1 Billion Miles From Home (Home Being A Small Blue Planet)

Avoiding all the wiltingly-unpleasant headlines that have been scouring my eyes today, I have to add this photo:



That arrow indicates Earth, long-known to science fiction fans as Terra.  Earth, in a photograph taken from a robot probe now out at the orbit of Saturn - the "One billion miles" of this post's title.  I believe one of the Apollo astronauts observed that Earth has no political boundaries when seen from space - in a near-Earth orbit of a few hundred miles, not from a billion.

We may not get to the stars, given our human frailties, but I'm willing to bet that our robotic servants will.  If travel broadens the mind, what will the perspective of gazing on the worlds of Alpha Centauri bring? 

Jonnie Peacock
     A name to conjure with!  Despite not being interested in sport, not interested at all, I did like the Beeb's mention of his 100 metre performance in the IPC Athletics (forgive me if I don't get abbreviations correct - not interested in sport, remember?).  The prosthetic limbs these sportsmen use look like car-suspension parts to me, but Mr Peacock managed 100 metres in 10.99 seconds, which is <ahem> considerably faster than an old fat get like me could manage, with two legs.  With two legs and a bicycle, probably. 
     I do wish there was a better word than "Disabled" and not some ghastly PC term like "Challenged" for sportspeople like this.  They're inspirational*.  I shall retire and ponder.

Mock these people and they will kick you to death at 150 mph

Pink Floyd and the Daleks
     The ranks of the Floyd are thinning-out.  Sid and Rick have both gone.  Roger, Dave and Nick are getting on a bit.  In fact Roger reminds me of Richard Gere.
     Anyway, I only recently realised that the electronic middle of "One of These Days" - one of my favourite Floyd/instrumental tracks ever in the history of the world - is actually a  thinly-disguised version of the "Doctor Who" theme as done in the old days by Ron (Gov'ner) Grainger. 
     Oh - and during one of the tracks on "Atom Heart Mother" you hear a processed voice-over declaring "SILENCE IN THE STUDIO!" with all the charm and warmth of a Dalek.
     There.  I've worked one of my favourite bands into one of my favourite television shows.  Result!


Gerry Anderson saw this and thought "Spectrum!  An international PC paramilitary group!"

* Except for the wheelchair basketball players.  They can be classed as "homicidal".