Archive for November

MPS Beard of the Year: The Contenders!

Posted in Beards with tags , , on December 2, 2013 by telescoper

Nominations for the Inaugural Beard of the Year Poll at the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Sussex closed on Friday 29th November. We now move to the final phase of the competition, with a public vote. I’m afraid I had to rule out some of the nominees because no photographic evidence was supplied. I also have a sneaking suspicion that some of those who made the short list may not be entirely authentic. Please make your own mind up when casting your vote.

Before introducing the contestants, I’d like to say a big public thank you to our caterers, Chartwells, for producing this lovely cake for a  little “Movember” event we had in the School on Friday afternoon:

IMG-20131129-00226

The purpose of “Movember” is to raise awareness about testicular and prostate cancer, and mental health issues. We’ve gone a bit further and gone for a fully bearded version of the event, but in any case I hope that this bit of fun will at least remind blokes (who are notoriously bad at looking after themselves) to check our their bits every now and again. In any case always remember that facial hair is not just for Movember, but for life…

Anyway, to the contenders (in no particular order)

William Watson

Beard A: William Watson

Tomas Navickas

Beard B: Tomas Navickas

Beard C: Thomas Northam

Beard C: Thomas Northam

Beard D: Miss Lemonbeard

Beard D: Miss Lemonbeard

Beard E: Robert C Smith

Beard E: Robert C Smith

Beard F: Peter Beard(sle)y

Beard F: Peter Beard(sle)y

Beard G: Nathan Udy

Beard G: Nathan Udy

Beard H: Leonidas Christodoulou

Beard H: Leonidas Christodoulou

Beard I: Mateja Gosenca

Beard I: Mateja Gosenca

Beard J: Konstantin Blyuss

Beard J: Konstantin Blyuss

Beard L: Aurel Schneider

Beard L: Aurel Schneider

Beard M: Team Beard!

Beard M: Team Beard!

Beard N: Istvan Kiss

Beard N: Istvan Kiss

Beard O: Fabrizio Salvatore

Beard O: Fabrizio Salvatore

Beard P: Jan Schroder

Beard P: Jan Schroder

Beard Q: Leon Baruah

Beard Q: Leon Baruah

Now you have seen all the choices, please vote here:

The winner will be announced on Wednesday 11th December.

November, a poem by William Morris

Posted in Poetry with tags , on November 2, 2013 by telescoper

Are thine eyes weary? is thy heart too sick
To struggle any more with doubt and thought,
Whose formless veil draws darkening now and thick
Across thee, e’en as smoke-tinged mist-wreaths brought
Down a fair dale to make it blind and nought?
Art thou so weary that no world there seems
Beyond these four walls, hung with pain and dreams?

Look out upon the real world, where the moon,
Half-way ‘twixt root and crown of these high trees,
Turns the dread midnight into dreamy noon,
Silent and full of wonders, for the breeze
Died at the sunset, and no images,
No hopes of day, are left in sky or earth –
Is it not fair, and of most wondrous worth?

Yea, I have looked and seen November there;
The changeless seal of change it seemed to be,
Fair death of things that, living once, were fair;
Bright sign of loneliness too great for me,
Strange image of the dread eternity,
In whose void patience how can these have part,
These outstretched feverish hands, this restless heart?

by William Morris (1834-1896).

No!

Posted in Poetry with tags , , on November 22, 2012 by telescoper

No sun–no moon!
No morn–no noon!
No dawn–no dusk–no proper time of day–
No sky–no earthly view–
No distance looking blue–
No road–no street–no “t’other side this way”–
No end to any Row–
No indications where the Crescents go–
No top to any steeple–
No recognitions of familiar people–
No courtesies for showing ’em–
No knowing ’em!
No traveling at all–no locomotion–
No inkling of the way–no notion–
“No go” by land or ocean–
No mail–no post–
No news from any foreign coast–
No Park, no Ring, no afternoon gentility–
No company–no nobility–
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member–
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds–
November

by Thomas Hood (1799-1845)