Viva la Musica!

The quiet market town of Shepton Mallet woke up this morning to blue skies, tents, music and thousands of people gathering… It is time for the 40th edition of the Glastonbury Festival.

GLASTONBURY 23/06/2010 – Today the 40th edition of the Glaston Bury festival has begun. What surprises most visitors of this festival most is the sunny sky. It is almost a tradition that the festival is accompanied by thunderstorms and heavy downpour, but this weekend it will be different. Helen Chivers of the Met Office (weather forecast center) said that the weather will stay sunny throughout the week but there might be a slight chance of thunder and rain on Sunday. This however is no deal for the visitors at all, they all brought their willies ‘just in case’ and with artists like Muse, Gorillaz and Stevie Wonder who will nag about a little rain.

Rain can really kill the spirir of a festival, but when you are with your best friends, listening to good music, I do not think there is a problem. Personally I would love to go the the Glastonbury Festival! The music is good and the people are cheery, it seems like an excellent way to start your summer and the rain is not going to stop this feeling.

Marijn

Source:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/jun/23/glastonbury-2010-festival-sunshine

Dawn of the Dead

It may look like a scene of ‘Dawn of the Dead’ but this is reality. After scientists had discovered the meaning of the phrase ‘EDIT REGINE CINERES HIC SARCOPHAGVS HABET...’, they unlocked the bones of queen Eadgyth, ruler of the Saxons, out of her tomb.

UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL 18/06/2010 – The remains of queen Eadgyth, who died in 946, were processed for research by a team of archaeologists. Throughout their findings specialists have been able to create an image of how the life of the queen must have looked like. They discovered that she liked horseback riding and ate a healthy balanced diet of fish and vegetables. The source of this information are the remains of the teeth of the queen. Professor Alistair Pike said: ‘By micro-sampling the teeth, using a laser, we can reconstruct the sequence of a person's whereabouts, month by month up to the age of 14.’. The queen will be placed back at her original cathedral when the research is over.
I think it is fascinating what modern technology can do. By researching the bones of queen Eadgyth we can get an insight of life in 947. There is not much known about this era because it is hard to gather information about a time so long ago. The more research can be done with modern technology the better. What do you think forum, is it ok to disturb the bones of the resting for research? Let me know!

Marijn

Source:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/bristol/somerset/10332975.stm

You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream for Fishcream?

When I am at the beach I prefer a vanilla, strawberry or yoghurt flavoured ice-cream. Just nice simple flavours to make my day at the seaside more pleasurable. But this year the ice-cream flavours at the beach will not be the same…

SKELMERSDALE 4/06/2010 - The award winning ice-cream fabricant Frederick’s Dairies has presented the new summer hit for 2010, Fish ‘n Chips ice-cream. The ice-cream makers say that this peculiar flavour is ‘A taste of the British seaside in a lick’ and expect it to be a great hit for the upcoming summer. Frederick’s Dairies is known for producing weird ice-cream flavours, they are the inventors of the Salad Ice-cream and Pizza Ice-cream. According to the company there is a big trend around creating unusual flavours and making odd combinations. Their ‘creamed cod fillet ice cream in vanilla and pepper batter, accompanied by potato ice cream chips and salt and vinegar seasoning and lemon wedges, on a bed of newspaper’ is certainly different.

Now, I am not the biggest fan of Fish ‘n Chips so the ice-cream version of it does not appeal to me at all. Perhaps there are some people who might enjoy it, but I can not imagine that this will become a great hit. Fried ice-cream in the middle of a hot day does not sound very refreshing. I can see that the company might be pressured to invent new creative flavours since they have a lot of competition, but this crosses the line. I believe that their new flavour will sooner be ridiculed than it will be worshiped. What do you think forum, is this a new hit or is it a desperate cry for attention?

Marijn

Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/lancashire/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_8722000/8722043.stm

MMMinistry of Food

Do we not all love the creations of our favourite naked chef? Pasta’s, pies and fabulous deserts, I can not get enough. This time Jamie Oliver decided to use his skills to improve life in Britain by creating the Ministry of Food.

LEEDS 09/06/2010 – Jamie Oliver is taking up battle to fight against the obesity problem in England. According to the chef the problem lies with the lack of healthy cooking skills of several households in Britain. The Ministry of Food will provide ten–week cookery courses, taught in specially developed kitchens in Leeds' historic Kirkgate market. There is a special staff trained by Jamie Oliver to teach the participants the ins and outs of cooking. The hope is that people will copy what they learn on the course to cook food at home with friends, neighbours and families. This will hopefully decrease the obesity in England.

I am a true fan of Jamie and therefore stand by everything he does. Obesity is becoming a real problem in England and I think it is brave of Jamie to step up and actually do something about it. He started with the healthy school lunches and this seems like a natural next step. But where lies the responsibility when it comes down to obesity? Are the parents responsible? Or the school?

What do you think forum?

Marijn

Source:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/leeds/hi/tv_and_radio/newsid_8731000/8731235.stm

Tits and Tats at Tate Britain!

The Mona Lisa, Starry Night and Water Lilies, all famous paintings by famous painters and most of all, very decent. These are the kind of paintings one could expect at the Tate Britian where the most elegant expositions are held. From june to September the Tate Britain will be functioning as the exposition area for Gerald Scarfe, but he decided to do things differently.

LONDON 07/06/2010 – At the moment the Tate Britain hosts the exposition of Gerald Scarfe, Rude Britannia. This expositions exists out of several paintings, statues, and sculptures that are quite provocative. Scarfe has made several inappropriate prints of the leaders of Britain as well, there are images of David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Mary Whitehouse. The painter even received a thank you letter from the Prime Minister himself, Mr. Cameron declared that he was happy that someone could be renewing in the expression of sexuality in Comic Britih Art. According to Scarfe the prude people of England might be upset, nut are ought to learn that sexuality is a healthy thing. The exposition will remain on display until September 5^th.

Well there you have it! Finally, someone who breaks the spell of the prude reputation of the English.

I rather like the idea of a controversial expedition in the Tate Britain, it is refreshing and new. I took a look at the drawings and pictures of Mr. Scarfe and I actually liked it. Normally I am not a fan of modern art but I really liked his use of actuality and humour. I can understand that the conservative part of England does not approve but sometimes you must open your mind to something new and I believe this is a perfect opportunity.

Marijn

Source:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/7808622/Rude-Britannia-exhibition-opens.html

What Happens in Dublin, Stays in Dublin...

‘And it’s no, nay, never… No, nay, never no more!’ Ah, Ireland, land of hurling, revolutions and Guinnes. Five of 1b’s finest girls headed over to the beautiful capitol of this country to invest the land’s favourite sport, Hurling. What are their findings and who gave us material to make fun of her for the rest of her life? Read on to find out more!

DUBLIN 15/05/2010 – Kimberly, Lianne, Sanae, San

dra and Marijn joined forces to start an investigation on the excellent sport called Hurling. The ladies completed their investigation within two days, which gave them time enough to roam the streets of Dublin and ‘integrate’ with the locals by cheating on their boyfriends (which apparently is allowed in some relationships). Hurling is a man sport and girls are not allowed to play, they play a softer version of the game called Camogie. When boys play hurling, fingers break and hurls shatter, not exactly a sport for the weak. The team of Dutch experts witnessed

several games played by the junior league

and interviewed several hurling fans and coaches. They were a hit among the people of Dublin and are bound to come back one day!

As one of the investigators in this research project I can say that Dublin was an immense success. I really enjoyed the games we watched and the people we met, the Irish are very kind people once you get to know them. During our rese

arch I only had one spot of bother, why is Hurling not for girls? In my opinion everybody should be allowed to play a sport, when girls want to play

hurling they should be able to. Is this a form of discri

mination or is it just culture? What do you think forum?

Marijn