This is a chocolate candy bar that they sell out of vending machines here in London. Seriously, who in marketing thought this was a good idea? Doesn't this exclude a large portion of the typical target demographic for chocolate? Or is this a blatant attempt at reverse psychology, a ruse designed to ensure that women actually buy it? Is the idea to create an artificial demand based on the premise that people always seem to want what they can't have?
The Space Shuttle Discovery had a successful liftoff today. Despite numerous glitches and delays over the past two weeks, it was by all accounts a picture perfect launch. Discovery's launch marks the first shuttle launch in over two years; NASA had grounded the shuttle since the Columbia disaster in Feruary 2003. Discovery is set to conduct a number of experiments and rendezvous with the International Space Station to drop off supplies and perform repairs. The mission will last 12 days.
Full story here and here.
UPDATE: Not so perfect? NASA is currently analyzing some video footage that appears to show debris falling off Discovery during liftoff. First reports suggest that none of the debris hit Discovery. Falling debris hitting the shuttle during launch has been blamed for the Columbia's destruction as it reentered Earth's atmosphere. More details on the debris at CNN.
UPDATE 2: Pictures here.
UPDATE 3: More (and better) pictures here, including a photo of the shuttle hitting a bird during takeoff.
There have been additional "incidents" in London this afternoon. Three Tube stations have been evacuated, and there are reports of another incident on a bus. No reports of injuries thus far, which is a relief. The BBC is speculating that these may have been "dummy explosions." Eyewitnesses have reported hearing explosions and smelling smoke. There's also been one report of shattered windows on the bus.
Once again I was at the school as all this transpired. I was actually about to head home when I heard the news. I'll stick around here for a little bit to see if I can learn more. For more, click here.
It's been two weeks to the day since the three Underground explosions and the explosion on the bus in Tavistock Square.
UPDATE: BBC now reports one injury. They're now describing the incident as "minor blasts."
UPDATE 2: There have been reports of armed officers surrounding University College Hospital. BBC reports that one of the suspects (involved in the Warren Street Tube Station incident) may have escaped there.
Tony Blair has met with the COBRA committee (COBRA = Cabinet Office Briefing Room A), the UK government emergency-response team, and expected to give a statement soon.
UPDATE 3: A man has been arrested outside Whitehall, which has just been cordoned off. Whitehall is very close to Downing Street, and in particular, the Ministry of Defense Building. There are not many details at this point.
UPDATE 4: Tony Blair is now speaking. It doesn't sound like he has any more information than anyone else; he's asking the reporters to direct their questions to police and emergency personnel. Blair is urging calm, and states that he will return to his daily schedule. Blair was meeting with the Australian prime minister when the incident occurred.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard is now making a few remarks, explaining that terrorism is a global problem that threatens all free countries. He's also pledging Australia's support.
UPDATE 5: It seems everything is under control, though there still aren't many answers. Everyone's been encouraged to go back about their business, so I'm going to head back to the dorm. If I hear more I'll post further updates.
Tavistock Square is once again open to traffic. We no longer need to carry passes to get back into our building.
Today, I went on a walking tour entitled 'Legal London.' It was arranged by the school and was very good. Alas, I did not have my camera along at the time. But I plan to recreate the tour in a few days and snap all the pictures I would have taken had I brought along my camera (and had the time to take all the pictures I wanted). Look for that in a few days.
Additionally, since a few people have asked, here's a rough idea of my post-London plans:
August 4: arrive in Columbus ~ 3:30 pm.
August 4-12: in Ohio; plans unsettled, but bound to include seeing Honor, catching up with friends, and preparing for 2L
August 5: my birthday; festivities TBA
August 12: drive to South Bend, move back into Fischer
August 12-13: reacclimate to living in South Bend
August 14: Trial Ad Intensive starts, kicking off 2L a week early
For additional information, leave a comment or email me.
President Shrub has nominated John G. Roberts to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the vacancy caused by Sandra Day O'Connor's recently announced retirement. I usually try to keep this site apolitical, but if anyone wants to start a discussion in the comments, I'd be happy to use it as a forum and share thoughts on the matter.
July 16th is a big day here in London, as it marks the release of the sixth Harry Potter book. And because people are inherently impatient, that means that no one can wait until business hours and instead insist on getting the book as soon as the day officially begins -- 12:01 am. Not that I'm criticizing this, mind you. After all, this is coming from the guy who twice waited in line outside overnight for Star Wars tickets and saw the two most recent Star Wars movies at 12:01 showings. So keeping with such geeky tradition, I was among those who lined up to get the latest Harry Potter book.
After all, this is the country that spawned the series. It only seems fitting to join in on all the hoopla. When in Rome, and all that (only, of course, in London). A lot of bookstores were doing the midnight promotion, but we (that's Liz and I) decided to do this in style. We headed down to Piccadilly Circus to Europe's largest bookstore, Waterstone's. The queue wasn't nearly as long as we expected, and there weren't too many people dressed up for the occasion (actually, I think more Waterstone's employees were dressed up than customers). There was one group of very spirited and vocal young ladies ahead of us in line, but all in all it was a fairly calm affair. One of the highlights of waiting in line was that we got free Waterstone's ponchos (a glorified garbage bag, really) that people could wear while standing in the queue. If you used your imagination, you could consider us a large group of dementors. Or it can double as a Nazgul costume for your next LOTR party.
Waterstone's also organized the event very well. The queue moved about in an orderly fashion. There were no mobs, no chaos, no generalized pandamonium. Once they opened the doors and the line started moving, I was able to get in, purchase my book, and get out very quickly. And now I'm among the first to own the book, hours ahead of everyone home in the States. Ha!
The walk back was particularly entertaining since Liz and I decided to wear our garbage bags home. The number of looks and comments we got (all good-natured) was really quite amusing.
Pictures of it all are here.
I've posted another round of pictures, which detail an outing from last week. I had originally trekked out to St. Paul's Cathedral to see Kofi Annan speak, but wasn't able to get in. Instead, I went with a few other people to explore some of the South Bank and see the Tower Bridge.
Okay, so no sooner do I make a post indicating that the authorities had ruled out the involvement of suicide bombers, the story did a complete 180. They now think that last Thursday's blasts were the result of suicide bombers. Evidence collected at the scenes, searches at other locations, and CCTV footage have led authorities to conclude that the men responsible for the attack were British nationals. Personal belongings of three of the four men were recovered from blasts sites. Those three are presumed to be dead, but authorities are not certain of the fate of the fourth man.
I have to add a quick note here. I don't mean to be overly morbid, but just because they've found belongings of these men doesn't strike me as conclusive proof that the men themselves are dead. Is there any physical proof that these men actually perished in the explosions? One might argue that leaving personal belongings suggests that the attack was a suicide bombing because otherwise the belongings would point to the perpetrators. But if it leads authorities to assume you're dead, what better way to get away with it? Using a false identity (combined with substantial alterations to appearance -- after all, they've been spotted on CCTV), it would now become much easier to get out of the country if you're presumed to be dead.
Anyway, that's the latest. You can read the full story here.
A measure of normalcy has returned as everyone settles back into the day-to-day routine of classes. Some people spent the weekend abroad, visiting other European cities, but many of us were more or less holed up in Connaught Hall for the weekend. Tavistock Square is still cordoned off so that the police can conduct forensic examinations. There's no official word on how long this will take. Until then, we are now issued day passes so that we can come and go from the dorms. There are signs posted asking all residents to return by 11 pm, but I'm not sure how strictly that policy is being enforced.
London seems to have returned to business as usual. While last week's bombings immediately draw comparisons to 9/11, there is a marked difference in reaction. Part of this may be due to the famed British stoicism, but there are other factors to consider. Londoners are more familiar with this kind of terrorism from dealing with the IRA. After 9/11, many countries have created plans for dealing with such attacks. Finally, the scale of the operation was much smaller than the 9/11 attack.
As of yet authorities have not found those responsible for last Thursday's bombings. They have ruled out suicide bombers as the culprits, so the terrorists are still at large. It is unclear whether they are still in London, but the threat level has been elevated and some are concerned that additional attacks may occur if the terrorists are not found. As a result there have been a number of false alarms over the past few days. Nevertheless, we're getting by okay. One always hopes for some excitement when traveling abroad, but this is one type of excitement I could definitely do without.
After a fitful slumber (due mostly to boisterous undergrads down the hall), I awoke a little later than I wanted. I decided to forego breakfast and head to class. We had received an email last night assuring us that class would go on as planned.
Tavistock Square was still roped off this morning, and there was a strong police presence. After booking it down to Trafalgar Square, I arrived at the law school only to find out that classes had been cancelled. Apparently students had been told that if they left Connaught Hall they would not be permitted to return. I hadn't gotten the message; perhaps it was made during breakfast. I wasn't the only student to come in today. But Professor Moens didn't see a point in having a class for seven people. The director of the programme, Professor Bennett, was reportedly headed to the dorm to check on the situation.
Outside Tavistock Square, things have pretty much gotten back to normal. Traffic and bus service has resumed. I'm not sure what the status of the Underground is at the moment. There did seem to be a slightly increased wariness, but that could have just been me.
Several NDLS students have been quoted in today's edition of the South Bend Tribune. A reporter had left a comment on Brendan's blog asking for those of us over here to call or email our experiences to her. Brendan conveyed this message to us via email. You can read her article here (in which I'm quoted), as well as a firsthand student account here.
The majority of Summer Programme students have returned to Connaught Hall. Police have permitted us to reenter the building, but it's unlikely that we would be able to leave again for many hours. The streets around Tavistock Square have been blocked off and are being guarded by the London police.
The BBC reports that the death toll has risen to 33. This number is likely to increase, as that seems to be only the number of fatalities from the Underground explosions; no word yet on the fatalities sustained from the bus explosion on Tavistock Square.
UPDATE:
The BBC has an in-depth look at the four explosions that took place today.
There have been several explosions across London, seemingly focused on the public transportation system. A number of Tube stations have been hit, and there are reports of double-decker buses exploding. There's also a report of a collision on the Underground. A couple of the blasts have been close to our dorm (and it's rumored that the building shook as a bus exploded nearby). Apparently, this all took place during the morning rush hour.
There are reports of numerous casualties and injuries. I'm fine, and it doesn't sound like anyone in the Summer Programme has been hurt. Public transportation has ground to a halt, and at least one class has been cancelled today because a professor can't get to the law school. No one's really sure what's going on right now; as I hear more I'll post updates. For now, you can read the developing story here.
UPDATE:
Eyewitness accounts.
A timeline of events has been posted at BBC.com.
The Underground has been shut down, and authorities are discouraging travel. Roads have also been closed, so traffic in and out of London is probably very restricted.
Connaught Hall (our dorm) has been surrounded and is inaccessible. We've been told to stay at the law school and not return to the dorms.
Unsurprisingly, Al Qaeda is suspected to be responsible (according to BBC 5). Based on the coordination and location of the blasts, it is undoubtedly a terrorist attack.
UPDATE 2:
Tony Blair is now giving an address from the G8 summit. The Prime Minister says that it is "clear that these are terrorist attacks" that were "designed to coincide with the beginning of the G8." Blair will be leaving the G8 to return to London, but the summit will continue. He concluded his remarks by stating that our resolve and determination is stronger than the terrorists' dedication to death and destruction.
UPDATE 3:
Al Qaeda's involement has seemingly been confirmed, according to BBC 5. Commentators say that this attack has been more for effect than causing casualties.
UPDATE 4:
The BBC has released some pictures of this morning's attack. Some of the most chilling are pictures of the bus that exploded in Tavistock Square (near Connaught Hall). In depth coverage from the BBC here.
UPDATE 5:
Some good news: according to Patrick, all ND students have been accounted for.
London won the bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Moscow, New York, and Madrid were eliminated first, bringing it down to London and Paris. Paris had been considered the favorite going into today, but London came out on top. I was sitting in EU Law at the time, in a classroom considered to be a wireless dead zone in the law school. However, the cheers from outside (Trafalgar Square, which has seemingly been ground zero for London's countdown) and jets flying overhead pretty much told the story.
I'm about to leave the law school and walk back to the dorms, so I'll be passing Trafalgar Square. This morning they had set up a stage and some giant television screens for people to watch the countdown and live announcement of the Olympic selection committee's decision. I'll post again when I get back to the dorms with an update on the craziness.
UPDATE: Trafalgar Square was packed with people. It may have been the first time I've seen the square with more people than pigeons. I couldn't really tell what was going on down on the main stage, but that's where everyone seemed to be looking. There's also a big "Thank You" banner over the stage. I had seen that this morning as I walked to class, and thought it was a little presumptuous to put that up before the decision was announced. Unless maybe the organizers knew something the rest of us did not?
I feel obliged to make a quick post of my July 4th experience in here in the UK. Naturally, it's not a holiday here. And unlike the Canadians, I didn't hear anything about a party at the American embassy. Still, the US contingent of the summer law programme decided to throw a little bash.
It seems kind of strange to celebrate American independence in the country from which we broke away. It feels a bit like gloating, like visiting Japan on VJ day (though that would be worse, I think).
We had a small BBQ in the basement of the dorm, right next to the bar. (Yes, our dorm has a bar. It's the best thing about the place, really.) Everyone was invited, and some of the Australian students (and one of our professors) joined in the festivities. We dined on freshly grilled burgers and sausages, and I had a few pints of Guinness. Eventually the party headed out into the city. Initially the plan was to visit the Hard Rock Cafe, but the plan changed en route and we ended up at the All American Sports Cafe instead. I didn't stay out too late (8:30 am class and all), though some of the revelers partied until nearly 3 am.
It was definitely a different experience, a far departure from fireworks, sparklers, and American flag waving. But how many times does one get the chance to celebrate independence from behind enemy lines?
Yesterday I got the chance to visit two of England's better known historical sites, the Roman Baths (in Bath -- creative naming, what can I say) and Stonehenge. The trip was arranged by the law school, and covered coach travel to the two destinations. Admission fees were extra, and ended up being more than the discount transportation (only 10 pounds to ride the bus; 12.50 pounds total for admission to the Roman Baths and Stonehenge). We also had a tour guide who pointed out a few sights leaving and returning to London. Her voice sounded a lot like Mrs. Doubtfire.
Bath is a nice town and very picturesque. I'd definitely consider it an example of what people imagine quaint European towns to look like. The architecture is stunning, from the Abbey to the buildings on the little side streets. There are also plenty of shops, cafes, gardens, and squares scattered throughout the little town, not to mention cool bridges spanning the Avon River. I didn't have lots of time to explore, though, because I spent a considerable amount of our time there visiting the Roman Baths. Bath is the home of a hot springs, which the Romans converted into a large bathhouse complex. There's an extensive audio tour that takes you through the many rooms as well as describing the site. In addition to the bathhouse, the Romans erected several temples dedicated to both Minerva (a Roman goddess) and Sulius (a local goddess of healing).
After Bath, we ventured out to Stonehenge, which sits in the Salisbury Plain. Some members of our group were less than thrilled, considering it to be a large pile of rocks. You can get a pretty good view of it from the road alongside Stonehenge, but there's a fence to separate the road from those who have paid admission. Admittedly, paying doesn't get you much closer, and they have Stonehenge itself roped off (so you can't really walk among the ruins), but you can walk all the way around it and admission includes an audio tour. All in all I thought it was pretty cool. Stonehenge has always captivated my interest, probably because so little is actually known about it. Even the audio tour didn't have much to add about how or why Stonehenge was built. Still, I found it awe inspiring to behold, and it's astonishing how the stones act as a calendar. It's also pretty amazing how much Stonehenge is in the middle of nowhere. The Salisbury Plain is pretty bleak and deserted (except for the tourists and sheep). There's Stonehenge... and nothing else for miles.
As always, I've dutifully documented my travels with a digital camera, so that you too can experience my British adventure. The latest round of pictures is up for your viewing pleasure.
Today I set out on a trek to visit Abbey Road, which features this crosswalk made famous by the Beatles.
Abbey Road is a bit of a hike from the parts of London I've been thus far. It's more or less nestled in a small suburban residential district northwest of the heart of the city.
It took me a little while to get there and find it, and it looks different than it does on the album. There were a few tourists there, snapping pictures like me. I even arranged a quid pro quo with another tourist who, like me, wanted a picture walking the crosswalk. This isn't quite as easy as it sounds -- Abbey Road is actually quite a busy little street. I imagine motorists must get sick of all the tourists who flock to the intersection just to walk back and forth across the road to get their picture taken in mimic of the Beatles album. Due to the traffic, it's pretty much impossible to duplicate the shot, which looks to have been taken from the middle of the street itself. Also, I wasn't wearing anything resembling the clothes sported by George, Paul, Ringo, and John. (And sorry, I'm definitely not going to cross the road barefoot.)
After this little excursion, I headed to the Canadian embassy which was throwing a bash in honor of Canada Day. Everyone (Canadian or not) was invited. In addition to free booze, there was cake and fudge and some live entertainment. I didn't stay for everything (especially since they ran out of beer), but I did see a comedy troupe perform a fifteen minute version of Romeo and Juliet. It was quite amusing.
You can see photographic evidence of today's excursions here.
That's all the sightseeing for today. Tomorrow I head off to Stonehenge and Bath, and I hope to have more pictures and stories to share on Sunday.
Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement from the U.S. Supreme Court today. Many have predicted that she would retire soon, along with an ailing Chief Justice Rehnquist. O'Connor has been an important swing justice on the Court, so her replacement is bound to have a profound impact on the future of the country. The inside scoop (according to Brendan's sources) is that Bush intends to nominate Emilio Garza (a double domer) to fill the vacancy.
I'm not personally familiar with Mr. Garza's decisional history, but suffice to say his previous two appointments came from President Reagan and President Bush I. Combined with the fact that Bush II (aka Shrub) is known to favor Justices Scalia and Thomas, I'm troubled by the recent turn of events. (And I doubt there's much point in hoping for another Souter.) Rehnquist's retirement would have simply meant a switch from an old conservative justice for a younger conservative justice; the replacement of the swing justice will have a far geater impact on the Court and the country.
A few days ago, I joined a few classmates on a little excursion to see the Henley Regatta. It's essentially a crew competition on the Thames that lasts for several days. We went on Wednesday, the first day of the regatta.
After class, we headed to Paddington (like the bear) Station to catch the train out of London. After switching trains in Twydon and about 45 minutes later, we were in the small and picturesque village of Henley. After making our way to the banks of the Thames, we stopped for a drink at one of the many bars lining the course. I had a Pimms, a mixed drink including Pimms gin liqueur, lemon-flavored soda water, and an assortment of orange (or lemon or lime) and cucumber slices. It was pretty good, especially considering that I'm not a big fan of gin. The drink didn't really even taste like alcohol at all. But maybe it was a bit watered down, as suggested by an Irishman we met at the regatta.
We walked up and down the Thames, stopping occasionally to peruse the small shops and bars along the river's edge. It's hard to actually watch any of the races; really, you only get to see a brief snippet of the race as the boats pass your point of view. And the finish line can only be viewed from the expensive seats. Which brings me to my next point. People get dressed up for this thing - big time. Think of the spectators at a polo match and you'll start to get an idea of what folks where to the regatta. Women were decked out in sundresses and funny hats (big bows, feathers, etc.) -- the kind you see at department stores and wonder who would actually buy them. Guys wore khakis, ties, and blazers. Some of the blazers were just your standard navy blue, frequently with the crest on the left breast (reminiscent of prep school uniforms). But some of the blazers had to be seen to be believed. Stripes and loud colors were commonplace.
The weather was beautiful (unlike the last few days, which have been the typical gray and rainy London days), and we had a great time. I have no idea which boats won (only that Harvard's team lost), but I was there more for the experience and atmosphere than anything else. Pictures here.
