewery claims to have produced the first authentic India pale ale (IPA) in almost 200 years by ageing the beer aboard a trawler in the North Sea.

BrewDog, a Scottish micro-brewery based in Fraserburgh, has used an original recipe to produce the ale, which was traditionally matured during the 100-day sea journey from Britain to India.

While many brewers still produce IPA on land, BrewDog’s owners James Watt and Martin Dickie decided to make the beer the old-fashioned way.

The pair prepared eight oak barrels which spent seven-and-a-half weeks aboard the Ocean Quest, a mackerel trawler captained by Watt, who is also a fisherman.

During the journey the casks were lashed by towering waves and covered in snow. One barrel had to be salvaged from the sea after it was washed overboard. (gasp!)

Dickie said that the traditional India pale ale contained higher than normal levels of hops and alcohol, which acted as preservatives. He added that the beer was given its distinctive taste by the way it aged in the barrels, which were tossed around and subjected to large fluctuations in temperature during the journey.

“It had to be drinkable by the time it reached India, which is why it was very strong and high in hops,” Dickie said. “Ours were at sea for seven-and-a-half weeks, so it’s not exactly historically correct, but it was the best we could recreate.

“With all the motion of the sea, the oxidation in the barrel would have been brought on quicker than if they were sitting in a warehouse. Some interesting flavours were also introduced, like the wood of the barrel, but also the fruity flavours brought on by the oxidation.”

Dickie said he discovered the 200-year-old recipe among his collection of books on beer.

He added that he had already received a number of orders for the beer, which is 8% alcohol and will be bottled next month.

“There isn’t another beer like that made commercially,” Dickie said. “It gives beer enthusiasts a chance to taste what a beer like that would have tasted all those years ago.”

If anyone has the chance to get their hands on this - please write me a review. Perhaps we can swing an official BLASPHEMES T-Shirt your way.