Here’s to Richard Branson and the launch of his latest rocket launch today which, if successful, is another step towards tourism flights into space. However there is a fly in the ointment. Apparently the earth’s magnetic field is weakening between Africa and South America causing issues for satellites and space craft. Scientists studying the phenomenon observed that an area known as the South Atlantic Anomaly has grown considerably in recent years and the reason is not entirely clear. Be afraid, be very afraid!
Using data gathered by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Swarm constellation of satellites, reported that the area of the anomaly dropped in strength by more than 8 per cent between 1970 and 2020.’
The Space Agency have used satellites to chart this worrying development which apparently is a sign that the earth’s magnetic field is about to reverse and chances are the north pole and the south pole will switch places.
The mind boggles.
They report that the repercussions of such an event could be significant, as the Earth’s magnetic field plays an important role in protecting the planet from solar winds and harmful cosmic radiation.
Telecommunication and satellite systems also rely on it to operate, suggesting that computers and mobile phones could experience difficulties.
Apparently the South Atlantic Anomaly as it’s called is already causing issues with satellites and spacecraft flying in the area and they could experience technical malfunctions.
Now the good news. The process could take ‘tens of thousands of years’ to take place. Typically, such events take place every 250,000 years.
DO AS I SAY DON’T DO AS I DO
DO AS I SAY DON’T DO AS I DO
What do you think of the Cummings Comotion? What a creepy man who will no doubt get a cautionary slap on the wrist and then get on with running the country. Certainly the public by and large want the chop for him and his contemptuous attitude knowing that they have followed the spirit of lock down yet high profile people think they are ok to break those rules as long as no one discovers. The whole story is giving Steven Nolan greet glee on 5Live, two nights going on and on about the journey to his parents with his wife and son. Tonight it will be the same leading story – repetition gets a bit boring.
FRONT ROW SEAT
Tomorrow night will see – or hear – a little bit of broadcasting history. On You Tube at 8 o’clock a programme ‘At Home For Heroes’ will be broadcast. It the brain child of BBC senior producer of the classical music department and presenter of Radio Ulster’s Sounds Sacred programme.
He decided to say ‘thank you’ to NHS staff and all front line workers through music which is for them, if possible, to relax to for an hour and enjoy.
In a personal capacity Richard Yarr has gathered a top draw group of our most celebrated musicians to take part but the amazing thing is they have each recorded their contribution on their mobile phone! Pianist Dearbhla Brosnan recorded her accompaniment sent it to Switzerland where Sir James Galway and his wife superimposed their parts from their music room in Switzerland. A similar procedure for other artists including Barry Douglas and The Three Priests – each using their individual phones to build up their offering. A unique programme not to be missed.
MORE ARTISTIC DELIGHTS
FaceBook is blooming these days. There are so many interesting people doing interesting things. Under the banner Covid19poetry journalist and broadcaster Eamonn Mallie is reading poetry every morning and takes the trouble of looking to the manor born with his tasteful shirts and scarves and of course his choice in poetry which has introduced me to a whole new array of poets, himself included. And his own story of ‘Dressing Pigs’ on the farm in Co. Armagh was a vivid look into his growing up. Then along comes author Tony Macaulay reading chapters from his books, most recently Breadboy, the story of a young teenager, delivering bread from the Ormo bakery to homes on the Shankill Road in Belfast.
If it’s music you want singer songwriter and Eurovision winner Charlie McGettigan is prolific with his well known songs plus some more recent like ‘We are going to have such fun after all this is over’! And journalist Letitia Fitzpatrick offers a charming interlude when she sings some of her favourite songs accompanying herself on guitar.
HOME TUITION
So the arts are well covered and you’ll find much more to enjoy if you look hard enough, all we need now is a little bit of watercolour painting to challenge our hours of lockdown.
Awash With Colour
And here it comes in the form of Dermot Cavanagh, the artist who is well remembered for his television series ‘Awash with Colour’ when he took personalities who had no experience and little interest in painting and turned them into credible artists. He has plenty of stories to tell like the day he invited Jimmy Cricket to be his pupil. ‘He was hilarious, it took ages to film him because he was so funny. I went over the questions I’d ask this man who had never painted before. So when I put the first question: ‘Have you ever painted before Jimmy?’ to my horror he replied yes! Then he elaborated,‘My first job in England was to paint the white line up the centre of the road. I did 50 feet the first day, 30 the second and then 10 the third. The foreman said to me I’m sorry Jimmy, I have to let you go, you’re getting less work done each day. I told him, of course it takes longer because I get further away from the bucket of paint everyday.‘
Dermot is a born teacher who loves inspiring, there’s an artist in everyone he says and he can certainly bring that artist out and onto paper. I know as I’ve been to his weekends in Donegal and I was proud of the work I brought home – not me boasting rather the skill of my teacher.
Dermot has written books on how to paint, he’s demonstrated on television, he runs classes at his home in The Moy, Co. Tyrone all year round and his painting trips to Croatia always have a waiting list with people from all over the UK wanting to combine watercolour with wide open spaces and sunshine.
Easy When You Know How
Now that these are on hold, Dermot has taken to live classes on YouTube.
Although he demonstrates ‘live’, the beauty is you can watch over and over again and so perfect your technique. It always fascinates me how Dermot uses only 12 colours and part of the tutorial is focused on mixing colours to get hundreds of shades both dark and light. He also devotes time to sketching and then techniques, like rocks for instance and here a credit or debit card comes in handy! You’ve got to see this to believe the effect. It’s incredibly easy to follow the lessons because this man is a born teacher with a lovely manner and a belief that you will succeed. He has the ‘gift of the gab’ and for two hours he chats away explaining and demonstrating so you are drawn in to having a go yourself. And if you like, once you’ve finished your painting you can send it to Dermot who will access it and give more guidance for a perfect finish. To make sure of the professional standard, Dermot has turned one of his ‘class rooms’ into a television studio.
“I was gardening one day and thinking how to carry on throughout the Covid 19 pandemic until I get my tours up and running again and it seemed obvious to turn to an on-line classroom where social distancing isn’t a problem. I bought three broadcast cameras, set up an edit suite with professional lighting rigs and I’m delighted with the quality of the pictures and the fact that students can access the tutorials anywhere in the world.”
Once you sign in, Dermot will send a list of materials he recommends and you’re set to go. The live classes are two hours in duration and then you can download and work away in your own time to add here and there. If you watch it live you can ask questions and have them answered during the sessions. These are very personal lessons, just you and Dermot and don’t worry these tutorials are for painters of all ages and levels of ability.
There will be a new class every Wednesday evening from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m on You Tube and each class costs £14.99 payable via PayPal or by card. Get a taste of what you can achieve by watching Dermot’s promo; https://youtu.be/dNdA3zSlx4g and you can get more details about the classes and payment by contacting him at: Email: info@dermotcavanagh.com
NOT EVEN A STRANGER, WHY NOT SOMEONE YOU JUST DON’T WANT TO TALK TO! I HOPE THIS WEEK WILL BRING MORE POSITIVE NEWS TO ALL THOSE BATTLING THIS AWFUL VIRUS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND COMFORT TO THOSE WHO ARE GRIEVING.