"Nice legs, shame about the boat race" read the lyric of a politically incorrect English pop song of the 1970s. (In cockney rhyming slang "boat race" means "face") That lyric has been adopted by Birstall Rowing Club in the UK as a humourous description for their Dragon Boat Race team. The lyric popped into my head while I was reading an account of this year's Oxford-Cambridge boat race. "The" Boat Race (theboatrace.org) takes place on the River Thames every April. Teams of young gentlemen from England's two premier universities compete in a competition that started in 1829. Oxford won this year's race. It is their fourth win in the last five years but they still lag Cambridge who lead the 177 year old competition 78-73. I can't claim allegiance to either team; my alma mater was a somewhat less prestigious establishment in the Midlands where I earned a physics degree.
Is physics a good qualification for running an emporium like Blighty's Tuck Store? In my not so humble opinion, it is dangerous to venture out onto the surface of planet Earth without a solid understanding of physics. I am somewhat troubled that driving licences are available to people who don't have a physics degree. You really have to be a physicist to understand that - if you are not, kindly pull over and allow us to pass ;-)
Flags in Profusion
Blighty's has taken delivery of a great selection of flags. It is nearly time to haul your favourite up the mast in the backyard. Flag etiquette dictates that you should fly the Maple Leaf above whatever other flag you have. This year, for the benefit of those who observe etiquette, Maple Leaf flags are also available at Blighty's. There are several flags to choose from: the Union Flag (it is only a Union "Jack" when flown on board a boat or ship), St George's Cross (England), St Andrew's Cross, Lion Rampant (Scotland), Welsh Dragon, Ireland, Northern Ireland and United Empire Loyalist flags. All the flags are 3 feet by 5 feet and priced at $19.95. We also have iron-on patches, country pins and "friendship pins".
Physics Joke
A student in an English school science lab complained to the teacher: "sir, my book has disappeared" to which the teacher solemnly replied: "don't be foolish boy; if your book had disappeared the whole city would be lying in ruins". This is a true story; I was there.
Explanation for non-physicists: according to Einstein's equation, E=mc squared, the energy equivalence of the book's mass, assuming its complete destruction (as in an atomic explosion) would indeed be sufficient to cause widespread total destruction.
Flags in Profusion
Blighty's has taken delivery of a great selection of flags. It is nearly time to haul your favourite up the mast in the backyard. Flag etiquette dictates that you should fly the Maple Leaf above whatever other flag you have. This year, for the benefit of those who observe etiquette, Maple Leaf flags are also available at Blighty's. There are several flags to choose from: the Union Flag (it is only a Union "Jack" when flown on board a boat or ship), St George's Cross (England), St Andrew's Cross, Lion Rampant (Scotland), Welsh Dragon, Ireland, Northern Ireland and United Empire Loyalist flags. All the flags are 3 feet by 5 feet and priced at $19.95. We also have iron-on patches, country pins and "friendship pins".
Physics Joke
A student in an English school science lab complained to the teacher: "sir, my book has disappeared" to which the teacher solemnly replied: "don't be foolish boy; if your book had disappeared the whole city would be lying in ruins". This is a true story; I was there.
Explanation for non-physicists: according to Einstein's equation, E=mc squared, the energy equivalence of the book's mass, assuming its complete destruction (as in an atomic explosion) would indeed be sufficient to cause widespread total destruction.
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