Veep

God, I love Veep and I have a bit of a thing for Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She’s awesome – watch Veep for proof!

Is it me, or is American politics just cooler than UK politics?! I can’t imagine Maggie Thatcher, Neil Kinnock or Gordon Brown aping themselves like this.

Timelapse: Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

This is a quite spectacular time-lapse video of a hot air balloon festival. You are never too old to appreciate a balloon (or several hundred!)

It’s also worth checking out Roadtrippers.com’s YouTube channel as their other videos are pretty great too!

The President of the USA

That is all…

Enterprise Retires To New York

As the NASA space shuttle program comes to a close, a series of commemorative flybys by the remaining craft are producing some amazing sights as they glide over famous landmarks in the US. Here the Space Shuttle Enterprise flies over New York as it comes to land at JFK International Airport before being retired to the USS Intrepid Air and Space Museum. As one of the women being interviewed says in the news report, it is also poignant that the shuttle was able to fly over Manhattan with cheering crowds as New Yorker’s have taken back their skies. I’m sure Enterprise will be a very popular tourist attraction when it is installed on the Intrepid. It is a sad day though to be sure as it is an end of era for the US and it’s manned space exploration. Hopefully something new is being designed, a space craft that will continue the exciting work of its predecessor.

In Memoriam

I’ve been very busy over the past few days, but I wanted to make sure I posted a remembrance post for those who died on September 11th. I can’t believe it’s already 9 years since the terrorist attacks. I (as I’m sure everyone can) remember exactly my reaction and where I was on that Tuesday morning and the terrifying aftermath that followed it. I was working as a library assistant at the time and I remember a colleague telling me what was unfolding. I didn’t believe her at all initially and went on to the internet to see for myself. The internet was down as the servers had crashed with everyone attempting to access the news. Work halted and everyone surrounded the tv in the video library watching in stunned silence as the news footage played. There was a sense of utter disbelief.

Nine years on and that feeling still remains for me. The scale of what happened was so unprecedented and unforeseen, it seemed unimaginable that something like this could happen. Whatever the intent of the terrorists actions, they may not have accounted for what happened during the course of events during and immediately after the attacks. Unity. Rescuers worked tirelessly and determinedly sought out unlikely survivors. Families came together in hope. Strangers lent a helping hand to one another. I hadn’t been to New York prior to 2001, but I made my first trip there in 2006 and then again in 2008. Even then in 2006, five years on, I felt a palpable sense of community in such a large city. The residents and workers in the city appeared to have formed a bond with one another and the city in itself. Quite remarkable.

So, now 9 years on, we remember those harrowing events and the men and women who lost their lives. God bless, you will not be forgotten.