BBC News - Louvre experts 'quit over Leonardo da Vinci work'

via bbc.co.uk

One wonders that the experts are resigning now, aftert he work has been done.
It would be assumed that a project of this importance would have been subject to much discussion and reflection before the work would even have been contracted. The cleaning experts would have approached the project meticulously, and carefully. This is after all a world masterpiece. The appearance of the painting is not overly bright compared to other Italian paintings of this period. Could they have another motive in mind?

The National Gallery, London: Western European painting 1250–1900

via nationalgallery.org.uk

The wonderful exhibition of the works of Leonardo da Vinci at the National Gallery in London still has just over a month to run. It ends on February 5th 2012. We are told that if you line up early in the morning before 8, it is possible to get tickets for later viewing time slots. Allowing two hours or so to be in line is wise.

Steven Spielberg's Advice - YouTube

via youtube.com

Steven Speilberg speaks quite wonderfully about pursuing one's fate, or more precisely, your fate whispers in your ear. He adds that, the hardest thing he has tried to instill in his children, is the ability to listen to that voice.

How Goldman Sachs sees 2012 | Business | The Guardian

via guardian.co.uk

Goldman Sachs advocates approaching the new year with cautious optimisim.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/dec/22/goldman-sachs-forecast-for-2012. The first few months of the new year should be watched carefully.
Then hopefully some degree of growth and recovery in the second part of 2012. Several of Goldman Sachs top exectives have gone on to be secretaries of the United States Treasury and they are generally given more than just a casual ear when they make a pronouncment. Their economists anticipage a contraction in the first half of next year, the anticipated recovery is contingent about stability of the Euro, however, if the Euro stalls, then the field is open to any possiblity. At least one good thing they are projectin is that inflation in the UK should ease. Gold will continue to go up in price, Some US stocks will do well, but watch European banks.

BBC News - Your pictures: Christmas

via bbc.co.uk

Pictures on the theme of Christmas.
Merry Christmas! and all good wishes for the New Year!

BBC News - Your pictures: Floating

via bbc.co.uk

Some pictures on the theme of floating.

BBC Nature - In Pictures: Your winter wonderland

via bbc.co.uk

Here are some winter themed photographs from the BBC.

BBC News - The man who saved The Resurrection

via bbc.co.uk

Renaissance masterpiece by Piero della Francesco saved by a British officer during the second world war. Aldous Huxley described the painting as "the greatest picture in the world".

BBC News - Prince Philip has heart procedure at Papworth Hospital

via bbc.co.uk

Prince Philip has been experiencing chest pains and apparently has been through a minimally invasive operation on his heart to remove a blockage.
Just as the Royal Family was gathering for Christmas at Sandringham this occured. A week ago he dined with staff and was said to be in very good spirits. Although his recent tour with the Queen may have been a bit more demanding than might have been visible on the surface. He will continue to be observed, but the procedure is common and a stent has been inserted into the blocked artery that was the cause of the problem.

2012 Theatre Season / Shakespeare's Globe

via shakespearesglobe.com

The 2012 schedule of plays has just been released for Shakespeare's Globe in London, expect competition for tickets this year especially as we move into the summer and London will be hosting the Olympic Games. However there will be many productions and plays available as part of the celebrations of this special year to come.

Royal Manuscripts: the Genius of Illumination - Visit London

Don't miss this stunning exhibition of illuminated manuscripts at the British Library in London.

Royal Manuscripts at the British Library

Royal Manuscripts is the first major exhibition of the British Library's collection of royal illuminated manuscripts.

The display features more than 150 manuscripts collected by English kings and queens over 700 years, from the ninth to 16th centuries.

Dispelling the myth that these were the Dark Ages, Royal Manuscripts presents an array of beautiful artistic artefacts.

Talks and Events at the British Library

To accompany the Royal Manuscripts exhibition, there's a programme of talks and events at the British Library

. Highlights include:

• The Diamond Queen: Andrew Marr examines the changing role of the monarchy since 1952. 25 Nov
• The English Castle: Leading expert John Goodall tells the story of English castles, large and small. 13 Dec
• Late at the Library: Illuminate!: An exciting evening featuring some of today's finest illustrators – graphic novelists, comic artists, children's book illustrators, calligraphers and illuminators – plus DJs, VJs and a bar. 2 Mar
• New Learning Out of Old Books: Henry VIII and the Re-Invention of the Royal Library: Celebrated historian David Starkey explains how Henry VIII transformed the Royal Library. 9 Mar

via visitlondon.com

The beautiful poster for this exhibition can be seen on the London underground. it is very striking, the more so being that it stands out from the other modern graphics advertising movies, concerts and books that are part of daily modern life. The more so being that it was obviously the creation of a different culture, mindset and time. Still perhaps in a way, one can say that the original is a form of advertising in the the sense that it's intention was not only to portary a subject, but also to influence others, and reaffirm the teachings of the church.

Infos, news & actualités - L'information internationale en direct - FRANCE 24

via france24.com

If you like the sound of the french language, you can listen to the live news feed at France24.com/fr to the right of the page you will be able to select "en ce moment" to bring up a new window which will play the live news. If you would prefer english, just go to France24.com/en. Sometimes it is possible to figure out what they are saying if you do not speak french.
They just said: "le weekend de Noel", "le period de Noel", ah oui oui, it must be Christmas!

Classic FM - Classical Music Radio

via classicfm.co.uk

ClassicFM is another very good quality station that can be listened to online.
What I like about this station is that you just need to click on the "Listen" button at the top, and the application window can be resized to make it a bit smaller and more manageable than some of the interfaces out there. The feed also seems to be especially clean, crisp and clear.

BBC News - In pictures: Russian demonstrations

via bbc.co.uk

Images from the demonstrations in Russia against rigged elections.

BBC News - Your pictures: Chilly

via bbc.co.uk

Ice crystals and snow flakes settling on the world

Google Image Result for http://smellypunks.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/google-serp-heat-map.jpg

via google.co.uk

This is called a "Heat Map". If you have a web page, this is where the viewers eyes will tend to fall. The red area is the part of any web site that receives the most attention. Then amber, yellow and green. These maps may be created by attaching a tracking unit to the users head combined with analytical software. The user will then simply use the computer as normal, and the data begins to accumulate. Heat maps do consistently follow an "F" pattern, with the eyes tracking left to right along the top, then down, (the vertical stroke of the "F"), and then along the second entry line, (The second horizontal line of the letter). This is good to know when designing your web site. Guy Levine of Return on Digital recommends putting a Youtube video of yourself at the very top of your web site, as it will receive the most attention, and also be the best place to make your "elevator pitch" about yourself or your business!

Leonardo da Vinci at the National Gallery – the greatest show of the year? | Art and design | The Guardian

The Musician (left ) and La Belle Ferronnière, by Leonardo da Vinci. Photograph: Milano/De Agostini Picture Library; Musee du Louvre, Paris/Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana

Renaissance man though he undoubtedly was, Leonardo da Vinci was very much a part-time artist. Among the wrecks and ruins and dubious attributions, Leonardo produced very few paintings – around 20, about some of which scholarly debate continues. There are nine in the National Gallery exhibition, all dated from his years in Milan, as well as Giampietrino's almost 8 metre-wide 1520 scale copy of Leonardo's 1492-8 Last Supper.

via guardian.co.uk

Really a show of a lifetime. This wonderful presentaion of some of the most well known images by the great Renaissance artist is not to be missed if you can help it. The drawings are exquisite, and equally there are pictures created by followers of Leonardo's that although obviously influenced by the master, stand alone in their own right.
Tickets we are told can easily be gotten, especially if you are prepared to get to the National Gallery early, and stand in line. Bring a coffee and warm gloves. Our information is to get there before 8 am, the earlier the better.

Red alert as Boris takes to wheel of new Routemaster | Mayor

via thisislondon.co.uk

Standing on Piccadilly a few weeks ago, one of the original London buses drove by. These are driven on what is called "legacy routes" now. As modern and new looking as the new buses are, the original London buses we grew up with are still the best, and carry a tradition that is gradually being polished away by the new.

Lafont Michel Roux Le Gavroche presentation - YouTube

via youtube.com

Michel Roux is one of the stars of the MasterChef show on BBC2 right now.
Inheriting the tradition of the Roux brothers in England, this is an ad for cookware, however, this gives a nice showcase to elegant and refined one can make the experience of dining. As Michel says, "It is all about quality".

The Roux Scholarship - a Master Class by Michel Roux Jr and Alain Roux - YouTube

via youtube.com

Cooking without a bit of freedom is not cooking, great classic quote from a great classic Chef.

Real truth about dubai 5 (United Arab Emirates)UAE/ world richest country - YouTube

via youtube.com

The second Sheik is really a mover and a shaker!

If - Rudyard Kipling - YouTube

via youtube.com

Dennis Hopper reciting Rudyard Kipling's poem "If". If all men count with you but none too much.

U2's 360º Tour Plane at Willow Run Airport - YouTube

via youtube.com

Very nice man, special energy, looks like he owns the company that is flying Irish Band U2 around the world on their 360 tour.

David Attenborough ~ The Life Series

Sir David Attenborough is Britain's best-known natural history film-maker. His career as a naturalist and broadcaster has spanned nearly five decades and there are very few places on the globe that he has not visited.

Over the last 25 years he has established himself as the world's leading natural history programme maker with several landmark BBC series, including: Life on Earth (1979), The Living Planet (1984), The Trials of Life (1990), The Private Life of Plants (1995), The Life of Birds (1998), The Life of Mammals (2002) and Life in the Undergrowth (2005).

‘The final chapter in the Life series, Life in Cold Blood is surely a grand finale to David’s survey of life on earth.‘

via davidattenborough.co.uk

David Attenborough has just finished presenting his Frozen Planet series on BBC, you can still catch episodes from the BBC website using their IPlayer. You can see the link at the top of the page. Quite poignant and always very absorbing.
It is particularly powerful to see how nature has created creatures that have the ability to evolve in such a way that they can (just about) exist in the most extremely cold environments on the earth. Would recommend series DVD set as a stocking stuffer.

David Attenborough ~ The Life Series

Sir David Attenborough is Britain's best-known natural history film-maker. His career as a naturalist and broadcaster has spanned nearly five decades and there are very few places on the globe that he has not visited.

Over the last 25 years he has established himself as the world's leading natural history programme maker with several landmark BBC series, including: Life on Earth (1979), The Living Planet (1984), The Trials of Life (1990), The Private Life of Plants (1995), The Life of Birds (1998), The Life of Mammals (2002) and Life in the Undergrowth (2005).

‘The final chapter in the Life series, Life in Cold Blood is surely a grand finale to David’s survey of life on earth.‘

via davidattenborough.co.uk

David Attenborough has just finished presenting his Frozen Planet series on BBC, you can still catch episodes from the BBC website using their IPlayer. You can see the link at the top of the page. Quite poignant and always very absorbing.
It is particularly powerful to see how nature has created creatures that have the ability to evolve in such a way that they can (just about) exist in the most extremely cold environments on the earth. Would recommend series DVD set as a stocking stuffer.

Paris Patisseries | The Pastries & Pastry Shops of Paris

Have you ever wondered how an acclaimed Parisian pastry shop like Pain de Sucre makes their macarons? Granted, you might already know exactly how it’s done, if you’re in the habit of churning out 1800 of them a day yourself. For the rest of us, this twenty-four photo spread will serve as an eye-opener . . . and will likely be the first time you’ve ever seen a macaron machine. And today is merely Part I of the Pain de Sucre macaron extravaganza! This Thursday will feature even more photos in Part II, when the macarons get filled en-masse.

Before we dig in, let me just thank my acclaimed macaron cookbook author friend, Jill Colonna, for setting up this photo session for us. She and I had gone to Pain de Sucre one morning, when she struck up a conversation with co-owner, Didier Mathray, about how they craft their macs. Shortly after mentioning, “Well, I did write a macaron cookbook,” Monsieur Mathray was all like, “Oh, you’re the Jill Colonna. Well, in that case, you and Adam must come soon to see how we do it here.” So that’s exactly what we decided to do. Let’s get cookin’ . . .

via parispatisseries.com

Paris Patisseries, a day in the life of a fine pastry maker!

BBC iPlayer - Steve Jobs: Billion Dollar Hippy

via bbc.co.uk

BBC programme on Steve Jobs who recently passed away. Brilliant and innovative, he revolutionized the world with the early Apple computer company, and after a tumultuous shakeup in the company, went on to bring us the Ipod, Ipad, Iphone and much more in a series of ground breaking personal digtial devices.

BBC News - Baby seal wanders into New Zealand home

via bbc.co.uk

Lucky the Baby seal!

Homepage - Classical KING FM

via king.org

Dear friends around the world, King.org is an excellent classical online radio out of Seattle Washington. In my experience the best offerings often come right before Christmas each year as they manage a fine balance of classical and traditional seasonal music. Great for listening to while you are working.

BBC - Free Your Imagination: Books on the BBC

Dickens on the BBC
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Free Your Imagination: Books on the BBC culminates with a celebration of the work of one of Britain's greatest writers, Charles Dickens. Dickens on the BBC is a season of documentary, drama and discussion programmes across television and radio, heralding the 2012 bicentenary celebrations of the writer's birth.

1. 

   Book of the Week - Charles Dickens: A Life

   Monday 28 November BBC Radio 4

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   1/5 Claire Tomalin's acclaimed new biography of Britain's great novelist paints a portrait of an extraordinarily complex man.
   

2. 

   The Verb

   Friday 9 December BBC Radio 3

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   Ian McMillan hosts a special edition at the BBC's Radio Theatre to celebrate the art of reading Dickens aloud.

3. 

   Songs of Praise: A Dickensian Christmas

   Sunday 11 December BBC One

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   Traditional carols will be sung by the congregation at St George's Church in Gravesend, dressed in Victorian costumes.

4. 

   Night Waves

   Wednesday 14 December BBC Radio 3

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   Philip Dodd presents a landmark edition devoted to Charles Dickens as the bicentenary of his birth approaches.

5. 

   The Bleak Old Shop Of Stuff

   Monday 19 December BBC Two

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   1/4 A new comedy adventure with an all-star cast set in the Dickensian world of Jedrington Secret-Past.

6. 

   The Essay - The Writers' Dickens

   Monday 19 December BBC Radio 3

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   1/5 Tessa Hadley, A L Kennedy, Alexander McCall Smith, Romesh Gunesekera and Justin Cartwright examine Dickens' prose.

7. 

   A Tale of Two Cities

   Monday 26 December BBC Radio 4

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   1/5 Robert Lindsay and Alison Steadman star in a new dramatisation of Charles Dickens' classic.

8. 

   Great Expectations

   Tuesday 27 December BBC One

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   1/3 Sarah Phelps's suspenseful new three-part drama presents the heart and grit of Charles Dickens at his very best.
   

9. 

   The Tale of A Tale of Two Cities

   Thursday 29 December BBC Radio 4

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   Crime writer Frances Fyfield examines the original manuscript to understand Dickens' frantic writing and self-editing.

10. 

    Mrs Dickens' Family Christmas

    Wednesday 30 December BBC Two

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    Sue Perkins exposes the lesser known reality of the Dickens family Christmas, through the eyes of his wife, Catherine.

11. The Mumbai Chuzzlewits
    

    Sunday 1 January BBC Radio 4

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    1/3 Ayeesha Menon's rework of Martin Chuzzlewit is set among the Catholic community in modern day Mumbai.

12. The Mystery of the Mystery of Edwin Drood
    

    Thursday 19 January BBC Radio 4

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    Frances Fyfield tries to answer some of the many questions about the last days of Dickens' life.

13. Dickens in London
    

    Monday 6 February BBC Radio 4

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    1/5 Five short plays based on Dickens' journalism tell the story of his changing relationship with the city that fired his imagination.

14. Armando Iannucci on Dickens
    

    BBC Two

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    Using David Copperfield as a focal point, Armando explores the development of this master story-teller.

15. Unfinished Masterpieces
    

    BBC Two

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    Alastair Sooke investigates the mystery behind Edwin Drood and what it is that makes the unfinished story so tantalising.

16. The Mystery of Edwin Drood
    

    BBC Two

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    1/2 An ambitious two-part adaptation sees writer Gwyneth Hughes finishing Dickens' final novel Edwin Drood.

17. Arena: Dickens on Film
    

    BBC Four

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    Arena asks why Dickens' have novels inspired so many screen adaptations, from the films of the silent era to the modern day.

World Book Club

1. A Celebration of Charles Dickens
   

   Wednesday 1 February BBC World Service

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   Claire Tomalin and Simon Callow will be at the BBC's Radio Theatre answering questions about Great Expectations.

Faulks On Fiction

Saturday 9pm BBC Two

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2/4 Sebastian Faulks looks at how literary lovers have taught us the truth about love.

Find out more about the programmes in the season

1. Documentaries
   Stephen Fry, Sebastian Faulks, Armando Iannucci, Melvyn Bragg, Richard E. Grant and more, investigate books and authors as diverse as the Bible and Dickens. Find out more

2. Debate
   Experts and book-lovers offer reviews and opinions about books, new and old, on television and radio. You can also take part in the discussion yourself with The Radio 2 Bookclub. Find out more

3. Events
   World Book Night, Oxford Literary Festival, The BBC Samuel Johnson Prize For Non-Fiction, The Man Booker Prize and the BBC National Short Story Award will all be celebrated with a variety of programmes. Find out more

4. Films
   Award-winning BBC Films presents the UK television premières of The Edge Of Love, a portrait of Dylan Thomas and the women in his life, and Brideshead Revisited, based on Evelyn Waugh's acclaimed novel. Find out more

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via bbc.co.uk

Here are links to the Dickens presentations on the BBC this Christmas season.

BBC News - Charles Dickens: Six things he gave the modern world

via bbc.co.uk

The BBC will be running a series of programs about the great British writer Charles Dickens, most likely the first writer who might come to mind when one thinks of the classic Christmas celebration. He was a writer with a tremendous grasp of the underbelly of life in the Victorian era, his characters are archetypes of mischief, childhood unhappiness and trials. Many of which he likely experienced himself. Like any great writer, his characters breathe within the pages of his books, which puts him in the same class as Shakespeare in many respects. Say to yourself: "Artful Dodger", "Oliver Twist", most people in the western world will immediately understand what you mean.
Check out the programs coming up around Christmas and into January.

Brian Tracy - inspirational words of wisdom - YouTube

via youtube.com

Brian Tracy is always inspirational.

A Little Wisdom - Robin Marchesi - YouTube

via youtube.com

This is quite special.

BBC News - How to write a successful CV before applying for a job

via bbc.co.uk

The BBC offers some very good practical CV tips. (Resume in the US!).

Original masterchef spoof - YouTube

via youtube.com

Absolutely hilarious! If you watch the MasterChef show, the program is a competition to produce very high level cooking. The dishes are elegantly presented and must be carefully prepared and cooked to exacting standards.
The uploader has cleverly edited in a messy Kebab most likely from a London Kebab shop and made the biggest mess of it possible! Genius!

The Roux Brothers - Eggs 1 - YouTube

via youtube.com

The Roux brothers, this is a great clip from their show. They were the chefs who brought a very high level of internation cuisine to the UK. They cooked for the Rothschilds, and it was not uncommon for them to use a gallon of the best Champagne and a pound of very expensive truffles in creating the type of dishes that their clients expected. Money was not an object, the end result was the goal. We hope you enjoy this.

How to install cable tire chains - tips from Oregon DOT - YouTube

via youtube.com

Winter is on it's way!
This is from the state of Oregon Department of Transportation.
Many countries do not know about tire chains. Installing chains correctly is up there with configuring the timer on your VHS or DVD player. Their suggestion to practice at least once before the snow season really sets in. We would also suggest keep a piece of cardboard in the trunk of your car, you can put it on the ground so you do not have to kneel on the snow in your good clothes. Great too to have a good quality flashlight, some come with a stand, so if you need to put your chains on at night, you will have plenty of light. We would suggest you make some notes on the step by step procedure, make them with a marker pen, nice and big and clear. Mount it on cardboard and seal it with plastic, so you can put it on the snow, it will be readable and waterproof. Then you can just follow instructions. The small printed instructions that come with your chains can be very hard to read, especially in poor light, with snow coming down, and if you are stuck by the side of the road. Good luck!

Stena Europe: Big Rigs - YouTube

via youtube.com

Strangely, we could not tell you why this is such a great clip. Just big trucks driving out from the ship. This is great! Snapshots of Europe from a Stena ferry.

Paris Patisseries | The Pastries & Pastry Shops of Paris

via parispatisseries.com

If you need a regular Parisian treat during the week, we would suggest that you sign up at for a daily email at this site, ParisPatiesseries.com. The author is passionate about Paris Pastries and sweet creations. The photographs are very high quality, and he writes at an entertaining and upbeat level. In fact in today's article he discloses that he usually buys a quantity of pastries for a photo shoot, because perhaps two will make it home in the proper condition for a picture to be taken. Always a very high production level, and he goes to the best in town. Sign up and enjoy your daily Patisserie treat!