Vicci Thompson

Top 10 Photos

Vicci Thompson — Sat, 23 May 2009 08:35:00 -0700

Astronomers Select Top Ten Most Amazing Pictures Taken by Hubble Space Telescope in Last 16 Years

After correcting an initial problem with the lens, when the Hubble Space Telescope was first launched in 1990, the floating astro-observatory began to relay back to Earth, incredible snapshots of the 'final frontier'.

Recently, astronauts voted on the top photographs taken by Hubble, in its 16-year journey so far.

The Sombrero Galaxy - 28 million light years from Earth - was voted best picture taken by the Hubble telescope. The dimensions of the galaxy, officially called M104, are as spectacular as its appearance. It has 800 billion suns and is 50,000 light years across.

The Ant Nebula, a cloud of dust and gas whose technical name is Mz3, resembles an ant when observed using ground-based telescopes. The nebula lies within our galaxy between 3,000 and 6,000 light years from Earth.

In third place is Nebula NGC 2392, called Eskimo because it looks like a face surrounded by a furry hood. The hood is, in fact, a ring of comet shaped objects flying away from a dying star. Eskimo is 5,000 light years from Earth.

At four is the Cat's Eye Nebula

The Hourglass Nebula, 8,000 light years away, has a pinched-in-the-middle
look because the winds that shape it are weaker at the center.

In sixth place is the Cone Nebula. The part pictured here is 2.5 light years in length (the equivalent of 23 million return trips to the Moon).

The Perfect Storm, a small region in the Swan Nebula, 5,500 light years away, described as 'a bubbly ocean of ½ hydrogen and small amounts of oxygen, sulphur and other elements'.

Starry Night, so named because it reminded astronomers of the Van Gogh painting. It is a halo of light around a star in the Milky Way.

The glowering eyes from 114 million light years away are the swirling cores of two merging galaxies called NGC 2207 and IC 2163 in the distant Canis Major constellation.

The Trifid Nebula. A 'stellar nursery', 9,000 light years from here, it is where new stars are being born.

Somali Hostage for 57 Days

Vicci Thompson — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 21:59:00 -0700

Do you wonder what it was like to be a hostage on the Sirius Star? I certainly did... Read the following account from Chief Engineer Peter French.

I thought I was going to be executed, says Briton taken hostage by Somali pirates on oil supertanker.

A Briton taken hostage on an oil supertanker relived his 57-day ordeal at the hands of Somali pirates last night - and spoke of the moment he feared he would be executed.

Chief engineer Peter French, 45, and the 25-man crew of the Sirius Star - the largest ship ever to be hijacked - were rounded up by gunmen who had already warned them: 'If they try to rescue you we will shoot you all.'

He recalls: 'They saw flashing lights in the distance and thought it was special forces coming to storm the ship.

'They were running around shouting and screaming and waving AK47 rifles around. What they saw was from a lighthouse - but it took the captain ages to convince them. We were frightened.'

Crew member Peter French was convinced the heavily armed pirates were going to kill him

Speaking exclusively to The Mail on Sunday, Peter, now home with his wife Hazel, 42, in County Durham, recalled that his 18-year-old daughter Amy sent him a text the night before the ship was hijacked saying: 'Watch out for pirates, Dad!'

He said: 'I responded, saying that we were in safe waters, which I thought was the case. Unbeknown to me we were probably being watched at that very moment.'

The ship was stormed by eight pirates on November 15 last year. Peter and James Grady, the Second Officer, were the only British crew members. The 1,080ft Saudi vessel, worth £100million, was on its way to the Caribbean with two million barrels of oil bound for the United States.

They were only released after bosses at Peter's Saudi company, Aramco, paid a £2million ransom, which was dropped into the sea by an aircraft. The ship was 450 miles south east of Kenya when the pirates struck.

Peter recalls the day began as normal with a briefing for the five senior officers, led by a Polish captain, Marek Niski. Everyone remarked on the 'exceptionally beautiful day, no wind and the sea like a millpond'.

Suddenly they were interrupted by a phone call from the Third Mate, who said: 'Captain, there appears to be something following us.' Two small dinghies were visible in the distance, closing fast. At first the crew were not sure if they were fishermen, but it became quickly apparent that they were being shadowed.

'It was obvious we were being menaced by pirates and I went down to the engine room to increase speed while Marek ordered the Filipino crew to man the fire hoses. Jets of water were our only defence.

'Very quickly a speedboat came alongside and the pirates flung a long ladder with a hook over the guard rail. The lower deck was around 12ft off sea level. They shimmied up the ladder and on to the deck, they were armed with AK47s and rocketpropelled grenades.

'Marek had already stood down the crew members with the fire hoses. After all what can a water hose do against a rifle?'

'I was in the engine room and gathered the boys together. We shut all the doors.'

'I was still in contact with the captain who told me, "Peter, we have armed men on deck". Everyone kept calm but we were obviously nervous. At sea s*** happens quite a lot and we deal with it - but never quite like this.'

While Peter was below deck one of the pirates made for the locked bridge and fired a single shot in the air, motioning to the captain to open the door.

He was ordered to stop the ship. 'But Marek kept his cool and told them he couldn't stop the engines immediately, for fear of damage, they would have to slow down gradually. He was slowing down the pirates with his own agenda. He was doing everything they asked but in his own time.

'They looked a motley crew, some wearing trousers and cheap shirts and sandals while others were barefoot in sarongs.'

'This wasn't exactly Pirates Of The Caribbean. Most of the time they were high from chewing drugs. This made them docile, which we liked. It was when they ran out that they got excitable.
'They immediately demanded, of all things, safety shoes --because they were worried about their feet on the deck - and they also asked for cigarettes. We gave them Marlboros.'
The crew were ordered to lift the pirates' two boats and fuel barge on to the deck by crane.'

Marek had been ordered to turn around and head to Somalia.

'I changed the maximum speed on the ship's telegraph so it looked like we were going full speed ahead, but really we were going much slower. We wanted to arrive in Somalia in daylight.'

Along with guns and grenades the pirates took goats on board when they hijacked the ship and demanded a ransom

At one stage on the first day the captain was led at gunpoint to his office and ordered to open the safe, which contained £4,000 cash. Later the pirates searched each cabin in turn, surprising the crew with their politeness.

'They said, "Good morning - can we look around" and opened and closed drawers carefully, taking what they wanted. We had already stashed our valuables in the engine room in tool boxes but we left a bit of money and odd things. We decided to let them have something. The whole thing was surreal.' Back home, Hazel had been told by her husband's company that he had been taken hostage.

She recalls: 'I was dumbstruck, it was a heck of a shock and I burst into tears.'

Eight hours later Peter managed to ring her briefly from the ship's phone. 'I knew it was the ship to shore because of the familiar delay. I burst into tears and heard Peter saying, "I'm OK, I'm OK. I love you". I told him don't do anything daft, make sure the boys are OK and take care.'

They would only speak again twice before he was released.

'It got a lot more tense and we didn't get the chance. Our mobiles weren't working. By now we were six miles off the coast of Somalia,' said Peter.

Once anchored, tensions eased marginally and negotiations between the pirates and the shipping company began in earnest.

The crew settled into a daily routine, carrying on as normal in 'true stiff upper lip fashion'.

'We kept our distance from the pirates who would patrol the boat posturing with their guns. Sometimes they would hold handguns to the heads of some of the crew, mainly Filipinos. I had little to do with them, although one of them came to my cabin one day and repeated that if there was a rescue attempt they would blow up the ship and kill us.

'They were twitchiest at night, when they feared a rescue attempt. Some would sleep on the deck while others roamed around. The worst night was when they were spooked by the lighthouse.
Some new gunmen had come aboard and there were now about 25 of them. It was 9.30pm and I was in my cabin but I could hear the noise of men running around and shouting.

We were rounded up at one end of the bridge and told to sit down. They decided they were being attacked and looked desperate. We were convinced someone was going to be injured or worse.

'Marek was trying to calm them, pointing out that it was a lighthouse. They weren't very professional. Eventually he persuaded a fat Somalian who spoke English that there was nothing on the radar. It calmed down but for a long time we thought someone was going to get killed.'

After this, relations deteriorated. 'They picked on the Filipinos and were more aggressive in searching.'

While the crew had enough food and water, the pirates preferred their own fare - live goats from the shore, which they slaughtered on deck.

'They would bring them on two at a time and after killing them they'd sling them over their shoulders and take them down to the cook who would make a goat curry.'

'There was always an untethered goat or two roaming around the deck.'

'Ironically, for pirates they weren't particularly hard - they were always pestering the chief officer, who controlled the medicines, for tablets for headaches, stomach pains and colds.'

'They also had a strange approach to thieving. They gave back some Fillipino cash to one of the poorest crew members after someone pointed out, "He doesn't have much money, he's like you." On another occasion they ordered the Third Officer to give them his expensive watch and gave him a cheap imitation one in return --that they'd stolen from someone else.'

'They came back the next day and made him adjust the good watch to Somali time as they couldn't work it.'

'One pirate complained to the captain-that a coat he stole was too big and that he wanted another one.'

'It was clear they had scant regard for human life. When one of the pirates accidentally shot himself in the arm they gave him no help. We bandaged him up and said he needed to get ashore, but they wouldn't let him.'

By Christmas there was no sign of a deal. 'The day itself was pretty awful. We were thinking constantly of our homes and families. We shared a box of chocolate biscuits and later turkey but it was pretty sombre. The only treat came when we were allowed on deck for the first time to go fishing. We caught snapper and grouper.

'We asked to ring home on Christmas Day but they wouldn't let us. It was disappointing, but we weren't going to beg them. Not for that or anything. They would play on that weakness.'

Negotiations, often tense, continued daily between the pirates and the shipping company. The crew sensed a breakthrough on December 27.

'Their attitude changed. They seemed more relaxed and happy and we were allowed to phone home.' By January 3 the deal was struck. A few days later the entire crew were assembled on deck so they could be counted by a pilot in a light aircraft, from which half the cash, in US dollars was dropped by parachute.'

'It was 8am, we were all at one end of the deck and the pirates were hiding under the pipes. The pilot did a once round fly-past then gained speed and the parachute dropped.'

'It was a pink capsule which landed out at sea. The pirates picked it up in their boat. Marek was taken to the main pirate's cabin where he helped count it. The rest of the cash came in another drop six hours later.'

The pirates went to the cabin one by one to get their share. By evening the majority had gone, leaving only the senior men. We were getting excited about the prospect of leaving but then one boat load of pirates capsized, drowning five or six, and we feared reprisals.

'I went to bed that night seriously worried. But at 4am Marek phoned me from the bridge and said, "Peter, can you get your engine ready?" And I said, "Marek, that engine has bloody well been ready for 57 days."

'When she fired up, that low thrumming noise was the sweetest sound I'd ever heard.'

The times of the most significant events of that last day are etched in Peter's memory. He remembers the last eight pirates departed at 5.34am and Marek ordered the ship to set sail at 6.42 am.

'I can't remember there being a cheer, but there were smiles. We thought there is a God after all. I rang Hazel. I just said, "Hello, we're free". I was only on for a minute as others were clamouring for the phone.'

The ship headed back to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, from which it had originally set sail.

'The only sticky moment was when we came across some small fishing boats and dhows which made us nervous. We thought of pirates once again.'

The crew were taken ashore on January 20 for medicals before a reunion in the Crown Plaza Hotel in Dubai.

'Hazel was there, but Amy couldn't be there, she was doing A-level exams.'

Hazel said: 'I really didn't know whether Peter would ever be coming home. It could have gone either way. I knew I just had to keep a level head. Staying calm helped me get through.'
Surprisingly, Peter believes arming ships and crews will not stop piracy.

'Once you arm crew the whole game changes. Pirates will step up their own weapons and come aboard all guns blazing. Armed protection of convoys are one way to tackle it.'

Peter received no payment for this interview. Instead, a donation has been made to the British and International Sailors Society and The Seafarer's Centre, Stockton on Tees.

Peter French, pictured here with his wife Hazel

Mail Online: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1127259/I-thought-I-going-executed-says-Briton-taken-hostage-Somali-pirates-oil-supertanker.html

Pirate Funds at Bottom of the Sea?

Vicci Thompson — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 09:31:00 -0700

It appears that being a pirate may not pay after all. Five of the Somali pirates who released the hijacked Sirius Star drowned in the Gulf of Aden with their share of a reported $3 million ransom after their small boat capsized in a storm.

One pirate reported that five pirates died and three others reached shore after swimming for several hours. The small boat was running at high speed because they were afraid of an attack from the patrolling warships in the area.

A U.S. Navy photo shows a parachute, possibly containing a ransom payment, dropped by a small aircraft on Friday onto the Sirius Star.

Pirate Funds at Bottom of the Sea?

Vicci Thompson — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 09:31:00 -0700

A U.S. Navy photo shows a parachute, possibly containing a ransom payment, dropped by a small aircraft on Friday onto the Sirius Star.

Sirius Star Freed After Ransom Paid

Vicci Thompson — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:08:00 -0700

According to the New York Times, the Sirius Star has been released for a ransom of $3 million. It was reported that the ship was moved away from the coast getting ready to sail.

I really liked the part of the article that stated the $3,000,000 was paid in Kenya and reached the Somali pirates on a boat from Mombasa. One pirate stated he was waiting for his share of the ransom; "When the pirates receive the money, they will divide in shares on the spot, so that they will disembark tonight from the ship with everyone's share in pocket."

How large are their pockets?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

According to the International Maritime Bureau, pirates attacked nearly 100 vessels and hijacked as many as 40 in the waters off the coast of Somalia in 2008.

The U.S. Navy has started a force to battle pirates attacking ships in and near the Gulf of Aden off Somalia's coast. The unit, called Combined Task Force 151, is a spinoff of an existing force in the region that addressed a range of security issues, including drug smuggling, weapons trafficking and piracy. Task Force 151 includes naval ships and other assets from more than 20 nations.

Michael Howlett, divisional director of the International Maritime Bureau, said attacks haven't stopped, but they have not been as successful recently. He said the recent decline in hijackings are a result of the presence of navies in the gulf and the fact that merchant mariners are being more viligant.

A New Twist on Pirates

Vicci Thompson — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:20:00 -0700

I guess this is the other side of the coin when it comes to Somali pirates.

Who imagined that in 2009, the world's governments would be declaring a new War on Pirates? As you read this, the British Royal Navy - backed by the ships of more than two dozen nations, from the US to China - is sailing into Somalian waters to take on men we still picture as parrot-on-the-shoulder pantomime villains. They will soon be fighting Somalian ships and even chasing the pirates onto land, into one of the most broken countries on earth. But behind the arrr-me-hearties oddness of this tale, there is an untold scandal. The people our governments are labeling as "one of the great menace of our times" have an extraordinary story to tell -- and some justice on their side.

See complete story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/you-are-being-lied-to-abo_b_155147.html

Somehow, I don't think the crew of the Sirius Star is going to have too much sympathy for the pirates.

Metamorphic Rocks Parts 1 and 2

Vicci Thompson — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:42:00 -0700

Nestor Sander (recently turned 94 years young) continues with his seminars on geology. See Part 1 & 2 of Metamorphic Rocks.

Metamorphic Rocks Part 1

Metamorphic Rocks Part 2

Oil Price at Which Fuel Sources Become Economically Viable

Vicci Thompson — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 11:18:00 -0700

Very interesting article on engery prices.

The chart below shows the oil price that various forms of energy need to be competitive, from conventional oil extraction to wind power.

At prices to the left of the bars, investment in the industry is uneconomic and will go ahead only if supported by regulation or government incentives. All the figures shown do not include any subsidies such as the US production tax credits or costs on carbon dioxide emissions as in the European Union’s emissions trading scheme. At higher oil prices to the right of the bars, the technologies will be commercially viable without assistance. The wider the bars, the greater the range of variation or uncertainty in costs.

Technologies for electricity generation that compete with gas-fired power are assessed on the same scale, translating the gas price into the equivalent energy content of oil.

None of the figures are fixed forever. In times of strong demand, supply shortages push up costs in all energy industries, and the global slowdown will ease that cost pressure and make activities viable at lower oil prices.

See original at: FT.com

60 Minute Interview with Ali Al-Naimi

Vicci Thompson — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:49:00 -0700

60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl went to Saudi Arabia a few weeks ago to meet one of the most powerful men in the world, Ali Al-Naimi, the Saudi oil minister and de facto head of the OPEC oil cartel.

If you did not see the interview, click here for the complete 60 Minute interview. Saudi Arabia needs more of these for the world to see.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/05/60minutes/main4650223.shtml?source=mostpop_story

Bangladeshi Off Loading Bricks

Vicci Thompson — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:59:00 -0700

This is one of the best videos I have seen; very, very interesting, more than even funny!

Somali Pirates Score

Vicci Thompson — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:47:00 -0700

Somali pirates continue capturing ships while demanding ransom for captured Sirius Star

Vela International, subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, has not released the dollar amount being asked for the Sirius Star; however, officials involved in the release of previous ships claimed that 'electronic monitoring' showed the Somali pirates 'were talking' of at least $10million.

Pirates have been prevalent for many, many years in shipping lanes with narrow straits; however, the Somali pirates have hijacked eight ships in the past two weeks. The International Maritime Bureau 's piracy reporting center has described the situation as 'spiraling out of control'.

According to Michael Howlett, assistant director of the International Maritime Bureau in London, pirates are currently holding 17 vessels and 339 crew members hostage. A Greek tanker, a Thai fishing boat and a Hong Kong-registered vessel have been captured in the past 3 days despite a large international naval presence in the waters off Somalia.

An Indian warship deployed to Gulf of Aden has been engaged in a battle with Somali pirates. The pirates' 'mother ship' was destroyed; however, accompanying speed boats sped away after the main vessel was destroyed. Perhaps we need a greater military presence to secure the shipping lanes. The pirates seem to only understand force, let us use force.

World’s First Camel Milk Chocolate

Vicci Thompson — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:49:00 -0700

Here's another first in the Arab World; camel milk chocolate! I love it!

Al Nassma Launches World’s First Camel Milk Chocolate

Premium product with finest ingredients available now

Dubai, UAE, 22nd October 2008 – Al Nassma Chocolate LLC (Al Nassma), the first company in the world to produce camel milk chocolate, today introduced its exclusive product to the world during a press conference in Dubai. Al Nassma, a Dubai company, has been working for the last two years with a team of international experts to realise this unique Arabian product.

Al nassma - the brand name of this extra-ordinary chocolate has been chosen with care. It has its roots in the Arabic language and depicts a seasonal breeze which brings respite to the people of the desert. In the same way this breeze indulges people in the desert, Al nassma chocolates aims to indulge your senses.

Al nassma has been created by people dedicated to the manufacture of finest chocolates and pralines. These chocolatiers from around the world have teamed up to create this sensational chocolate superlative for Dubai. Al nassma is a true innovation in the chocolate industry and one of the first luxury food products with deep roots in Dubai, deemed to conquer the world as the sweet ambassador of Arabia.

“This is a historic moment, we at Al Nassma are very proud to present the world’s first camel milk chocolate, the most sensational and tempting form of camel milk,” said Dr. Ali Ridha, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Nassma Chocolate LLC, who is joined in the board by chocolatiers and camel milk experts.

Al Nassma Chocolate LLC, the manufacturer of Al nassma, the first and finest camel milk chocolate, is headquartered in Dubai in Umm Nahad adjacent to Camelicious, the sole supplier of camel milk to Al Nassma. For this exceptional project, professionals from around the world joined in to create an innovation 133 years after milk chocolate was invented. Martin van Almsick, a chocolate aficionado and former manager of the famous Cologne chocolate museum, worked together with experts from Austria and Germany to create a chocolate which will seduce many chocolate connoisseurs.

“Al nassma is a unique product that encapsulates the spirit of Arabia and Dubai. Our product development for this exclusive chocolate has been meticulous and we have chosen only the finest ingredients to make sure we develop a premium product” explains Martin van Almsick, General Manager, Al Nassma.

Van Almsick sees Al nassma as a promising brand for the UAE. A recent study reveals that the chocolate market in the UAE is strong with 98% of respondents claiming to consume chocolate at least once a week. Globally the chocolate industry is valued at more than $41.6 billion with Europe accounting for 45% of global revenue and America with a third of market share. And with tourism expected to surpass the 10 million mark by 2010, there is clearly a strong market for a novelty, premium chocolate brand in the UAE for tourists, visitors and chocolate loving residents.

“Al nassma is a truly Arabian product, with Arabic ingredients produced for the Arabic palate. This product category does not exist anywhere else, it is a world novelty and only Al nassma lets you experience the exquisite pleasure of camel milk chocolate“, explains van Almsick.

Al Nassma’s product line consists of 5 different flavored 70gr bars, including Arabia, delicately flavored with local spices; Dates, Macadamia Nut - Orange, 70% Cocoa and Whole Milk. The pralines range is delicately filled with pistachio, nougat and coffee cream. However, the jewel in the crown is the gold wrapped chocolate camel embodying the source of Al nassma, the camel and its milk. The hollow chocolate camels are available in 2 sizes, 130 and 730 gr.

To date only a few local families were able to indulge in Al nassma during the recent Eid celebrations, but as of today Al nassma is available to the public.

The future plans for Al Nassma are as exciting as the product. The planned farm shop in Umm Nahad near the Camelicious camel farm will conjure the feeling of a thousand and one nights with its camel milk chocolate fountain. Plans are also under way to make a spectacular appearance in one of Dubai’s leading malls to attract the ever growing stream of tourists.

Al nassma can be purchased directly via phone on +971(0)4 223 9289.

Queen Rania

Vicci Thompson — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:49:00 -0700

Queen Rania has quite a few good You Tube videos on the web.

In the following, Queen Rania views Axis of Evil comedian Maz Jobrani's brand new video who laughs off some of the stereotypes about the Middle East.

Aramcon's Saluki On Cover of National Magazine

Vicci Thompson — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 09:07:00 -0700

Aramco ExPats' animal lovers may be interested in a Saluki owned by Saudi Aramco employee, Kathleen Garrett.

Five year old Raniyah is on the cover of an American coffee table magazine, The Classic Saluki.

Click here to view the cover: http://www.classicsaluki.com/2007_annual.htm

Kathleen took the picture about 30 minutes South of Dhahran, not far from Half Moon Bay.

Email Kathleen: kathiegarrett@yahoo.com

Pamela's Song: A New Shade of Blue

Vicci Thompson — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:37:00 -0700

Experience J.T. Dunsmere's new web novel, Pamela's Song: A New Shade of Blue.

In late 1965 the Bobby Fuller Four released I Fought the Law and it became an instant, all-time, classic rock and roll song. July 18th, 1966 Bobby was found dead outside his apartment in LA. He was 23 years old.

40 years later, an anonymous British music journalist has tracked down Bobby's girlfriend and, though she is dying, Pamela finally sings about her life with, and without, Bobby and answers the mystery of his death.

Songs and people are interspersed throughout the book with many links to YouTube videos; Patsy Cline & Natalie Wood. Have fun...

Pamela's Song: A New Shade of Blue