Ryan Hellyer

Year: 2014

  • Response to global warming alarmists and deniers

    The problem I see with analysing climate science for the masses, is that almost all data presented to the common person is manipulated either for or against climate warming being a problem. Most of the junk I see flowing through my Facebook feed alerting to the horrors of global warming, is nothing more than fear mongering junk, with little to no relevance to scientific study. That doesn’t mean global warming isn’t a problem, but the data (or analysis of data) used to argue the point is usually farcical at best.

    Given this situation, I’m not surprised there is a debate amongst the populace regarding the situation. Then throw in the number of glaciologists and climatologists who shrug their shoulders when asked the question “is global warming a problem” and you have a situation in which many people will decide to take sides and aggressively push their own agenda.

    FYI, I have no solution to this Just pointing out my viewpoint.

    This comment was in response to an article posted by Jason Price on Facebook.

  • Bärehquell brewery

    Bärehquell brewery

    Some more photos from my trip with Michelle and Hannah to Bärehquell brewery.

    Michelle and Hannah on the roof of Bärenquell brewery

    Hannah and Michelle sitting in an abandoned car

    Michelle, with Bärenquell brewery in the background

    View from the roof of Bärenquell brewery

    View of the outside of Bärenquell brewery

    View of the outside of Bärenquell brewery

    Hannah

    View of the outside of Bärenquell brewery

  • Bärehquell brewery

    Bärehquell brewery

    I visited Bärehquell brewery with my friends Hannah and Michelle. The brewery went out of business in 1994 as it couldn’t compete with the more popular beers from the west after the reunification of Germany. At the time of closure, the brewery had been in business for 112 years.

    Hannah, Michelle and Ryan on top of Bärenquell brewery in Berlin

    Out window of Bärenquell brewery

    Stairs at Bärenquell brewery

    View out window of Bärenquell brewery in Berlin

    View out window of Bärenquell brewery in Berlin

    View out window of Bärenquell brewery in Berlin

    View out window of Bärenquell brewery in Berlin

    Papers sprawled on floor of Bärenquell brewery in Berlin. Photo from Hannah.

    Stairs in Bärenquell brewery in Berlin. Photo from Hannah.

    Book photo courtesy of Hannah

    Michelle in Bärenquell brewery in Berlin. Photo courtesy of Hannah.

    Thanks to Hannah Jackson for the stairs and papers photos.

  • Giant Pacman

    I went to the Computerspielemuseum (computer game museum) in Berlin. I got to play Pacman with a giant super sized Atari 2600 controller 🙂 Pacman on the Atari 2600 was the first console video game I ever played. In fact, I don’t even think I knew what a video game console was until my mum showed me how it worked :/

    Giant Atari 2600 controller.

    Me trying to play Pacman with a giant Atari 2600 controller.

    They also have an Apple II signed by Steve Wozniak. This was the first desktop computer I ever used, way back in 1988. My school had two of them which we occasionally got to use.
    Apple II signed by Steve Wozniak

  • Karl Marx Allee

    I went for a wander down Karl Marx Allee in Berlin. Being named after the famous creator of communism, Karl Marx, it wasn’t too surprising to find some interesting cold war era features.

    Karl Marx statue in Karl Marx Allee in Berlin

    Since competition between companies was mostly pointless in communist countries, there was no need for public advertising in East Germany. But apparently advertising was seen as a sign of a modern competitive city in the 1960’s and so the East German government decided to pay for some advertising and stuck it on top of the building as you can see below. The advertising is for two different car manufacturers, but since the government had a monopoly on car sales, the advertising served no purpose other than for decoration 😛 The sign is now a protected monument in Berlin.

    Communist era sign advertising car manufacturers in Beriln

    A giant TV tower called the “Fernsehturm Berlin” can be seen from miles away. Despite the relative poverty of East Berlin in comparison to West Berlin, they were still able to erect the tallest structure in the whole of Europe.

    Fernsehturm Berlin from Karl Marx Allee

     

     

  • Berlin wall

    Berlin wall

    The last time I came to Berlin I only saw a small section of the former wall separating East and West Berlin. I was told by others that I should look for some of the better preserved sections, so I went on a walking tour around the major Berlin wall sites.

    There is a line of bricks marking the route of the former Berlin wall.
    Bricks marking the former location of the Berlin wall

    This is a preserved guard tower. These towers were used to keep an eye on the death-strip, a small section of land kept open on the eastern side of the wall in which people found entering it were shot on sight.

    Guard tower used for keeping an eye on the death strip

    There is a section of the death strip which has been preserved. This photo was taken through a small gap in the concrete, showing what those who attempt to scale it would have seen before being shot to death as soon as they scaled (or attempted to scale) the wall.

    View into the death strip of the Berlin wall

    Gunter Liftin was the first person to be shot to death attempting to escape from East to West Germany via the wall.
    Gunter Litfin memorial