Hmm... Is Bellamy a true Red

http://news.bbc.co.uk/solpda/ukfs_sport/hi/newsid_5230000/5230660.stm?

The Peace Cycle 2006 Start Festival

Cycling for justice and peace in the Middle East

Sunday August 6th-Charing Cross London

Urgent appeal for help

We need stewards for within Embankment Gardens from
12.30 till 4.30pm. Please contact Brian
(brian.thepeacecycle@ntlworld.com 020 8989 6362)

Marshals to keep the riders on the right road to Greenwich from 2pm. Please contact
Glen ( glenmoran@fsmail.net) Abid (abid_88@hotmail.com)

Rally starts at 1pm with Orchestra Mahatma, dancers and guest speakers. Ride sets off at 3pm followed by more music till 4pm

Peace at last

For all those who have been put off tennis due to the grunting of Ms Maria Sharapova!

First Ark to Alpha Centauri 2: The True Price of Immortality - A. Ahad

Abdul Ahad wanted to tell all friends and fellw sci fi buffs that his new book is going to be released Aon ugust 7th and is now available to order. The best place to buy it in the UK I think is at Play.com, where they will ship to you for free:-

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/1089738/-/Product.html?searchstring=the+true+price+of+immortality

You can also order copies for your local public or school libraries, whereby you can enjoy a free read at no cost to yourselves.

This new novel has been proof read by a number of people, and some of you I have acknowledged and thanked on page 7. It has been "certified" to be suitable for all ages (yeah, there's no graphic sex scenes or nudity, thoough it does contain a small amount of violence that may be unsuitable for children below age 8!)

Enjoy...






















Brief biography

Md. Abdul Ahad was born in the Sylhet district of Bangladesh on 15 December 1968. When he was 9 years old, he moved across to the UK accompanying his mother and two sisters to join his father, late Haji Abdur Rahman, and has been mainly resident there ever since. Ahad obtained his secondary school education in the United Kingdom and graduated from the University of Luton in 1994 with a Higher National Diploma in Business & Finance. He has since held a number of executive and management posts in industry, developing a wide business career within multi-national bluechip companies, across such functions as operations planning, supply chain process management and brands marketing.

His interests in astronomy took off in the early 1980s at the age of 12, when he showed a notable leaning toward mathematical and positional astronomy. When he was just 15, at the dawn of the present era of home computers, Ahad compiled his own celestial mechanics algorithms for the precise computation of positions of planets, comets and minor planets from orbital elements.

Abdul Ahad's scientific interests later branched out into such fields as space technology, spaceflight simulations and models, space science missions and robotics. In January 2002, he founded the 'AA Institute of Space Science & Technology', a conceptual research institute dedicated to his own creative works and research projects. He has since undertaken a NASA-inspired program of self funded, self initiated pursuits in areas like rocketry and aerospace and remote sensing via tele-robotics. In August 2002, he joined the California based, Planetary Society to further his participation in and outspoken advocation of global space exploration. Ahad is a member of the British Astronomical Association and his spare time interests include astrometric measurements of visual binary stars and proper motions of nearby stars, observation of deep sky objects and study of variable stars. In 2004, he was the first person in scientific history to define an analytical approximation of the cosmic night sky's total integrated brightness ("Ahad's constant" of circa 1/300th of a Full Moon equivalent). Ahad put forward a hypothetical human interstellar spaceflight proposal ("Ahad's virtual bridge to Alpha Centauri") for reaching our nearest star, by systematically relying on the safety of overlapping Oort clouds for possible mining/refuelling. He conceptualised the mechanics for excavation, capture and interior habitation of an asteroid - the "Celestial Titanic".

In that article, he offered a compelling third option for future human spaceflight that would supplement a base on the Moon and one established later on Mars. Using the 4-km diameter main belt asteroid #887 Alinda for illustration, Ahad showed how such a construct could initially serve as a permanent Earth-orbiting colony that could subsequently be also used as a propelled platform for long term Solar System-wide, and even interstellar, exploration.

In his epic sci-fi novel and would-be feature film "First Ark to Alpha Centauri" (published online in 2004), he envisioned the world's first life-like human colony starship and spaceflight concept for sending a community of people from our planet to the nearest stars in the year 2275 AD. In his own words: "An epic fantasy voyage carrying the hopes and dreams of everyone who ever was, everyone who ever is and everyone who ever will be... on a journey spanning 2,000 generations and lasting for no less than 50,000 years into the future!" He designed that entire ship architecture, simulating its gravity, weather and life support and thought through the countless multi-generation mission obstacles, devising the best solutions through his own imaginative thought and research efforts. As a result, the article proved immensely popular across the world's online science and science fiction communities, and was viewed in over 50 countries.

Abdul Ahad can be contacted via his public profile on MySpace.Com

Comments or queries concerning this page should be addressed to: info@astroscience.org

Abdul Ahad
Luton, Beds, UK. Mobile: 07704 889149
Bestselling author of the sci-fi epic First Ark to Alpha Centauri
http://www.publishedauthors.net/aa_spaceagent/

Summer Holidays are for Fun not Pain

Summer holidays are almost upon us. Some adults from communities that practise Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) take their young daughters and girls under their care for ‘summer holidays’ abroad with the intention of subjecting them to FGM whilst they are there.

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in conjunction with Foundation for Women’s Health, Research and Development (FORWARD), Africans United against Child Abuse, (AFRUCA) and the Somali Information Integration Centre (SIIC), are working to inform all parents/carers that the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 makes it illegal to participate in any sort of arrangement for FGM to be performed on another, inside or outside of the UK. The Metropolitan Police will safeguard any child believed to be at risk and prosecute offenders.

The penalty for aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring or carrying out FGM either inside or outside of the UK is 14 years of imprisonment.

FORWARD estimates, based on data from The International Centre for Reproductive Health (2004), that within the UK around 279,500 women have undergone FGM and each year approximately 7,000 girls under 16 years are at risk of becoming victims of FGM.
FGM has very severe health consequences including death. The procedure is extremely painful. There is a high risk of developing infections and spreading diseases including HIV/AIDS. There are many significant lifelong medical, psychological and emotional consequences for victims. In June 2006 the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that in the African context 10 – 20 babies die per 1000 deliveries as a result of this barbaric crime. FGM is a clear violation of the human rights of the girl and is prohibited by many international and regional human rights conventions.
FGM is a cultural practice, which has no basis in any religion.

The MPS and partners want to raise awareness of the health and legal implications of this crime and to empower children vulnerable to this practice. We want to educate parents and carers about the consequences of arranging FGM, as well as raising awareness amongst professionals.

The MPS, FORWARD, AFRUCA and Somali Information & Integration Centre appeal to families from FGM practising communities to protect your female children from the suffering and devastating consequences of Female Genital Mutilation.

The death of Kevin Carter

The prize-winning image: A vulture watches a starving child in southern Sudan, March 1, 1993. CORBIS/Sygma © 2006

The Death of Kevin Carter is an Oscar-nominated documentary about the life, work and suicide of a Pulitzer-prize winning South African photojournalist. A free-lance photographer for Reuter and Sygma Photo NY and former PixEditor of the Mail&Gaurdian, Kevin dedicated his carrer to covering the ongoing conflict in his native South Africa. He was highly honoured by the prestigious Ilford Photo Press Awards on several occasions including News Picture of the Year 1993.

Carter's Pulitzer winning photo showed a heart-breaking scene of a starving child collapsed on the ground, struggling to get to a food station during a famine in the Sudan in 1993. In the background, a vulture stalks the emaciated child.

Carter was part of a group of four fearless photojournalists known as the "Bang Bang Club" who travelled throughout South Africa capturing the atrocities committed during apartheid.

Haunted by the horrific images from Sudan, Carter committed suicide in 1994 soon after receiving the award.

Kevin is survived by his daughter Megan.

www.kevincarterfilm.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Carter
http://www.thisisyesterday.com/ints/KCarter.html

Nic El Loco Teeman hits Dunwich Dynamo 14

The mad one himself, (long hair, not the waving David Bellamy lookalike) pondering what he's let himself in for

My pal Nic decided to do something crazy and spent a weekend participating in the fourteenth annual overnight Dunwich Dynamo.

The Dunwich Dynamo is a 200 km night ride from London to the lost city of Dunwich on the Suffolk Coast.

From 1993 to 1998 it ran as commercial pay-to-enter event. In 1999 it became free - just-turn-up-and-ride.

This Successful format has continued since 2000.

Setting a date for an informal 'turn-up-and-ride' event - on the Saturday night nearest the full moon in July - preserves the most important element of the event, the company of other riders.

The ride had a tragic moment as at about 10.15pm, in very good visibility and dry weather, in the quiet village of North Weald Bassett, a van hit a group of riders almost head on.

Tragically, one rider died at the scene. The other suffered minor injuries.

A 62-year-old man from Waltham Abbey, Essex, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving was released on bail pending further inquiries.

The two men were among hundreds of cyclists taking part in the 120-mile overnight ride between Hackney, east London and Dunwich on the Suffolk coast.













The spokeswoman said the annual cycle ride was called The Dunwich Dynamo and is organised by a London-based cycling group called Southwark Cyclists.

It was the 14th time the event had been staged. Riders finish at Dunwich beach and then return to London by coach.

Nic, who was taking part in the ride, said the dead and injured men knew each other.

"It's was a real tragedy. The thrill of completing the route was gone as soon as we heard somebody had been killed. The celebratory mood of all participants dimmed completely after we heard the news. Everybody just felt gutted."

Meanwhile, Southwark Cyclists send their deepest condolences to the dead cyclist's wife, family and friends and unless the family feels otherwise, they'll dedicate next year's Dunwich Dynamo, on 28 July to that riders memory.

At last

Turner prize entry from yours truly

It's official. This masterpiece courtesy of moi has just been submitted for the Turner Prize. Do hold your breath as it's only a very short matter of time before I win the first prize.

Ranu's wedding pics

Here are the first five. Scroll down for more...

More pics of Ranu's wedding

RANU GETS HITCHED

Our very own Ranu and her prince Amjaid were married on Saturday.

It was a beautiful ceremony, with lots of fanfare and colour. On a lovely day weatherwise, the couple were beaming with happiness.

Names from back row left:

Jay, Tim, Baby Aman, Nic, Stephen, Emdad, Rashida

Front row from left:

Amjaid, Ranu and Lina

EMDAD'S CURRENT READ

The Ghost Of '66

Martin Peters

The long-awaited autobiography of one of England's glorious World Cup winners, published to coincide with the fortieth anniversary of England's triumph

Reviews

Martin Peters was a gifted attacking midfield player with an uncanny ability to turn up at the right time and the right place, as he showed when scoring England's second goal in the World Cup final. He was part of the legendary West Ham trio of Moore, Hurst and Peters and spent nearly a decade at the club before moving on to Spurs for a record fee of £200,000. After five years there, which saw him win the UEFA Cup, he moved to Norwich, and helped them to promotion to the First Division. At all three clubs, he is revered as one of their greatest stars.In his autobiography he recalls working with such great players as Bobby Charlton and Jimmy Greaves, and assesses the strengths of his managers, from Alf Ramsey to Ron Greenwood and Bill Nicholson. Renowned as being a decade ahead of his time as a player, he provides remarkable insight into that period. A true England legend, this is a story all fans of the game will want to read to understand more about England's golden era.

Published by Orion

WORK, WORK, WORK

I'm going back to regular work. Here's a snippet of my leaving speech.

It is with mixed emotions that I leave you - joy and excitement. Yes, after two very quick years I will be returning to regular work from September. I just wanted to quickly mention that it has been brilliant working here. This is the only place that I always arrived late to the office, but made up for it by leaving early.

I have always felt very valued and would like to thank all fellow colleagues for making my tenure here a momentous one.

The SLS are a credit to Tower Hamlets.

God bless!

"To know the road ahead, ask those coming back."
- Chinese proverb