December 21, 2011

Fw: London's Tower Bridge Under Construction

Pictures of the Tower Bridge during construction found dumped in a skip

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 5:01 PM on 29th November 2011

This is one of the London's most beloved landmarks as you've never seen her before.

Stripped down to her underwear, the never before seen pictures of the Tower Bridge -- one of the world's most recognisable structures -- have been unveiled after the stash of hundred-year-old prints were found in a skip.

Coinciding with the 125th anniversary of the bridge's foundation, the 50 sepia photos reveal in incredible detail the ingenuity behind one of the British capital's most popular tourist destinations, which was the first bridge of its kind in the world.

Never seen before: The pictures of London's Tower Bridge were found in a skip and then wrapped up in brown paper and put in a carrier bag under a bed.

   The unique pictures, dating back to 1892, document the construction the iconic bridge, which at the time was a landmark feat of engineering nicknamed ‘The Wonder Bridge’.   The discarded pictures, which were retrieved by a caretaker who was looking after a building being turned into flats in 2006, have spent the last five years in a carrier bag underneath his bed.

   The 59 year-old, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that after the occupants of the Westminster office building moved out, the album and a number of documents were thrown into a skip outside. He said: "I took the ledgers to the Tower Bridge Museum because I thought they might have some historical value.

Remarkable find:   The prints reveal in incredible detail the ingenuity behind one of the British capital's most popular tourist attractions and how it was put together

A view of the bridge: The sturdy steel frame of the Tower Bridge can be seen, before it was covered with its distinctive stone-cladding on the orders of architect John Wolfe-Barry

They included records of the materials and used in the bridge's construction and what they cost.   I told the man at the museum that I had also found some photos but he told me they already had plenty of those.   I didn't know what to do with them so I wrapped them in some brown paper and put them in a bag under the bed".

    It wasn't until earlier this month, when the owner of the photos mentioned them to his neighbor, City of Westminster tour guide Peter Berthoud that the significance of the find fully emerged.   Mr Berthoud, an expert in the history of London who gives guided tours around famous landmarks including the Tower Bridge, said that he was gobsmacked by the haul.

Stripped down: The photographs show how the bridge was put together over eight years, revealing why it was nicknamed at the time the 'Wonder Bridge'

Landmark: The Tower Bridge remains one of the British capital's most iconic structures and a tourist attraction today, 125 years after building started

Sepia to silver screen: The incomplete Tower Bridge features in the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes, where Holmes battles with his adversary Lord Henry Blackwood

   Contrary to popular misconception, the images reveal the bridge is a sturdy steel frame beneath the instantly recognisable stone cladding.   Mr Berthoud said: "When my neighbor gave me a disk with the images on I just couldn't believe it.   I spent hours going through my books to see if these pictures were already around but I couldn't see them anywhere -- they are unique.   Quite simply London's Tower Bridge is the world's most iconic bridge and it's the only bridge over the Thames which has never needed to be replaced at some point.

Discovery: Peter Berthoud was gobsmacked when his neighbor showed him the haul of photos.   He spent hours going through books to find something similar, only to discover they are unique

Transformation: The bridge took eight years to build and at the time was a landmark feat of engineering, combining elements of a suspension and high level bridge and a bascule

It combines elements of a suspension bridge, a high level bridge and a bascule which allows it to open for ships to pass.   Nothing had ever been made like it before and nothing since.   People are always surprised when I tell them thet the Tower Bridge is a steel bridge, as the stone cladding is so recognisable".

   According to the tour guide, the bridge's original architect, Horace Jones, wanted to clad the bridge in brick but following his death he was succeeded as architect by John Wolfe-Barry, who decreed the bridge should be clad in stone.

Development:   Photographs show the progress in the construction process, from basic structures to something easily recognisable as the Tower Bridge as we know it today

Unique: Many of the 50 sepia prints are in good condition, despite dating back to 1892.   Several are even dated, making it possible to trace the progress in construction

   Although many of the century-old pictures are in a state of disrepair, around 20 are in good condition.   Many of the 12 by 10 snaps are dated and clearly show how the bridge was put together over a space of eight years.   Memorable scenes include turn-of-the-century laborers taking orders from a site foreman in a bowler hat and a shot if the bridge's original steam-powered engine room, which could open the bridge in less than a minute.   In one poignant picture flags decorate the body of the bridge and a hand-written pencil note reads:   ‘Note, flags denote Mr Hunter's wedding day’.

   Mr Berthoud said: "My favorite pictures are of the simple, humble guys building the bridge, unaware that what they are making will be so historic.   People are used to seeing images of the Empire State Building being built but this is part of British history being created 50 years earlier".

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December 15, 2011

Fw: Wonderful English from Around the World

Wonderful English from Around the World
In a Bangkok temple:
IT IS FORBIDDEN TO ENTER A WOMAN, EVEN A FOREIGNER, IF DRESSED AS A MAN.
Cocktail lounge , Norway :
LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BAR.
Doctors office, Rome :
SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES.
Dry cleaners, Bangkok :
DROP YOUR TROUSERS HERE FOR THE BEST RESULTS.
In a Nairobi restaurant:
CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER.
On the main road to Mombassa, leaving Nairobi :
TAKE NOTICE: WHEN THIS SIGN IS UNDER WATER, THIS ROAD IS IMPASSABLE.
On a poster at Kencom:
ARE YOU AN ADULT THAT CANNOT READ? IF SO WE CAN HELP.

In a City restaurant:
OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND WEEKENDS.
In a cemetery:
PERSONS ARE PROHIBITED FROM PICKING FLOWERS FROM ANY BUT THEIR OWN GRAVES .
Tokyo hotel's rules and regulations:
GUESTS ARE REQUESTED NOT TO SMOKE OR DO OTHER DISGUSTING BEHAVIOURS IN BED.
On the menu of a Swiss restaurant:
OUR WINES LEAVE YOU NOTHING TO HOPE FOR.
In a Tokyo bar:
SPECIAL COCKTAILS FOR THE LADIES WITH NUTS.
Hotel , Yugoslavia :
THE FLATTENING OF UNDERWEAR WITH PLEASURE IS THE JOB OF THE CHAMBERMAID.
Hotel , Japan :
YOU ARE INVITED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CHAMBERMAID.
In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox monastery:
YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT THE CEMETERY WHERE FAMOUS RUSSIAN AND SOVIET COMPOSERS, ARTISTS AND WRITERS ARE BURIED DAILY EXCEPT THURSDAY.
A sign posted in Germany 's Black Forest :
IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN ON OUR BLACK FOREST CAMPING SITE THAT PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT SEX, FOR INSTANCE, MEN AND WOMEN, LIVE TOGETHER IN ONE TENT UNLESS THEY ARE MARRIED WITH EACH OTHER FOR THIS PURPOSE..
Hotel, Zurich :
BECAUSE OF THE IMPROPRIETY OF ENTERTAINING GUESTS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX IN THE BEDROOM, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE LOBBY BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE.
Advertisement for donkey rides, Thailand :
WOULD YOU LIKE TO RIDE ON YOUR OWN ASS?
Airline ticket office, Copenhagen :
WE TAKE YOUR BAGS AND SEND THEM IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
A laundry in Rome :
LADIES, LEAVE YOUR CLOTHES HERE AND SPEND THE AFTERNOON HAVING A GOOD TIME.

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November 28, 2011

Fw: The Knots Prayer

An oldy but goody.

The Knots Prayer

Dear God,

Please untie the knots
that are in my mind,
my heart and my life.
Remove the have nots,
the can nots and the do nots
that I have in my mind.

Erase the will nots,
may nots, and
might nots that find
a home in my heart.

Release me from the could nots,
would nots and should nots
that obstruct my life.

And most of all, dear God,
I ask that you remove from my mind
my heart and my life all of the am nots
that I have allowed to hold me back,
especially the thought
that I am not good enough.

Ameen.........

November 25, 2011

Fw: Student explains Hell..!!!! Must READ

The following is an actual question given on a; University of Arizona chemistry mid term, and an actual answer turned in by a student.

The answer by this student was so 'profound' that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well:

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving, which is unlikely. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. There fore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today.

Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.
2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, 'It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you,' and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct........ leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being, which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting 'Oh my God.'

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED AN A+.

November 24, 2011

Fw: This says it all

WORDS

Pythagorean Theorem: ............................................24 words.

Lord's prayer:....................................................... 66 words.

Archimedes' Principle: ............................................ 67 words.

Ten Commandments: ............................................ 179 words.

Gettysburg address: ............................................. 286 words

US Declaration of Independence : .................... 1,300 words.

US Constitution with all 27 Amendments: .......... 7,818 words.

EU regulations on the sale of CABBAGES:....... 26,911 words.
SORT OF PUTS THINGS INTO PROPER PERSPECTIVE, DOESN'T IT?

November 24, 2011

Fw: How Canadians Deal with Speeders

Those Canadians are clever! Check out the speed controls below.

Be sure to check out the photo at the bottom

Hope you enjoy this.

Canadian Speed Controls
Speed controls being used in Canada . How's this for effective speed control?

I don't know about you, but this would certainly slow me down!

People slow down and actually try to "straddle" the hole.

This is an actual speed control device that is currently in use.

It is MUCH cheaper than speed cameras, radar guns, police officers, etc.

Pretty clever - especially when they move them around every day.

Isn't art wonderful?

November 24, 2011

Fw: Sunset from the North Pole

This is one of the rarest pictures that you will ever see in your life

when the moon was closest to the earth.
The date the picture was taken was Thursday, the 13^th of March 2011.

This is the Sunset at the North Pole
a scene you will probably never get to see in person, so take a moment and

enjoy life at the North Pole.
And, you also see the sun below the moon, an amazing photo and not one easily

duplicated. You may want to pass it on to others so they can enjoy it too.

The Chinese have a saying that goes, something like this:
'When someone shares with you something of value,
you have an obligation to share it with others!'
I just did.. Your turn

(download)

November 10, 2011

Fw: Fwd: Fw: Fwd: The Owl - on final approach

Just wait for the final flare: the "stall" on the leading edge of the wings is very graphic!! OWL ON FINAL APPROACH Enjoy this one minute video of the majesty of flight. The aeronautical engineers can't improve on this model......Watch the wing feathers as he Flares to slow down. You can see the airflow.This is an awesome video.... Flight lessons from a real pro! Best viewed full screen...http://www.dogwork.com/owfo8/
...

(download)

November 10, 2011

Fw: BanqueS

November 10, 2011

Fw: Maths

Subject: Fwd: Maths
A public school teacher was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a compass, a slide-rule and a calculator. At a morning press conference, Attorney General Eric Holder said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-Gebra movement. He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction. 'Al-Gebra is a problem for us', the Attorney General said. 'They derive solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in search of absolute values.' They use secret code names like “X” and “Y” and refer to themselves as “unknowns” but we have determined that they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, “There are 3 sides to every triangle." When asked to comment on the arrest, President Obama said, “If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, he would have given us more fingers and toes.” White House aides told reporters they could not recall a more intelligent or profound statement by the President. It is believed that another Nobel Prize will follow.