King George V at the helm of His Majesty’s Racing Yacht Britannia

King George V at the helm of His Majesty’s Racing Yacht Britannia, a photo by The British Monarchy on Flickr.

Closer to home and full of action

Royal encampment in the gardens of the consulate in Beirut

Royal encampment in the gardens of the consulate in Beirut, a photo by The British Monarchy on Flickr.

Fascinating peep into Royal photo archives. Nice tents, bang up to date really - they look a bit like trendy yurts !

More on the photographer Francis Bedford (1816–94) here

Google Earth spots huge, unidentified structures in Gobi desert - Telegraph

Vast, unidentified, structures have been spotted by satellites in the barren Gobi desert, raising questions about what China might be building in a region it uses for its military, space and nuclear programmes.

China: Google Earth spots huge, unidentified structures in Gobi desert - Telegraph:

Do you think they would find all this in British prisons?

BBC News - Prostitutes found in Mexico jail: A surprise inspection in a prison in Mexico has revealed the presence of 19 prostitutes, 100 plasma televisions, two sacks of marijuana, and 100 cockerels for cock fighting.

Academics don't retire!

Its the end of an era for the Open University with the retirement of my hero John Naughton who pioneered on-line education and showed me, and thousands of other T171 students, a whole new world of cyberspace back in the heady days of the new millennium.

He's counting his blessings while finding the idea of retirement for academics absurd. Thankfully some things never change.

OU going global

The UK's Open University is to receive funding from the United States to improve staying-on rates among poorer students in US colleges.

The Open University (OU) is to provide online courses to improve basic maths for students in community colleges.

The $750,000 (£458,000) pilot project will help students in 10 US colleges - and will be extended if successful.

BBC News - Open University to get US funding

The day David Bailey didn't blow up: art is b*%#@ ... and other lessons of life

AGD: Is there such a thing as a great photograph that's been touched up?

DB: I think so. I mean Raphael used Photoshop, didn't he?

AGD: Did he?

DB: Of course he did. When Medici said to him: "I fancy that bit of stuff over in Portugal, can you go and take a photo of her?" he didn't show her dandruff and her scabby skin and her black teeth and the spots, did he? He used Renaissance Photoshop.

The day David Bailey didn't blow up: art is b*%#@ ... and other lessons of life

Japan crisis: Germany to speed up nuclear energy exit

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced a "measured exit" from nuclear power in response to the crisis affecting four reactors in Japan.

Defending the temporary closure of Germany's seven oldest reactors, she said the Japanese disaster meant it could no longer be "business as usual".

Mrs Merkel told parliament that the goal was "to reach the age of renewable energy as soon as possible"

BBC News - Japan crisis: Germany to speed up nuclear energy exit

Well done that woman.