A Visit to the Autism Research Centre

INTRODUCTION

I have a good haul of photographs from today, and some interesting links to share with you, as well as the main story…

ELECTRODES AND FLICKERING IMAGES

Being signed up to the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge’s email alerts I get a lot of details of studies into Autistic Spectrum Conditions for which they need volunteers and being passionate about reducing the ignorance about Autistic Spectrum Conditions that continues to bedevil our world I nearly always agree to take part.

This particular project was to do with responses to visual stimulation and required me to visit Cambridge. My appointment had been arranged for 11AM today, carefully avoiding any clash with work commitments…

GETTING THERE

The train journey from King’s Lynn to Cambridge takes almost exactly an hour, which given that they leave King’s Lynn just before the hour strikes meant that I had to be on the 8:57AM. Arriving at the station in King’s Lynn in very good time, and purchasing my ticket without undue difficulty I was able to take some photos at the recently restored station…

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This blackbird clearly isn't conversant with passenger safety advice! — This blackbird clearly isn’t conversant with passenger safety advice!

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This map is inside the train doors - I took the pic en route to finding a seat. — This map is inside the train doors – I took the pic en route to finding a seat.

The train journey was uneventful and (mirabile dictu) ran exactly according to schedule. Although it is far from straightforward to get good photos through a train window one or two of my attempts are worth sharing…

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At Cambridge, witnessing a service run by Abellio arriving (almost certainly late given their reputation)

The operating company that runs service between London and King's Lynn - no connection to the Great Northern Railway of old which ran services out of London Euston. — The operating company that runs service between London and King’s Lynn – no connection to the Great Northern Railway of old which ran services out of London Euston.

From the station, it was a walk through past the bus stops and on to Brooklands Avenue, which goes straight through to Trumpington Road, picking up some more photos en route…

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Cambridge and its environs are served by an excellent local bus system.

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AT THE AUTISM RESEARCH CENTRE

Having dallied sufficiently that I would not be crazily early I rang on the doorbell of Douglas House 15 minutes in advance of my appointment time, signed in as requested and waited. It turned out the researcher who should have been conducting the experiments was not around that day, so someone else took charge of me. The preliminaries (paperwork) attended to, it was time to set me up for the tests. This involved me donning an electrode cap (effectively a swimming hat with points for attaching electrodes), each electrode point being filled with a conducting gel before the electrodes could be attached, and then the electrodes being attached. A second set of electrodes were attached around the eyes . The purpose of this get up was to monitor electrical activity in my brain while I responded to various visual stimuli.

Everything, be it lines or proper pictures, was flickering so that I only got fleeting glimpses. There was one set of exercises that involved proper pictures, one that involved viewing arrows and then clicking a button as soon as white box appeared on the screen, and several involving flickering lines.

At the end I was quite relieved when the wires were all detached and I was able to wash the gel (which is water soluble) out of my hair and take my leave.

Although the gel feels cold when it first makes contact with you, and when all the electrodes are fitted to it the cap weighs quite a bit I feel that this set of experiments are no great imposition. If you are 18 or over, have an Autistic Spectrum Condition, feel that you could undergo this and are able to get to Cambridge you could send an email to: Sarah Kaarina Crockford” <skc48@medschl.cam.ac.uk>

GETTING BACK

A combination of the fact that I finished at the Autism Research Centre at 12:15 and that I wasted no time getting back to the station meant that I was able to catch the 12:35 train back to King’s Lynn, and was sat down to a late lunch at 2PM. A last couple of photos…

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LINKS

Just a handful of links for you this time. Firstly, Jayne Linney on the possibility of a National Disability Union. Next Cosmos Up, a reliable source of good stuff on “exiled stars”. My final two links both concern the Great Barrier Reef (surely would feature prominently on anyone’s list of seven natural wonders of the world), one a petition that I urge you to sign and share and one page giving some extra information.

SHARING

i hope that you all enjoyed this post and that you will share it widely. Many thanks.

Summer Arrives

INTRODUCTION

As well as my title piece I have a variety of links, some infographics and some photos of my own to share…

SUMMER ARRIVES

We are enjoying the best weather of the year so far – yesterday was an authentic shorts and t-shirt day and today looks like following suit. On Saturday, which was prevented from rivalling yesterday only by persistent strong winds, Leicestershire played a one-day match (50 overs per side) against New Zealand. When New Zealand were 153-5 it looked like being a decent contest, but then Grant Elliott and Luke Ronchi smashed extremely rapid centuries to boost to the total to a daunting 374-5. Leicestershire were never in the hunt, and in the end only just got the margin of defeat down below 200 runs.

Yesterday, Leicestershire were straight back in action, against Surrey in the county championship, and although the turn around was not so dramatic, they again let a good start get away from them, as Tom Curran swiped 60 from number 9 in the order for Surrey. Leciestershire regained some of the ground they had surrendered when, Surrey having finally been dismissed, their openers then saw things through to the close without mishap.

INFOGRAPHICS

The first infographic (of a total of four) that I choose to share is this one on domestic violence:

Infographics two and three both concern the case of Stephanie Bottrill, just one of the idiotic delusional sociopath’s (IDS for short) many victims…

To end this little section a bit of humour concerning the Republicans…

PHOTOGRAPHS AND CLOSING STATEMENT

Just before ending this post with some pictures, I thank everyone who has read this post, hope you have all enjoyed it and that you will be encouraged to share it. The first two pictures relate to a Cosmos Up story concerning the possibility of microbial life on Mars, while the rest are mine, all taken yesterday…

Great Centenary Charity Auction Approaches

INTRODUCTION

As well as my title piece, I have a few links to share. I also have some good pictures, so it will not all be text.

UPDATE ON THE GREAT CENTENARY CHARITY AUCTION

The Great Centenary Charity Auction takes place on June 28th, and after two hard days at the silo in Syderstone where stcok for this auction is currently being stored and an intense day of editing at my desk on Fakenham (today), virtually all the images are ready. Given the situation we were in not very long ago (the Irishman in the joke about directions would definitely have been saying that he wouldn’t start from there – and he would have been 100% justified!) this is little short of miraculous.

The VC in the pictures below has a particularly interesting history – it was stripped from the person to whom it had been awarded when he was convicted of several serious criminal offences…

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As a very keen bridge player, this twin pack of cards naturally appealed…

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My last set of pictures is of lot 537…

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LINKS

Just a few links for you this time. Firstly, from the Visit Norfolk website, a very interesting piece about our region’s 1,000,000 year history of human habitation.

Cosmos Up, regulars in this links section have two interesting offerings today:

1) Blue patches on Mars

2) An esimate of the total weight of our galaxy!

CLOSING STATEMENT

I hope that you have enjoyed today’s offering from aspiblog, and that you will be encouraged to share it with others.

More Work for the Great Centenary Charity Auction

INTRODUCTION

As well as my title piece I have some links and pictures (the latter connected with the title piece). Enjoy…

WORKING FOR THE GREAT CENTENARY CHARITY AUCTION

Todat I have been working on some stuff for the Great Centenary Charity Auctioin, the first running of which takes place on June 28th (another auction is planned for March). Most of today’s work was imaging small items, but there was also a poster to create, based on the fact that the Eastern Daily Press gave us almost a whole page in their Monday issue. There was an advert that we did not wish to display in our poster, so I occuipied that space with a picture of Lot 1 and some accompanying text…

Given the size of the newspaper in question this required two scans and then some clever editing to combine them. By the way the chap in red jacket next to the auctioneer is yours truly.

There were some very interesting items to image, including a decorative piece featuring a picture of the Obelisk of Hammurabi (King of Babylon circa 1,700 BCE, creator of a famous code of laws)…

Lot 556 (the 'Hammurabi' piece) in full — Lot 556 (the ‘Hammurabi’ piece) in full

An ultra-close up of the insription. — An ultra-close up of the inscription.

LINKS

Just a few links to share this time. The first of them is from Cosmos Up and concerns proof a link between black holes and galactic mergers.

My remaining links are both connected the same story, somneone who got a work experience placement at Job Centre and has produced a damning expose of the behaviour anbd attitudes of staff there:

1)Undercover at the jobcentre

2)The equivalent post on northstar.boards.net

A FEW CLOSING WORDS

I hope that you have all enjoyed this post and that you will be encouraged to share some or all of it.

A Wet Sunday

INTRODUCTION

This is a blog post of my most frequent type – a title piece, some infographics from various sources, some links and some photographs. Enjoy…

A WET SUNDAY

Although the weather was far from appealing yesterday I did manage to get a decent length walk in en route to my aunt’s house for a birthday meal, and as you will see late there were some good pics to be taken.

The meal was superb, and there was some decent television afterwards.

I got home just in time to catch the final stages of the day’s play in the test match. England are going to need to bat very well to win (and with two days to go a draw is almost out of the question.

INFOGRAPHICS

My first infographic is an important ‘mythbuster’…

Mythbuster

The next infographic concerns the requirements that the Tories plan to impose on strike ballots. Bbefore showing it I will say this: I do not think that those who choose not to express an opinion deserve to be taken into account, which is why when talking about the vote gained by the Conservatives at the last election I always refer to the 36.9% of the votes cast that they receive and not the 24% of the electorate that voted for them. Now for the infographic…

Strike rules

My last two infographics are both aimed directly at Mr Cameron…

HSBC Fraud Scameron

LINKS

COSMOSOLOGY

Cosmos Up are a very reliable source of interesting material, and today the provide the first two links that I choose to share:

1)A piece about the discovery of a ‘twin Kuiper belt’ orbiting a nearby star.

2)A space probe approaches the dwarf planet Ceres.

ASPIRATION

Aspiration has been something a buzzword among contenders for the Labour leadership. This piece from Tax Research UK is a splendid rebuttal to this current obsession among those at the top of the Labour Party.

A SUCCESSFUL PETITION

It is no secret that I sign and share a very large number of petitions. This, courtesy of change.org, is a story of a petition that has achieved the desired result, and I am delighted to share the celebration of this success.

PHOTOGRAPHS

I hope that you have all enjoyed this piece, and that you will share it. Here to round it off are some photographs…

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This bird is so small that was very difficult to capture it at all.

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Not a bad pic of something that is a quarter of a million miles away!

The Weekend Approaches

INTRODUCTION

As well as my main piece, I have some very interesting and important links to share, several infographics and of course lots og high quality pictures.

THE WEEKEND APPROACHES

The weekend is upon us. I am particularly looking forward to being able to actually listen to some of the test match, having not been able to do so either yesterday or today. England’s policy of stacking their team with batting paid off at first as they were able to recover from a disastrous beginning (30-4) to reach a respectanle 389, significant contributions coming from Stokes, Root, Buttler and Moeen Ali. The downside of the selection policy, a lack of serious bowling options (for all his position at no 8, and hence officially being selected as a front-line spinner I do not rate Ali a serious bowler) is being cruelly exposed by the Kiwis, who are currently 235-2.

INFOGRAPHICS

I have three infographics to share with you today, two on the Human Rights Act and one on poverty…

HRA Rights

Poverty

LINKS

First up, an article published on Huffington Post by Kevin Healey.

Next we have a petition from change.org calling for the manufacture of disability toys.

An important link for those with an interest in mental health.

A very important and challenging piece about GPs, in the form of an open letter, courtesy of julijuxtaposed.

A wondeful post about a beautiful corner of Cornwall complete with stunning pictures, from smallbluegreenwords.

My final offering in this section is a piece from Cosmos Up about life on exomoons.

PHOTOS

To finish along with my hopes that you will share some or all of this post are some photos…

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The next five photos feature a display board at Fakenham Library.

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Three pictures of decorative plates in the window of a charity shop.

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My final set of images is the full gallery of lot 705 in our June sale

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Great Centenary Charity Auction

INTRODUCTION

As well as the title section I have some important links to share with you.

THE GREAT CENTENARY CHARITY AUCTION

The Great Centenary Charity Auction will be happening at Fakenham Racecourse on June 28th, with the first lot going under the hammer at noon. It looks like there will be something in the region of 700 lots in total at this auction, and another auction is intended for March next year. Official posts will be appearing on the greatcharity website, while the twitter and facebook pages also merit attention. I have been attending to the imaging of stuff for this auction and I have some splendid pictures to whet your appetite…

This lovely uniform (first three images) is lot 225

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It has been exhausting work doing all this imaging, but I am confident that the end result will be worth it.

LINKS

My last post, about the Hanse Festival was reblogged by mapsworldwide and here by way of reciprocation is a link to their own post about the same festival.

A mother and her children are facing homelessness because she understandably refuses to live in the same area as her violently abusive ex-partner and Barnet council indefensibly refuse to make her another offer. Read the full story courtesy of Sweets Way Resists and please take action.

A potentially good news story concerning Hale Library courtesy of Altrincham Today.

Finally, to end this post, a couple of curios from Cosmos Up:

1)A story about a new type of galaxy that should not exist.

2)The latest on antimatter.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and will share it.

Spring is Here

Before I get to the main meat of this post I have some links to share.

LINKS

First of all, here is a very interesting and important blog post from Paddy-Joe Moran. Next, courtesy of 38 degrees comes a short video. Cosmos Up produces a variety of interesting stories about a wide range of subjects, and the one I have chosen to share concerns oceans elsewhere than on our own planet. There are actually two outcomes that will be decided by a votes counted up on May 7th, the second being the vote for Britain’s national bird (my choice is pictured below)

My next story comes from the Independent and concerns tougher penalties for dog walkers who do not scoop when the animal poops – excellent so long as the get enforced – see if you agree by reading the article. This section ends with a splendid graphic, which is shown here, but as it is not my own I have also included a link to the original.

SPRING

Today, for the first time in 2015, I am making use of the ‘outside study area’ of my flat…

A close up of the picture on my outside table - still in good condition after a winter outside. — A close up of the picture on my outside table – still in good condition after a winter outside.

The cricket season is under way, although England are in the West Indies for a series starting later this afternoon. A certain K P Pietersen started his season for Surrey by hammering 170 at The Parks yesterday. I suspect that it will take several more innings of similar magnitude before the England selectors display any inclination to take the slightest bit of notice of him.

The comparison between yesterday and today is shown up well by these pictures taken along the same stretch of the Great Ouse…

The next four pictures you will see were taken yesterday.

The next three pictures were taken today.

I have some more splendid pics to share with you to finish this post…

The survey boat the features in the next three pictures was around yesterday.

If you enjoyed this blog post please share it.

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