The IRIS IT Project

LogicaCMG have recently issued a press release about the IT Project they are delivering for the MOD and for which I am the Business Manager
http://www.logicacmg.com/r/350233078/page/400007840

UFO December 1980 in Rendlesham Forest

UFO December 1980 in Rendlesham Forest

The recent report in the Daily Mail on UFOs brought back to me a rather interesting request I once received.

"At the time I was employed as a radiation protection expert by the MOD. In one of the stranger phone enquires I had to deal with, I was asked to comment on the radiation readings. Which to the best of my recollection, I said were somewhat above background, but could not confirm whether or not they were indicative of a UFO because I had no idea of what radiation signature of a UFO was."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=465276&in_page_id=1770

"The best-known UK incident occurred in December 1980 in Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk. In the early hours of December 26, personnel at RAF Bentwaters (a base leased to the USAF) reported strange lights in the forest. Thinking an aircraft had crashed, they went to investigate.

What they found, witnesses say, was a UFO. They took photographs (which they were later told hadn't come out) of the brightly illuminated craft and one of the men got close enough to touch the object, which then took off and flew away. The stunned men briefed their bosses, including the deputy base commander, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Halt.

Halt ordered the men to make official witness statements, including sketches of the craft. The following night Halt was at a social function when a flustered airman burst in, saluted and said: "Sir, it's back."

Halt looked confused and said: "What's back?" "The UFO, Sir. The UFO is back," the airman replied.

Halt and a small team went to investigate. His intention, he later reported, was to 'debunk this nonsense'. As they went into the forest, their radios began to malfunction and powerful mobile searchlights cut out. Suddenly, Halt and his team saw the UFO and attempted to get closer. At one point it was directly overhead, shining a bright beam of light down on them.

After these events, Halt ordered an examination of the area where the UFO had been seen on the first night. Three indentations were found in the ground where the craft had landed. A Geiger counter was used and radiation readings were taken, which peaked in the three holes. Halt reported it to the MoD and an investigation began.

This was inconclusive, but Defence Intelligence Staff assessed the radiation readings taken at the landing site were 'significantly higher than the average background'. The MoD's case file on the incident has only recently been released under the Freedom of Information Act.

see also http://www.nickpope.net/

Nick Pope also makes reference to advice recived from DRPS on the significance of the radiation measurements

http://www.nickpope.net/rendlesham_forest_incident.htm

O for a better day

A steady climb
Originally uploaded by Fred Dawson.

Taken by London Bridge on a dull windy and wet sunday, O for the return of warmer weather

Breathing polluted city air may be worse for you than fallout from an atom bomb

Breathing polluted city air may be worse for you than fallout from an atom bomb

The Times reports that Breathing polluted city air may be worse for you than fallout from an
atom bomb"

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article1605122.ece

Everyday hazards such as inhaling polluted city air or other people's cigarette smoke are potentially worse for your health than being exposed to the radioactive fallout of an atomic bomb, according to new research."

It appears from this article that either air pollution in cities is farmore harmful than previously thought or that ionising radiation is farless harmful than many people would have us believe. I tend to the latter, that ionising radiation is less harmful and is best described as a rather weak carcinogen.

Green Fly mass attack

Green Fly mass attack
Originally uploaded by Fred Dawson.

Its time to wage war on the insect population in my garden, before the destroy my plants

Polonium 210 Ground Zero

Polonium 210 Ground Zero "The Millennium Hotel London"

I had no fears about attending the recent Safegrounds conference on radioactively contaminated land, despite warnings from the low level radiation campaign

The bar is now open and well attended; however the gents toilet continues to be blocked off presumably to allow for the decay of the remaining Polonium. So the ladies toilet has been adapted to cater for both men and women

My confidence was based on advice provided by the Health Protection Agency, who use the more widely accepted risk models rather than some of the more extreme and radical models.
The move radical models tend to be based on research that in many cases has not had the benefit of scientific peer review.

Kite Boarding in Richmond Park

Kite Boarding in Richmond Park
Originally uploaded by Fred Dawson.

Spring is here and people are up and away. This was shot in Richmond Park this morning. I am thinking I will have to buy Joshua a kite, so I can have a go at this !!!!