December 31, 2008 Archives

It seems that just about everybody has done their own version of Auld Lang Syne over the years. Here, is probably, the best, rocky version I have ever heard. There's a live version and a studio version; both by Die Toten Hosen. I have also included a version by the BBC Symphony Orchestra along with a Trance and a Techno version.

Other than taking Dad to see the Nurse this morning; to get some stitches removed from his thumb, I've spent vitually all of today baking. I've made 5 trays of Mince Pies, 6 trays of Jam Tarts; both Strawberry and Lemon Curd flavours, and 7 trays of Scones. The last lot of baking that I did went down a treat.

I am now going to have a nice relaxing couple of hours sat in front of the TV.

When Big Ben chimes midnight tonight to mark the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 it will herald the world-famous clock's 150th anniversary. However, there will have been a fair bit of sweating going on in the background. The engineers that look after the famous clock and bell are having to introduce an extra second just before midnight due to the introduction of a leap second by the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS).

There have been 23 leap seconds added since they were first introduced in 1972. Peter Whibberley of the National Physical Laboratory - known to his colleagues as "the Time Lord", represents the UK on the IERS. He explains "Ultimately, over many hundreds of years if leap seconds were scrapped, the time of night and day would drift away from the time shown by our clocks," adding "So if nothing was done to bring them back into line, night would be happening at midday as shown by the clocks."

So, feel free to look forward to your extra second of either revellry or sleep tonight.

View a related video.

Discworld novellist Terry Pratchett is to be knighted in the New Year' Honours List. Sir Terry, 60, who has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, said: "I am of course delighted and honoured and, needless to say, flabbergasted."

Olympic cyclist Chris Hoy, who won 3 gold medals in Beijing, and was named BBC Sports Personality of the year for 2008, is also knighted. "To become a knight from riding your bike, it's mad," he said. "But it is, genuinely, just an amazing honour."

Lewis Hamilton becomes an MBE after becoming Formula One's youngest world champion in only his second season and double gold-winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington becomes the youngest ever recipient of an OBE. Finally, Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant becomes a CBE.