Saturn Probe

Science News Article | Reuters.com:

I can't wait to see pictures of Saturn! The Cassini(the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn) launch back in 1997 was filled with controversy. Cassini had to be launched with the use of plutonium to give it the extra speed boost to reach Saturn faster. It's just amazing, a project launched almost 7 years ago can now be realized and appreciated by the whole world with the arrival of the first images on July 1, 2004 (Thursday)! Titan is one of the 31 moons hovering around Saturn which has a dense nitrogen-methane atmosphere and evidence of complex carbon chemistry, perhaps resembling conditions on early Earth. Titan is believed to have vast amount of water bodies/oceans.

Update:
Pictures can be found here:
Saturn images from the Jet Propulsion Lab in California

Italian dinner

My dinner. Zizzi pizza.. deeelicious. Take away price is 5 pounds. Prior to ordering this pizza, I went to another italian restaurant (Cafe Uno), also on George Street.. I ordered clam pasta, but the portion was kinda petite so I had to buy this pizza from this restaurant (Zizi).

Back to work!

My current reading list. I have to go back and start reading now. I've already consumed much of my nocturnal study time (last nite) setting this photo blog up. I'm glad it's easy to use and update. If anyone of you is interested in setting up a photo blog on your own, you need to signup for an account from 2 different sites which will work together (trust me):

1. Blogger.com-website that will hold your blogs/diary
2. Hello.com- download this software from the website. after installing the software, it will assist in uploading all your digital photos directly to blogger.com. it works like windows explorer and it's easy to use.

the whole setting up (of your photo blog) process will probably take half an hour, also depends on your download time.

clifford

The College library - view from my room on a gloomy day.

The courtyard in my accomodation(Bear Lane). You can see my room windows (two) on the left most part of the photo

My accomodation courtyard during daytime

Met with my Buckingham boss at Oxford

After a long hiatus, I finally met my former boss (Joan Holah). I got a chance to setup a dinner meetup at my College (Lincoln). We were supposed to go and eat at the Hall, but unfortunately, all College members and guests were moved to a smaller dining room. The Hall was occupied by a group of conference members from the US. Tried to negotiate our way into sitting inside the Hall, but it didn't materialize after almost 10 minutes of haggling.

The Dinner
It was pretty good.. a 3 course silver-served meal: the soup was a bit spicy (peppery), the main course was superb, so as the rhubarb crumble for dessert. Joan (my boss) and I walked around the College area, passing Christ Church College and Merton. It was nice meeting her again and we had a chance to catch up on the latest news about our common friends and colleagues. I was pretty surprised that most of my colleagues at the IT Office are leaving or have left. Apparently, there's been a change of management in the University and it's been happening on the highest level (Executive). The Vice-Chancellor (Terence Kealey) of the Univ of Buckingham wanted to put in more academic people in it's Executive level.

So much about Buckingham, I had a good time talking with Joan and I was invited to her farm in Northampton sometime this summer to meet her husband, a few dogs, 2 horses and goats.

I uploaded so much pictures that I took the last few weeks here in Oxford.. The weather's been pretty good the last few weeks.. it's been sunny but not extremely hot unlike last year during the same time!

Gnite!

Directional signs on High Street

Gates upon entering one of the libraries in Broad Street.

Jan in Oxford during a visit from Germany on the 20th of June 2004 (Sunday) .

One of the hundreds of libraries in Broad Street, Oxford.

(From left to right) Me, Jan, Sascha, Ayako on High Street after some drinks in Oxford.

The college on the left and the library (tower) in front.

Lincoln College-University of Oxford.

Another shot of the courtyard showing the other side of the accomodation rooms. The courtyard is right across my room. 

Close up shot of my room windows and the entrance to the accomodation taken at around 9pm at night. 

High Street, Oxford. One minute from my Lincoln College accomodation. 

my first blog

it's 1:46 am, and i just completed setting up my blogger account. my main objective is to be able to post pictures that i've taken and i'll be taking in the future so that my friends and family will be able to view the images as soon as i post them.