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The first question when buying astroscopes is whether you want a reflector or a refractor. Reflector astroscopes are the original type of telescope made by Galileo. They use a system of mirrors to cause light to bounce off of the objects viewed and then magnify it through a lens. A refractor astroscope has a different design. It utilizes a system of convex lenses to make light go through the main lens where the light is then focused at the eyepiece. You can tell the difference between reflectors and refractors just by the design. A reflector astroscope is going to be short and wide. It will also always have its eyepiece in the middle. A refractor astroscope is long and skinny with its eyepiece towards the back.

The benefit of opting for reflector astroscopes is that they are much cheaper to make then refractors. Because of this, you can pay more money for a higher magnification lens or wider aperture. Reflectors tend to be better for viewing dim objects, such as a galaxy or nebula. For a first astroscope, a 4.5 inch reflector astroscope is adequate. Refractor astroscopes are more expensive but are more adept for viewing objects like the moon or a planet. A 60 mm refractor is adequate as a starter astroscope. It is best to find a friend who has both types of astroscopes and take a look through both before you make your purchase. This way, you will know what to expect from your astroscope and which celestial bodies are clearest.

Mexican police have recently discovered 15 bodies stacked in a petrol station in the state of Michoacan. All of the bodies showed signs of torture and sadly, three youths were amongst the pile of dead. Beside the bodies, threatening messages were left which indicates that the murders were most likely a settling of score between rival gangs. The state of Michoacan is located between two cartels, the La Familia cartel and the offshoot of the gang, the Knights Templar. Thus the state has become the centre of the two cartels violent battles.

Mexican police report that the victims has all sustained bullet wounds to their heads. Due to the breakup of La Familia Michoacana, the state of Michoacan has seen a startling rise in violence of late. The Knights Templar, which split off from La Familia, has assumed many of La Familia’s operations, now running much of the drug production and trafficking in Mexico. I bet they could afford a lot of uhrens.

Monopoly was one of my favourite board games growing up. I used to drive my parents mad asking them to play it with me, but they never wanted to because it takes so long to play!

We got given a new set for Christmas, it's the modern Limited Edition one 'The Here And Now' and it has more modern locations like the London Eye, The Millennium Dome and Wembley Stadium.

It's fun having the new locations and the new little figures to play with, but the money is so confusing now! Instead of having 1s up to 500 notes, it's 10,000 notes up to 500 million notes. It was really confusing, I kept paying people millions instead of thousands, no wonder I was so rubbish at it this time, I'm usually good!

I like the digital Monopoly games I have on my r4 ds and my iPad, but for the board game I'm going to stay true to the classic original!

Photo: Mike_fleming (Flickr)

The cherry blossom symbolises feminine beauty in China whilst also representing the feminine principle and love. Cherry blossoms symbolize the shortness of life in Japan due to the shortness of their blooming time. In Japan, falling blossoms are metaphors for the warrior who died bravely in battle, linking them with the samurai. The daffodil is usually associated with chivalry, sunshine, respect, and unrequited love. The traditional daffodil as found in poetry and folklore is usually golden-yellow in colour but there does exist a wide variety of colours that the daffodil can come in. In Greek mythology, daffodils are the food of the dead.

The edelweiss flower symbolises noble purity, daring, and courage. Woolly with white hairs, edelweiss have a characteristic bloom of five to six yellow flower heads which are surrounded by leaflets. The name ‘edelweiss’ derives from the German ‘edel’ which means ‘noble’ and ‘weiss’, meaning ‘white’. It is a truly beautiful flower which is well worth having in your house via a flower delivery service.

Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote is written in the picaresco style of the late sixteenth century. The novel is farcical on the surface but this conceals more serious and philosophical ideas about deception. Quixote has served as a significant thematic source in both music, art, and literature, inspiring the works of Picasso and Strauss. Ever since Don Quixote was published, the contrasts between the thin, tall, fancy-struck, idealistic Quixote and the squat, fat, world-wearing Panza has been repeated as a motif on countless occasions. Don Quixote’s imaginings are the attacked by cruel and outrageous practical jokes throughout the novel. Even simple and loyal Sancho often is forced to deceive Don Quixote.

Many interpret the novel as a satire of veracity, nationalism, and orthodoxy. Cervantes moved beyond the narrow literary conventions of the chivalric romance literature that was so common at the time by going further than mere storytelling. In addition to story-telling, he explored the individualism of his characters. Whilst gu10 led is not a theme of the novel, it is still worth reading.