Peregrinnings

Eddie And The Hot Rods - The Beginning Of The End (Live)

2011-09-25T19:29:00.000+01:00

The End Times

2011-09-25T19:24:00.003+01:00

The end times will be signalled by a series of disasters and a web that spans the entire world.

We might just be in those end times when you consider all the disasters we are now able to see on television.

The world wide web (at times of our own choosing) and television (at times the broadcasters choose) enable us to see disasters across the world that at one time we could only read about in the newspapers.

I do not think the number of disasters is increasing by any means. It is our access to those disasters that gives us that impression. There have always been disasters, and there have always been criminals. People feel less safe nowadays because broadcasters choose to pick the most salacious stories and spread them widely. In the past a story that would have stopped in a local area is now told across the globe.

This is in fact the beginning of the end.

Time Management

2011-09-24T11:34:00.000+01:00

Have you ever noticed how there is never enough time?

This is always down to time management because we always find the time to do the things we want to do. It is things we ought to do or have to do that grate when we have to use up time that we would rather put to other uses.

These things are choices that we make. We can choose to use our time ticking off our "must do" checklist or, as most of us do, other procrastination tasks to put off the tasks that we do not really want to start.

Sometimes we find that there is nothing to do. This is wasted time. At other times there are many things we want to do. There are those occasions when we are invited to two functions on the same night. For me it is often the day when the football, the rugby and the speedway are all on TV at the same time, just different channels.

Access to a time machine would allow the possibility of seeing all the events as live events, except for the fact that information is passed from one event to another, so you would almost always have some advanced knowledge, and the only true "best experience" is observing something as it happens. The temptation to bet on a situation that you have prior knowledge of, let's say a goal in the football while you are watching the rugby as a second live event may prove overwhelming.

Given the nature of existence where people can pick up 'vibes' from others this knowledge would escape making the events not as live as we would like them to be. There are some people I have known who seemed to be in two places at one time. I have not completely excluded the possibility that they actually were.

I ask you to open your minds to the possibilities and not be like the church authorities from a century or two back who taught that the Earth is flat and anyone who disagreed had to be excommunicated as a heretic.

The Earth has convinced me that it is spherical because my visit to Australia showed me that Orion can be viewed with a stiffy rather than a sword and the Southern Cross is quite striking in the southern sky.

There are now too many distractions in this family home to continue.

Back again sometime.

A Spurious Entry

2011-09-23T19:58:00.000+01:00

A great week in terms of Arsenal football club. Following the worst start to a league season in living memory we beat lowly Shrewsbury while Spurs got knocked out. Sanity has returned.

Future Transport

2011-09-19T18:06:00.002+01:00

Transport in the future will be very different.

If you look back through history from the early days of horses and donkeys to the invention of the wheel so that carts could be hauled by these beasts, we have made major advances in the last century and I believe even greater advances are imminent if they are not already being trialled.

The motor car originally required a man with a flag to walk in front of it, warning people that there was a dangerous vehicle approaching. This was a sensible precaution when people had no concept of the motor vehicle. People always need to be educated slowly, carefully, and at a pace that allows them to assimilate the implications.

Time travellers will not have access to this slow learning process. They will be presented suddenly with vehicles and pathways that they have no concept of and cannot possibly prepare for. Maglev is a great transport system and I would like to see more friction free transport but it has not become commonplace. There must be a reason.

I once watched a period piece being filmed and as the carriage emptied of people in the foreground, a sports car shot down the road at the end of the drive. The director shouted "cut" and asked who let that idiot onto the road. The point I am making is that the sports car did not fit into the time period being filmed.

Now think of those cartoons that we all watch on TV where the toon approaches a railway line. He looks left and there is nothing as far as the eye can see. He looks right and there is nothing as far as the eye can see. He then takes one step forward and an express train cuts him in half. There are restrictions (air resistance for example) but many things may be possible in future.

By far the most dangerous transport will be the time machines themselves as materialising in the same place as another machine, or even where a person is standing will result in death and carnage. That is the risk, and it will not happen often, just as motor racing drivers occasionally crash and some die, but that is the risk they accept when they race.

There will be rules. There must be rules. My rule would be that any time travel should only take place off world, and if possible outside any solar system. The universe is so vast that the odds of disaster are dramatically cut.

Now

2011-09-18T23:41:00.003+01:00

Yesterday is history

Tomorrow is a mystery

Both of these will cease to have meaning once you start travelling in time.

You will only have the ever present now, dealing simply with whatever confronts you at each moment of time you are in. The future and the past will be irrelevant because you can change them, but you cannot change NOW except by what you do, think and say.

It is an alien way of thinking and I have tested it. There is great freedom in it, but a lot of what makes us what we are in modern society is tied up with our jobs, workmates, sports clubs, team mates, social club, friends and family.

All of these would be lost the moment you travelled in time. You could never relate in the same way that you do now. Using the multiple universe theory the first jump may anihilate everything you have ever known. That is unlikely as so many of the close universes are remarkably similar to our own and expectations play a great part in how we perceive the world today. If we expect the bus to be on time it is remarkable how often it will be. Most of us expect something else.

This is the end of weekend one allowing my mind to let some inner secrets out. Let's see how long it takes the men in black to seek out and destroy me.

Experience says it will not be long.

Element 115

2011-09-18T22:54:00.003+01:00

Chemistry was always my weakest subject.

Putting a lump of phospherus into a bowl of water is the sum of all the chemistry I enjoyed at school. If I remember correctly the bowl did not survive.

Recently I was watching a discovery program talking about element 114 being an island of stability in a world of instability. Getting the right number of protons together has proved possible but getting the right number of neutrons in place to stabilise the element has proved to be the stumbling block. Element 114 is about to be created and the scientist stated that nobody has any idea what qualities this element would have although it should be similar to lead and tin.

I have also, you will not be surprised to know, been on websites where they talk about time travel engines and these are apparently powered by element 115 which is must less stable.

Element 115 can warp space in just the way that we need to travel vast distances in a short amount of time. The warp drive, I am convinced, is a long way off, but getting quantities of element 114 is a necessary step on the way.

Having heard that the scientists have now created and stored antimatter in an electro static chamber I have confidence that once stable element 114 is created we will be able to create and store quantities of element 115. I do not believe this will be safe so perhaps that particular experiment should be conducted on the moon or on Mars, where we are planning to go in the foreseeable future.

The analogy I shall draw is that Jesus travelled from Bethlehem to Jerusalem on a donkey because at the time there were no petrol stations on the way so he could refuel his Porsche.

I am trying to put all the theoretical pieces in place to create a time machine although I have no money, no technical expertise, no idea where to start, and no hope since I passed the age when I felt able to take on all comers at whatever they did. Experience teaches us that although we may have good ideas many of our fellow citizens are not ready to hear them. Imagine what people will say when they discover that aliens are here and living amongst us. I know this because I played cricket against the London Underground team made up entirely of West Indians.

These aliens have considerable strength and can hit the cricket ball out of the park using nothing more than expert timing. They can even do this off a good length ball. Incredible super powers that us mortal humans have no means of fighting against.

I need to do more research before I write about epigenomes, but if we can detect the genome that is responsible for time travel we can switch it on and off just by changing our diet. I will eventually work out which vegetables can take you back to last week and which fruits can move you forward to bypass exam week.

Exploring ideas is my forte. If you want facts go somewhere else.

All my love,

Per

Cyndi Lauper - Time after Time 1984

2011-09-18T22:52:00.002+01:00

Time Police

2011-09-17T11:08:00.002+01:00

The Time Police is an organisation I want to set up.

This would make me part of the authorities and thus a hate figure for people like myself who despise authority. I accept that but I also recognise that a certain level of authority is necessary to keep the innocents in any society safe. I personally support the concept of capital punishment although I do recognise that perhaps one in a hundred criminals can turn their life around and become a valuable member of society. That would not be possible if we killed them. The savings from killing rather than jailing murderers and rapists would be enormous. We could then afford much better health care although I expect the government would spend any savings on bigger weapons or better pensions for MPs. I have little faith in those who enter parliament, not because they are all bad, but because the successful ones are self seeking publicists.

N.B. Ireland have just beaten Australia in the group stage of the Rugby World Cup. Yes!

The Time Police would definitely need the James Bond "Licence to Kill" as the dangers of tampering across space and time are potentially catastrophic. For a start we would need any society to understand the implications, so there would need to be a 'time limit'. Because it is a date across the internet let me suggest December 21st 2012 as the date before which any time travellers would be summarily executed. After that date any journeys should be logged for data tracking purposes. Any computer professional understands the need for comprehensive logging if they want to solve a problem.

If we did set that as the date then knowing human nature as I do there would be a rush in the future to be the first one to travel back at midnight plus a second on 22nd December and return home saying "I was the first". There would be many attempts that missed and I think we can see them in the sky from time to time. Unidentified Flying Objects are those failed attempts.

Accidents would be common place and in that first rush I would expect to see a mass of debris as hundred of time travellers tried to occupy the same space and time just as cars trying to occupy the same bit of road at the same time crash, or ships trying to occupy the same bit of sea crash, craft would be badly damaged trying to be the first back to the point when time travel became legal.

Time travel should really be restricted to outer space where there is (lets face it) a lot of space. The Earth is extremely crowded when you look at the universe. Any attempt to travel even above the surface of the earth which is certainly much safer than trying to travel on the surface of the Earth would carry the risk of bumping into something that is not there, was never there, but appears there at the same time as you do.

There is another aspect to time travel that we need to think about. Instrument failure. All the equipment that I have ever know has failed at some point. I accept that we are getting better and there are some new items (my car for example) that have yet to fail but experience tells me that the time will come. We should, therefore, have a method of knowing what time period we are in whenever we move through time. I propose that the International Space Station starts broadcasting a date and time stamp across the universe accessible to all.

Visitors approaching Earth can then use this, even extrapolating it back into the past, to contact us with any knowledge they have. I trust that aliens have recorded much of our past history and if we ask the right questions of the right monitoring group we will find out much more about what has been going on throughout history.

As I have said before, you are entitled to call me mad but I want to explore the possibilities rather than remain restrained within a fixed time with little hope of escape.

The Time Police must be feared but will also be a target just as the conventional police are now.

Crop Circles

2011-09-17T10:33:00.003+01:00

The phenomenon know as Crop Circles holds a fascination for me.

I would like to find some meaning in everything I look at and after listening to some art critics waxing lyrical or as my mate says "talking bollocks" it is possible to read into what you are looking at far more than was originally meant unless you have access to the artist and know exactly what he was thinking at the time.

The significance of "The last supper" with its hidden reference to the possibility that Mary was one of the disciples of Jesus and a woman who "washed his feet" when academics are aware that feet was the slang for private parts in the common language of the time gives me hope that the more we learn the more we can interpret but only by working together and accessing the little nuggets of knowledge held by others.

Crop Circles have been faked by many and the authorities want us to believe they are all man made but when traces of radiation are found at the scene I prefer to believe that the circles have been left by an 'other' intelligence that may or may not be trying to communicate with us.

As we know Egyptian hieroglyphs were unintelligible until the discovery of the rosetta stone. At that point we were able to begin translation and have learned a lot since by working through the texts/pictures to recover the information left behind by an earlier civilisation.

I think it unlikely, if the crop circles are left by an extra-terrestrial society, that we will find the tablet with both human and other world translations on so we will need to use another technique if we are to work out what the circles mean but I have been on at least one website where there is an attempt to translate the circles and their meaning which is trying to make us aware that we can make a power source using water.

I don't know if you remember a few years back when a couple of scientists claimed to have been able to make a cold fusion reactor using seawater. I thought at the time that if this were true the authorities would have to cover it up in double quick time or we would all have our own power and the oil companies would lose millions, the governments would lose millions in tax, the generating companies would lose millions. For all these reasons I believe it is true and that cold fusion exists.

Going back to Crop Circles. Think of our own society and the graffiti that we find on our walls and bridges and trains. Some of it is pure art from the mind of the artist, some of it is a cry for help ... "George Davies is innocent" (he was not) ... some of it is teenagers adding their tag as an "I was here" memo. There are many kinds of graffiti and so I believe there will be many kinds of Crop Circle, from teenagers in their whizzo spacecraft tagging the Earth through to genuinely caring extraterrestrial folk wanting to give us a heads up if there are things we can do to help ourselves.

Since space and time are now talked of as one thing and the concept of "warp" travel is being used in scientific circles I think we need to understand that with any time travelling comes the knowledge that the entire universe and perhaps many universes come within our reach once we start and just like trying to teach rocket science to junior school pupils we need to take one step at a time to understand what the future will hold once time travel is possible.

For a start the concept of future will no longer be a valid one. Think about that for a minute.

Unidentified Flying Objects

2011-09-17T10:02:00.002+01:00

The phenomenon called UFOs has always held a fascination for me.

I worry when I hear the authorities (persons of limited intelligence who always follow the rules) talk about impossibly fast aircraft. The secret to me is simply understanding that these craft are space/time vehicles.

We are always hearing that the object "Hung in the sky for hours" or "Suddenly shot across the sky". Both of the these are simply explained by placing the objects in their own time/space.

We have all heard that the astronauts who went into space are two seconds younger than the rest of us because of the way that gravity changes time. Using that understanding but ramping it up by a large factor you can realise that a craft in its own time/space may experience a few seconds while we watch it for hours, and equally it may take minutes to travel across the sky while we watch it do so in a fraction of a second.

These UFOs are time machines and we would do well to capture one. There is strong evidence to suggest that we have already done so and I am a believer that Area 51 contained the remains of a craft that crashed in Roswell. I also saw early pictures from Google Earth before the authorities started monitoring and banning some of the imagery. There were flying discs and landed discs in several places on Earth that are no longer there in the latest imagery. Either this was a bit of fun orchestrated by the owners of Google Earth or it was the truth that has now been covered up as all authorities do to preserve the status quo.

If you spot a UFO please record it as best you can. I know there are thousands of fake UFO clips on You Tube for every one that is an accurate record of what happened but I love exploring the clips and trying to gain understanding about what is happening from those that are genuine.

The truth will always come out in the end. We know a lot more now about the past using new and varied forensic techniques and analysis. Geologists theorise about the past and gradually piece together how the Earth has changed over millions of years. We can recover the bones of dinosaurs but what if creatures existed millions of years before that and have now been subducted into the Earth's mantle?

These thoughts are spewing out at the moment, but given time I hope to format them, and if I do not, at least they are now out there for somebody else to read, digest and either reject or use to take the journey towards time travel forwards.

The Dream

2011-09-17T06:48:00.002+01:00

My happiest times have always been while travelling.

I do understand the phrase 'Enjoy the journey' as I was brought up to achieve. You wait and wait while the journey is going on and then tick the box when you arrive. This results in a moment of pleasure when, by enjoying the journey, the pleasure could have been continuous.

So, while my dream for years has been to use a time machine to discover what actually happened rather than rely on reports of history written by the winners, I will use the analogy of the well known question "How do you walk to India?" to which the answer is you start with the first step in an easterly direction.

I have been watching the Discovery channel and I have been told that the scientists have now proved mathematically that time travel is possible. Harking back to Leonardo Da Vinci and his drawings of flying craft long before air travel was a reality I am certain that there is no harm in dreaming now of what is currently impossible.

I have done so much thinking about the various issues and technicalities that it will take a lifetime to put it all down on paper but the theory is that we need to achieve truly massive acceleration but at zero velocity. Talk to any right minded person and they will tell you that is quite impossible, but get hold of the dreamers and their minds immediately come up with "Rotation".

The observing history theory is that all you need to do is travel away from the incident faster than the speed of light and then train a powerful telescope on the place you came from to see what actually happened. Why not?

In one of my dreams I travelled to a centre for journeys through time and the portal was explained to me as a rotating ring with some kind of particles travelling close to the speed of light being fired from all sides so as they pass each other in the middle of the ring the speed of transition can at maximum be close to twice the speed of light.

This meant that if both streams were travelling at half the speed of light the transition was the speed of light and the time transfer was consequently zero. Adjusting the speed resulted in the passage through time both forward and backward. There was also a warning issued was that was a one way journey. It was not possible to return the same way. I remember choosing not to use the device.

That was all a dream but another adage passed down through the generation is "Hold onto your dreams" with the hope that perhaps one day they may come true.

There is so much to discuss that if you have any thoughts I would welcome them.

I have no problem with being perceived as mad. The best people in history were perceived as mad because they refused to accept the status quo and set about the task of changing society.

2011-09-15T18:54:00.002+01:00

A rare post in Peregrinnings for my fan.

I am still alive.

It does always seem like it however.

The long cold summer is over and it should warm up now autumn is here.

:)

Nicholls out

2011-07-13T22:37:00.002+01:00

I am delighted to hear that misery guts Scott Nicholls has been dropped from the Great Britain team in the Race-Off in Gorzow. His comment that the team could not perform without Lee Richardson was another downer in so many "I am the best. My team are rubbish." comments I have heard from him over the years.

The team spirit will now be twice or even three times as strong. Ex Falcons Bomber Harris and Ben Barker can lead the way with good support from an ever improving Edward Kennett, the always competitive "Dryml sisters" Tai Woffinden, and the enigmatic maybe he will maybe he wont Lewis Bridger.

I am looking forward to this meeting so much more now that the loser has been dropped.

Living for a day

2011-05-02T13:51:00.003+01:00

Today is the first time I have felt alive for a long time.

Perhaps it is the arrival of spring, the arrival of May, the warm weather, but I think it more likely that the proliferation of Bank Holidays has given my body the rest it has long needed.

The probability is that the return of the speedway season with a chance to see a side representing the Exeter Falcons has sparked something long dead.

It is not much, but it is a spark well alight amid the ashes of broken dreams.

Now I have to make the most of the feeling.

2010-08-07T20:05:00.001+01:00

I was not kidding.

There seems to have been hardly time to breathe.

It's all good though.

No blog means no need to blog.

I am just enjoying life in all its fullness.

Love you.

2010-02-16T21:38:00.001Z

To my fan.

I am still alive.

Just very busy.

Hertford

2009-08-31T09:48:00.002+01:00

Sunday gave us an opportunity to meet friends that we have not seen in five years as we drove from Exeter to Hertford and back in a day for a one hour dedication ceremony and an hour and a half of coffee and chat.

We attended the methodist church there where there seems to be a vibrant church full of young children and babies. The star of the show spent much of the time crawling around behind the lecturn or being passed from parent to parent. This one is going to be an explorer.

We got a chance to hold him at one point but he was far more interested in the map of the world than in us. Perhaps the fact that his parents were born 12,000 miles apart has something to do with it. He has northern and southern hemisphere genes in his body.

Today is bank holiday monday and I cannot remember the last time we had no plans for such a day but school starts quickly this season as Dawn is back to work tomorrow so today will be the day of rest in place of yesterday.

The Holiday

2009-08-29T09:50:00.002+01:00

We got away, thanks to mother, on a very pleasant cruise of the Adriatic.

Flying out to Heraklion in Crete we joined up with Ocean Village Two or as we have renamed it (along with many others) Butlins-on-Sea with all the charm and sophistication associated.

To be fair, the accommodation was excellent with no bits falling off like some other ships we have been aboard. Sadly, the decor improvement was at the expense of choice of things to do and places to go on board. There is no cinema, no library and no nightclub. The choice of food was less than previous experiences but I cannot complain as there was an excellent selection of fish so I was in my element.

It took us a while to relax but after a day at sea we were in Dubrovnik and walking the city walls in intense heat. It was a delight to get back to the swimming pool and dive in to cool off. We then found out that rather unusually the jaccuzzi was cold. The HOT TUBS on BUTLINS-ON-SEA are COLD. This, we decided between us and other clientelle, was another cost cutting measure of which there seemed to be many.

The second port of call was Venice, a lovely city in north east Italy. My memory will be of my wife spotting the buildings at sea level and commenting "There is something in the sea". I knew instantly that we were fast approaching the city in the sea and fortunately we had to cruise through the main canal offering top quality views of the main island and surrounding islands. We also spotted the base of a new barrier that is being built to protect the city from the worst tides of the future.

Dubrovnik and Venice are both tourist traps full of trinket shops selling identical trinkets at identical prices. We were much happier when we stopped off on the Croatian island of Korcula. This proved to be a tender port, meaning that the cruise ship anchored offshore and we were delivered to the quayside by tender. We disembarked early and found a lovely cafe overlooking a bathing beach where we tried to local brew 'Lasko'. Like many I have tried in my life I will be very surprised if that is not in the English supermarkets before long.

From there we moved on to another tourist trap. Corfu town in Corfu was full of trinket shops selling identical trinkets at identical prices. Come on you tourist traps, at least make us buy things by varying your prices so we can think we are getting a bargain somewhere. Following a morning suffering the tourist shops we took a tour of the island during which I was educated. I have always loved the word Kumquat and I knew it was a fruit but I have never in my life seen such a small orange. Think Orange, Satsuma, Tangerine, shrink it down to the size of a grape and you have a Kumquat. We tried the spirit brewed from it and decided not to buy. The next stop on the tour was a beach resort where we indulged in an ice cream. The coach then wound up the mountain using those narrow roads where you can look out of the window and see no road but a steep drop. We also passed the worst traffic lights in the world. Fifty seconds of green are followed by seven and a half minuted of red. This allows a convoy to make its way through a very narrow lane the full length of a village. This is a four or five minute drive but our coach slowed as the windows came within centimetres of the walls on the corners. The view from the top was a bit special and no doubt my wife will put the photographs on facebook.

The last port of call was Zakinthos where I was able to purchase a pair of turtle bottle openers and a turtle kids bag for the next door neighbours. I still, however, have not seen a turtle, so if I go back for a third time I must take a trip to the turtle farms on the island. This time we sat outside the main church enjoying a quiet pint of the local brew (name not known) (too relaxed) when a firecracker disturbed the silence at precisely eleven o'clock. This was followed by the locals firing guns into the air and many other firecrackers obviously part of a celebration that I found unusual primarily because this was a wednesday.

We returned to Heraklion and flew back to Britain leaving early but once back in our own country life immediately became unpleasant again as we were met by the Gatwick Gestapo who treated us like criminals and made us wait two and a half hours for our baggage. Welcome home to the worst country in the entire world.

I may add more about Gatwick Airport later but it would contain too many expletives if I were to write it now.

Hectic Life

2009-08-18T21:39:00.002+01:00

I would much rather be busy than bored but just lately we have been so busy that there has been no time to think, let alone achieve all the targets that we started aiming for at the start of the year.

Work has become a drain rather than a boost so something needs to change in that department. The role I had worked myself into has been ripped apart and I have been left with a rather dreadful portfolio that will require more time than I have to resolve. Time will tell, but I have no time for anything at the moment.

Now - Find the positive in all that - No time to worry about the really important issues.

I need a holiday so I think I may just take one.

Genesis - Follow You Follow Me

2009-06-13T12:52:00.001+01:00

AND A TRUE FAVOURITE - FROM OUR WEDDING - FOLLOW YOU FOLLOW ME

Deep in the Motherlode by Genesis

2009-06-13T12:51:00.001+01:00

And this one with one of those haunting lines that keep coming back to me ................. what if you had no friends and were so alone that there was ....................... no-one to pray for a safe journey home?

Snowbound by Genesis

2009-06-13T12:50:00.001+01:00

One from back when I had emotions and would FEEL the music

Renaissance - Northern Lights (1978)

2009-06-11T22:19:00.001+01:00

I have been searching for a version of this that sounds good through the headphones and this is it. ENJOY.

Nazareth - Love Hurts

2009-06-11T22:11:00.001+01:00

Aint that the truth

Sweet-Love is Like Oxygen ( 12" long version )

2009-06-11T21:49:00.002+01:00

This is a very happy memory from the past. I got a new record player with speakers more than twice as loud as the previous set and used to fall asleep listening to this one through the headphones to get the full effect of the stereo.

Gollob dropped by Boyce

2009-06-06T17:19:00.001+01:00

This sort of thing just does not happen any more.
Why did we replace emotions with professional etiquette?

Authoring

2009-05-08T22:08:00.002+01:00

I have an ambition.

It is to create a world where people can be themselves.

The problem with this is that individuals are so diverse that what suits one person may well be HELL to another. I loved the fantasy world of DOOM on my computer. The rules were easy as it was a simple game. Anything that moved had to be killed. There was a time when I could have brought that attitude to the real world in the city of LONDON. I can understand when one person snaps and kills another but it is certainly antisocial behaviour.

In a totally free world we would have the right to kill those who displease us, but that would take away their right to displease us as much as they want. I certainly curse with the most painful cancers all those who deliberately blew smoke in my face when I was a young innocent in the city. There are worse curses wished upon those who committed worse antisocial behaviours.

Church teachings suggest that we must forgive those that sin against us. Why? The reason is that we may well have upset others without intent and without realising what we were doing. I know this is the case in my life when I think back. Many times I cracked jokes aimed at one individual with the intent of entertaining others in the group. It is only years later that I know how painful that experience can be for some at certain times.

My world will be perfect in every way. It will be the same as the world that we have now. I shall explain that logic in a future post.

Approaching Chalkwell Station

2009-05-01T22:12:00.001+01:00

I used to travel to London every day from Leigh-on-Sea station until I got my own place in Chalkwell. That short extra journey from Leigh-on-Sea to Chalkwell has the finest of views over the Thames estuary. Here they are.

Somerset v Newport - 27-03-09

2009-03-29T12:42:00.001+01:00

I was there.

This was the race of the night.

Full marks to Mark Lemon who never stopped trying.

Eve Appeal

2009-03-27T07:55:00.002Z

It is dress down day at work today.

This is in aid of the Eve Appeal. The Eve Appeal is collecting for research into Ovarian Cancer which is known as the silent killer because there are usually no signs until it is too late.

In an odd twist of fate Dawn is going in for an operation on her ovaries. We trust that it is merely endometrial tissue that has accumulated and not the dreaded cancer but we will only know once the lump is removed and analysed. The doctors are taking it seriously enough to get her into hospital within the month.

The Speedway season started on 15th March and we visited Newport to see Kevin Doolan win the event while our men finished third and fourth. A good start to the season. Today I expect to get my first visit to Somerset but I am not 100% certain of going as it is only a challenge match.

The weekend sees a break that is rare as we have had busy weekends for several weeks on the trot. I should be able to catch up on the paperwork. Maybe the bills will get paid at last.

It is a boring old week for football as the internationals take over from domestic competition and as we all know England are rubbish. Arsenal have 16 players taking part in internationals but not one of my team is playing for England.

For both of you who read my blog at last I have made two entries in quick succession.

Enjoy.

N

ALL CHANGE

2009-03-24T20:01:00.002Z

All apart from me that is.

My wife has a new job description and new role although she is staying at the same school.

My daughter has left her old company as the management there never offered her any support (read "English Management") and she is starting with a new company in a similar field that may have better prospects for advancement.

I am still ticking over in fourth gear which is like cruising on a motorway as there is always plenty to do but I am rarely challenged. I turn up at 9 am and start churning Emails and that keeps me going until 5 pm. Some days the Emails come in faster than I can deal with them and on odd occasions I clear the In-Box and grab a cup of coffee.

I think ENGLISH MANAGEMENT have been told to utilise all staff to 100% capacity which actually means that if there is a rush or a crisis there is nobody left to do that work. I am not surprised that so many members of the public are exasperated by their experience with corporations. Most staff I know do their utmost to keep customers happy but the simple fact is that most English Companies are under resourced.

Hang on! I just told the truth! In England that usually results in a P45 for whistle blowing. The most powerful people are covering up their raping of the English way of life by removing all those who object to the replacement of SERVICE by PROFIT.

I suppose I should fight for what is right but if you look back through history the pace-setters mostly ended up dead or imprisoned. Only after their efforts did society actually change.

Last night I watched a television program about the National Health Service. I am angry that a good friend of mine when I was younger lost a job that she loved as she was an S.E.N. who really cared about people. The NHS has been very careful to remove all those who care about people and replace them with Highly Qualified people who can process the objects that arrive at their doors.

The NHS now rewards all those trusts that cut costs. The quickest way to cut costs is to reduce patient care so that is what most trusts have done. So what if a few patients die as long as the books balance at the end of the day. Sack five nurses and employ an administrator that can cook the books and the following year you will get more money to employ the nurses you needed this year. I understand the logic but I cannot agree with it.

AND HAVE YOU NOTICED ALL THE ROADWORKS EVERYWHERE NOW IT IS MARCH?

This is because the government take back any money that has not been spent so councils across the country are wasting as much money as they can as quickly as possible. I hate this God Damned country.

CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR

2009-01-02T19:53:00.002Z

Lovely times.

I have taken the opportunity to relax and although we have done some sorting and clearing most of the time has been spent relaxing.

Tomorrow, we resume normality, starting with the weekend.

Jessica and I intend to walk on Dartmoor this coming Sunday morning.
See you there!

Queen Seven Seas of Rhye

2008-11-22T19:08:00.001Z

The first single I ever bought.

The Jam - Going Underground

2008-11-22T08:30:00.001Z

My Boss (the best boss I ever had by the way) always played this one after my two. At the time I just thought is was his favourite song. Now I see it may have been a message for me.

If it was boss, it took me 20 years but I get it now.

The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again

2008-11-22T08:12:00.001Z

THE PURE VERSION

They used to love me when I would put this on the jukebox. I always got black looks as I always got more than my 3 minutes.

I called it value for money, eight and a half minutes of music for the same price as they get their three minutes.

I loved winding them up. Great days!

The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again - Synchronized

2008-11-22T08:08:00.001Z

My all time favourite of all time played at different times. An interesting comparison with the passion from the past when people had feelings and as a result there was a lot more trouble and a more recent version from today's sanitised society where feelings are suppressed to keep society safe.

Renaissance - Northern Lights (1978)

2008-11-22T07:50:00.001Z

I should add the song that I was searching for when I found that so here it is.

Renaissance - The Paper Lads

2008-11-21T21:40:00.001Z

O.K. I picked this up after searching for a few favourites including Northern Lights by Renaissance.

U2 - Bloody Sunday

2008-10-19T19:30:00.001+01:00

This song always reattaches me to my emotions. The events of this song took place during my youth and it made me angry to know that my government condoned murder. It still does but there are much greater controls and they are mostly Iraqis or Afghanis. They also keep it off TV which is the key to hearts and minds.

My life today has become classically comfortably numb. I cannot get worked up about world affairs because I choose not to take too great an interest. I have a nice safe family life and a nine to five job.

Should I relight the fire of my youth or accept the calming waters of maturity?

I guess it is a question that many people face as they advance through life.

Don't leave it too late to fight YOUR fight as the passion wanes with age.

New

2008-07-16T22:50:00.001+01:00

July 2008 is a new start.

I have got a new phone and a new contract.

We have a new wall in the garden.

More NEWs later!

Love,

Me

FreeBird-Lynyrd Skynyrd-Lyrics Included

2008-07-02T20:15:00.001+01:00

Instant High as soon as the introduction started.

Could be good - Will probably be disappointing

2008-06-26T07:18:00.002+01:00

This weekend in 2007 was the highlight of the year.

On Friday we head for Somerset and the Premier Pairs competition which last season was probably the best meeting of the season in terms of racing.

On Saturday we headed for Cardiff and the British Grand Prix expecting a let down after such a great Friday night and Chris Harris went and won the event.

How can you beat that? You cannot!

The weekend starts tomorrow.

Weekend Away

2008-06-01T21:19:00.002+01:00

Brilliant weekend.

London was welcoming and still buzzing.

The sun was shining brightly all day.

We parked the car for £1 all day, and got a travel card for £5-90 each.

Arriving at London Bridge we walked the length of the South Bank to get to the London Eye.

At the top of the ride that British Airways call a flight there was a problem. We stopped and stayed with the best view for 5 minutes.

We spotted that the trooping of the colour was going on in Horseguards Parade so we made our way over in good time for the procession down The Mall. Those horses are definitely not toilet trained.

We headed for lunch as the sweepers appeared to clear up the mess and ended up in Chiquitos, Leicester Square eating Mexican food.

We then wandered through the Trocadero which changes with the month, but still exudes the feeling of tackiness. From there up Regent Street to Hamleys. A quick look at Oxford Street followed by a gentle stroll through the backstreets to Cambridge Circus where we stopped for a drink and reminded ourselves how good Les Miserables was which we both saw at the Palace Theatre many years ago.

We met a friend at Chandos in Trafalgar Square but moved on when I was reminded that it is a Samuel Smiths pub and I no longer enjoy those odd tastes like I used to.

From there we caught the tube to Arsenal station for my first visit to the Emirates Stadium. Bruce Springsteen was playing live at the start of his UK tour. The music went on and on clearly enjoyed by all the performers and we left the stadium shoulder to shoulder with thousands of other fans, mostly middle aged.

To avoid the massive queues at all the local tube stations I marched Dawn away from the crowd and around to Finsbury Park but she was so glad I did when we saw the massive queue outside the station coming direct from the stadium. We were deemed members of the general public and allowed into the station as we were coming from another direction.

Our train was not crowded and we picked up the car safely to drive back to the hotel arriving at midnight thirty.

To move on from Bruce and his own lyrics:

"Today we walked in the sun."

Speedway Grand Prix is back

2008-04-27T12:33:00.002+01:00

Last night was a wonderful change as it has been a long winter and the Speedway Grand Prix season is back with a vengeance. The start of the meeting was fantastic and it made a massive change from the last one at the end of last year.

The final meeting of 2007 was probably the dullest meeting all year as the was a single line only that worked, so nobody made a passing move after the first three corners. Last night, the passing went on throughout all four laps as riders made their moves using many available lines, resulting in Speedway at its best as one passing move was followed by an immediate pass back.

We have started a Fantasy Grand Prix competition on the Exeter Falcons Fans Forum and I am firmly planted at the foot of the table after the first meet of the season. Things can only get better from here on in.

Today we have an oppressive atmosphere similar to those that preceded a thunderstorm. I wonder what the afternoon has in store.

HELLO

Little Daisy has just stuck her head up under my elbow and is resting her head on the front of the computer to see what I am doing. She is now looking up at my face and can see that I am focussed on the screen. Daisy is our 'old lady' cat.

Bye all.

Show of Hands - are we alright?

2008-03-27T06:14:00.007Z

But we are alright.

Show of Hands Country Life

2008-03-27T06:14:00.005Z

I came down here to escape the city. I have found my country life but at what cost to the locals?

Show of Hands

2008-03-27T06:14:00.003Z

Our favourite duo filmed in some of our favourite surroundings.

Airbus A320 Failing to Land

2008-03-27T06:14:00.001Z

Landing is the most dangerous part of flying. The pilot made the right decision in this clip.

Somerset Speedway Starts

2008-03-22T14:31:00.002Z

I spent last night on the back straight at Somerset Speedway shivering to stay alive and refusing to fill in my program as the risk of frostbite was so great.

Dawn could not last beyond heat 9 so headed for the Clubhouse early to try and warm up again.

I myself lasted until Heat 14 then, knowing that there is usually a delay before heat 15, I joined her and gradually turned the blocks of ice on the end of my legs into feet that could drive us back home to bed.

I decided not to poke my head out of the clubhouse to watch heat 15 and apparently I missed the heat of the night. This was Somerset. There is no heat in the night. I was happy to be back in the warm with a pint of beer in my hand.

On returning home we watched the final episode of series 2 of ROME. We have noticed that the Discovery Channel is starting to show the first series of ROME from the beginning of April. It is adult entertainment with plenty of sex and violence but I cannot recommend it highly enough.

They have gone for realism and the extra features inform us that the characters live before the Judeo-Christian Era so they have none of the hang-ups about Sex or Killing that we live with. It was undoubtedly a freer society but as a result of that freedom it was more dangerous.

I struggle with the FREEDOM v. SAFETY arguments as I loved my time in Australia, walking to the edge of cliffs with no safety barriers there to stop people falling over, and hearing that only in Australia does the chandelier drop suddenly onto the audience rather than (as in England) being lowered slowly (Health & Safety) during 'Phantom of the Opera'.

I must now find you some U-Tube moments to enjoy.

They often make other people's blogs for me.

Sunday Morning

2008-03-16T09:09:00.002Z

It is Sunday morning and we are off to Newport to see Nick Simmons Testimonial.

Let us hope the weather holds and we have some exciting racing.

Sam is here. Jessica is up. Barry is excited.

Nevs is going to miss the event because his boss will not give him the time off.

Completions

2008-03-10T21:11:00.002Z

This week has been a week of completions.

At work, several efforts that have received resistance from associated departments finally reached fruition, relieving me of that 'determination to complete' that drives me forward on every front.

I finished 'The Amber Spyglass' and although I do not share Phillip Pullman's atheistic beliefs I do understand why he wrote the book and agree with his viewpoint in so many ways. The church does keep people in the dark about the truth, and thinking brings about the serious danger of separation from 'The Norm'.

The sand and cement that have been blocking the garage were finally carried upstairs along with many bricks at the weekend. That certainly explains why I seem to be stiff and strained today. The bricks have been laid in the stairway to heaven to stop it becoming overgrown so quickly.

My wife and I have been watching the series ROME in bed each evening and we arrived at the climax where Caesar is stabbed to death in the Senate. We now have to get series two and start watching that.

The winter season has now been completed and Speedway (a summer sport) is starting once again. We are off to Newport on Sunday to watch an old favourite of ours have his testimonial meeting.

The plans for Dawn's 50th Birthday all came together and we watched the Ice Show in the week leading up to her birthday as well as Starlight Express in the week after her birthday. On her birthday weekend we hosted a party for the various disparate groups that we know and all seemed to enjoy a quiet but friendly affair.

I have managed to Tax the car and booked the M.O.T. and once I have paid for the insurance and breakdown cover we will be poor again. February every year is a time of great expense.

Now I must check out the Show of Hands Tour of Topsham.

I will be back after another dreadfully long break.

My time of day

2008-02-24T12:26:00.001Z

7-3 To the Whites

2008-02-13T22:11:00.002Z

We won 7-3 tonight.

We went 1-0 up early on and then a genuine struggle kept the game at that score for some time.

They equalized when I was left exposed. My opponent had all the goal to shoot at and made no mistake hitting the far post as I covered the near one.

More midfield battles followed before we started to get the upper hand with 2 or 3 goals in quick succession. The remaining goals all came when the players were tired and the result was beyond doubt.

I feel confident and it is in large part due to my Arsenal heroes setting a fine example for me to follow. Watching both Lehman and Almunia make mistakes but come back from them to perform where necessary is a great lesson.

The best lesson is watching Hleb, Rosicky, Flamini & Fabregas dominate the game most of the time. They must use the language of football as they all speak different foreign lingos.

Teamwork does not require dialogue but it does require understanding and experience.

Did I tell you we won 7-3 tonight?

Yeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssssssssss!

I think my competitive streak is back.

Arsenal

2008-02-12T18:23:00.001Z

Arsenal won 2-0 last night.

We are 5 points clear at the top of the table.

I am happy.

Sidmouth Today

2008-02-09T21:12:00.000Z

It was a good day.

We started out this morning by taking my suit to the cleaners.

We then drove down the hill to pick up some liquid assets from the automated teller machine before picking up some medication and a newspaper, popping in to see our well-known local parrot and a lop-eared rabbit, some budgies, guinea-pigs and wide awake tortoises.

While we were shopping we picked up some gift cards and got money put on them to act as birthday presents for a couple of girls with birthdays. One of the girls we forgot about back in January and the other we rarely see, so we can only hope that this is a satisfactory offering for them both.

We had been invited out for lunch by a friend, so we set off to pick him up, but were attracted by the record low level of water in the local river, by the quay, so we stopped to take a few photos before picking up our friend by the side of the road in Heavitree.

Before heading for Sidmouth we visited my wife's sister to present her with a birthday invitation. As my wife is approaching a big one we are having a friendly function in a nearby local pub to celebrate the passing of the years. She provided us with tea as we sat and discussed the craft of making birthday cards.

A short stop to drop off one of the birthday gift cards was followed by a drive to an out of town health food store. My wife picked up an assortment of healthy eating from Joshua's Harvest Store in Ottery St. Mary. The choice there is excellent and I am glad the place is still an unsung secret. Our friend got himself an assortment of unusual jars.

The drive down to Sidmouth was pleasant with the car windows open on a warm winter's day in February. The views of wide open countryside meant we had left town life far behind until we arrived on the edge of Sidmouth town where I was introduced to a free car park that I had not been aware of before.

We wandered down into town and ate at a place called The Chattery where the food was very hot, delivered to the table very quickly and exactly as ordered. I could not fault the catering but I have no idea of the cost as our friend met the bill.

We then visited a shopping mall and picked up two 'missing items' from earlier shopping trips. We found birthday balloons with the right number on and a reasonably priced pot of superglue.
After that success we headed for the seafront and enjoyed the bright sun directed painfully straight into our faces (due to the low level sun at this time of year).

Wandering along I was introduced to Jacobs Ladder. I think originally it was a steep cliff walk but today it is a metal structure to take you from the bottom of the cliff to the top. I am very sorry but I had to prove I have not lost it so I ran up the steps. Recovery period may be extended slightly but I have still got it.

We wandered back through the gardens and down the hill into town for a coffee at Moccha's.
Then, after a lovely and productive day we wandered back up the hill to pick up the car and head home. Our friend, Jim, fell asleep in the back of the car. That is a good indication of a great day out enjoyed by all involved.

We stopped off at home for an hour before I had to take my wife for her induction at the gym that she has just joined. I am seriously impressed by her eagerness to train and I know it will do her the world of good as long as she remains injury free. I considered whether I should swim wile she had her induction but I opted for the pub over the road and had a pint while I read the paper.

I found out that Phil Beer (a local musician) has started his own record label. I found out that the M1 had been blocked at junction 18. I found out that I could complete the puzzle and the medium sudoku and I am halfway through the hard one. My wife joined me after her session and after a short drink (she was on the sparkling minerals) we headed for home and a deserved rest after a glorious day.

Tomorrow we are going to a concert with Steve Knightly as the main attraction.

Rejected AGAIN

2008-02-05T20:46:00.000Z

My latest job application resulted in the standard 'you have not been selected' letter.

I am aware more so than when I was younger of the rampant ageism that exists in society. I will not argue against it, however, because I knew when I was younger that older more stuck in the mud types are blockages to development and advancement. I have found myself making classic 'old person' mistakes like not having the latest mobile phone and not caring about my appearance.

Look at the youth of today and having good looks is all important. I am increasingly aware that my intelligence is no longer relevant in todays society. There is always a specialist in the USA on the end of an internet connection that knows more than I do, so what relevance can I possibly have in the world where 'now or sooner' is the requirement and I am used to doing the full analysis before arriving at the option with the least danger factor.

In my current job I am always being told not to spend too much time curing the underlying problem when a quick fix will do. This is after all modern throw away society, and by the time the problems occurs again we will probably be using a new system, or a new account, or be in a new place with new software and new people operating it.

I accept that in my younger years I got just about every job I went for and I was supremely confident as a result. I would not swap that for a new job now. My young luck was important to me at the time and I will never regret the life I have had to date. Nowadays, however, my age is left off my C.V. because it is a positive handicap to getting an interview.

The world wants young people that, in theory, will be around for the next forty years. They seem not to notice that most move on and up within two years. Leastways those with ability and ambition do. I honestly believe that older workers are far more likely to stick around due in part to the past experience of 'job for life' thinking.

Worry not about me. I do believe in divine guidance and my guidance has simply been to stay where I am and do what I am doing. I know I have been useful in my current role, breaking the rules that others would not have broken. This has meant that my group of accounts are in much better shape than many others who have followed the 'management think' and got themselves into all sorts of problems, mostly because management have decided that profit is more important than customer satisfaction. I personally disagree.

Yes, profit is important, but you should see how some managers argue for weeks over £3,000 yet happily refund £500,000 to large companies because politically it is bad news not to. Size does matter and we all know it, but making losses for political gain, only to have to charge small customers to make up the loss is bordering on pure evil. Welcome to the world today.

Rant over - Normal service will be resumed once I have quit my job.

ARSENAL BEATING JUVENTUS 2-0 AT HIGHBURY

2008-02-02T20:03:00.001Z

This is the match that told me Arsenal would be fine following the loss of Patrick Viera to Juventus.

Spot Cesc Fabregas upending Viera in a tackle that leads to the first goal, then admire Henry as he gets the ball behind him but corrects to score a brilliant second goal.

Then check out that odd character who was managing Juventus at the time. He has moved on.

P.S. Arsenal beat Manchester City today and by deliberately throwing the Cup match by 5-1 gave Tottenham Hotspur the confidence to draw with Manchester United and thus return to the TOP OF THE PREMIERSHIP.

Text Blog

2008-01-26T20:49:00.000Z

Loads to report.

I just don't feel like reporting.

Y.P.

For the uninitiated that stands for 'Your Problem'.

See Ya suckers.

Great News

2008-01-19T18:12:00.000Z

It was great to hear the latest news from some friends of ours.

The News: Tigglet has not changed and his wife is now the same.

The man who got the record for turning up 5 hours late during the Mad Tour and has never ever been on time (except, I have to say, at his wedding) has agreed with his wife that they are now ready to send out their Christmas News Letter, combining it with their New Year Newsletter and it has got to us on January 18th. 25 days beats 5 hours by some margin.

The even better news is that Mike and Rachel are pregnant. While you can never count your chickens until they hatch (is that the right analogy here?) we are so pleased that there is going to be a mini-tigglet. I now make a brave and daring prediction. The baby will be late. It will not arrive on the due date and will take as long as it needs in the womb before emerging into the wilds of Hertfordshire.

Congratulations to Tigglet and Wairua.

Tigglets dating agency's singles meal now only has two remaining singles. Chukovsky is paired with Mad Ferret, Welsh Dragon with Dave the Bass, Soggy Amphibian has got Shoehorn with Teeth, Tigglet himself found the kiwi Wairua, Atlanta and Quizmaster are an item, so come on Corfe and Anselmina, let us know your current dates.

As for the Mad Tourists, is anyone available to race around the country again. Can we afford to what with the cost of marriage, household bills, and the rapidly rising cost of fuel? I am glad we did it when we did and I do intend to do it again. Not just the UK but Europe and perhaps then on to conquer the world.

Dream: When I win the lottery I will organise week one around the UK, week two around Spain and Portugal, week three around France, week four around Germany, week five is a rest in Denmark, week six into Norway and Sweden, week seven in Finland and Russia, week eight in the Ukraine and Moldova (Jack the Lass as interpreter), week nine in Romania and Hungary, week ten in Austria and Switzerland, week eleven in Italy, week twelve we will cruise the Mediterranean and then in week 13 we start the Mad Tour of Africa.

Can somebody please text me next week's winning numbers? Thanks!

Rock Bottom

2008-01-11T19:04:00.001Z

Take 10 minutes out of your life to listen to the UFO Anthem. This one is called "Rock Bottom".

UFO - Doctor, Doctor (LivE)

2008-01-08T21:32:00.001Z

I was searching the entire back catalog of You Tube for any signs of Extra Terrestrial Life on earth, and after much 'lights in the sky' stuff and many spoof scare videos I took a side alley and I have been listening to one of my favourite bands as a youngster.

Please enjoy U...F...O...

The Ground isnt that close.....

2008-01-08T21:13:00.001Z

John Davy, you will love this one!

Girl blowing a bubble

2008-01-08T21:01:00.001Z

Does anyone have her phone number?

Time for a real entry

2008-01-05T18:55:00.000Z

That is enough You Tube videos for a while, unless I come across some really good ones.

We have done Christmas, survived New Year, and have started preparing for the big cost period.

Everything arrives in February, the TV licence renewal, Car Service, M.O.T., Car Tax and Breakdown Cover, Buildings & Contents insurance, and in a bad year Water and Electric bills drop through the letterbox at the same time. I shall be poor for two months afterwards trying to pay off the debt. I must try budgeting.

I have just finished reading Northern Lights by Philip Pullman and as the wife is struggling to get started on it we are going to see the film tonight. I have been warned that the film ends two chapters from the end of the book and I can understand why? The film is for entertainment and the book is for edification.

I got into the book after Mrs Coulter appeared (my type of woman - ambitious for power) and have now started reading the second book which starts in a completely different place. I look forward to seeing the second book marry into the first one at some point ahead. Bring on Mrs Coulter!

Manchester United have just used Wayne Rooney to score two goals against Aston Villa. That sould give them the win in the F.A.Cup.

Right - we are off to the cinema - using Nectar points to pay.

The two talking cats

2007-12-31T14:09:00.001Z

I looked at this one and then discovered that there are dozens of follow-up videos to this one. Check out U-Tube for the best ones.

Jeff Dunham and Peanut

2007-12-31T13:54:00.001Z

More entertainment from Peanut

Peanut and Jeff Dunham # 1

2007-12-31T13:47:00.001Z

More cutting comedy

Achmed dead Terrorist

2007-12-31T13:34:00.001Z

An original act even if some of the jokes are old, and I do hate political correctness so here is an antidote.

306 crash rally

2007-12-29T16:59:00.001Z

Fans can make a difference if there are enough of them.

Speedway-Exeter Oct 10th 2005

2007-12-29T10:03:00.001Z

We have had no speedway in Exeter since this final meeting at the County Ground.

Soccer AM Spot the Scotsman

2007-12-29T09:57:00.001Z

Yep - Always funnier when it is a Scot that is the butt of the joke.

Arsenal Football Club Crossbar Challenge

2007-12-29T09:48:00.001Z

The one that Soccer AM discovered that was not filmed by them.

The Arsenal Song

2007-12-29T09:42:00.001Z

The Arsenal have fans across the globe.

Ship Of Fools Robert Plant

2007-12-28T15:50:00.001Z

This one came up during the Ship of Fools search.

John Cale with Chrissy Hynde and Nick Cave - Ship of Fools

2007-12-28T15:46:00.001Z

Add Chrissy Hynde and what do you get? This one!

World Party - Ship of Fools

2007-12-28T15:41:00.001Z

This came up when I was typing all sorts of things into the search box at You Tube. I shall continue my random typing.

Christmas & New Year

2007-12-26T19:57:00.000Z

December is always a busy time of year and this year has proved no different.

We had Goose for lunch on Christmas Day and along with the Sesame Prawn Toast and Brie with Cranberry parcels we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch.

Jessica was back to work in Boots today (Boxing Day) and I am back at work tomorrow. I then have a good break of 5 days before returning on 2nd January to the backlog of work that always results from any time off.

Arsenal are playing Portsmouth tonight so I must sign off and watch.

Sorry about the long delay but if I am not posting here then I must be happily involved elsewhere.

See you again in a month or two.

Strange World of Google Earth

2007-11-16T23:34:00.001Z

I noticed recently that there have been some updates to Google Earth and in my local area the photographs are no older than a couple of years.

I may even have spotted my car outside the house of a relative.

I wonder if these anomalies have been fixed yet, or are they still building remote parts of the globe?

Power Plant Substation Explodes

2007-11-16T23:21:00.001Z

Never get too close to an Electricity Substation.

Nothing to say once more

2007-11-13T21:23:00.000Z

There is so much going on.

But there is nothing to say.

So be it.

That Emotional Switch

2007-11-10T19:12:00.000Z

That last minute goal at Anfield was one of the Emotional Switches that I remember so well from a long distant past. Football always influenced my young life because I recall going to a very boring 1-0 victory but being happy for a week because we had won, then soon afterwards watching one of the most entertaining matches I had seen (memory purged due to defeat) and being miserable for a week afterwards because of the negative result.

Watching a 90 minute match and being in the position of loser with one minute to go leaves the football supporter in the depths of depression. This is followed a few moments later by the highest elation when a goal is scored and suddenly we are the winners and they are the losers. Oddly it does not seem to work in reverse. Being in a winning position and 'holding on' is a strain on the nerves leading merely to 'release' when the win is confirmed and a gradual rising of the mood as the implications gradually dawn on the individual that the result is confirmed.

Maturity brings with it the understanding that emotional highs and lows can be very damaging and we learn to accept triumph and disaster with the same professional aloofness. The saying goes that something is lost but something is gained in living every moment, every day, and taking all the highs and lows on board. It is true.

Today I decided, after declining an opportunity to watch the Exeter Chiefs take on Northampton at the top of the league that I would invest in Setanta Sports (partly because Arsenal TV is starting up on there soon) so I can now watch the Reading match on Monday night. I was persuaded (for an extra £1.50 a month) to go for one of their packages which includes all my sport (I am happy), all the music channels (Jessica is happy) as well as many more channels including the Biography Channel and National Geographic (Dawn is happy). With so many happy people in the house I think it is worth an extra £10 a month.

I want to support Virgin. They are getting there. Broadband is much better than anything that comes through a BT Line. We have never had a problem with the phones. I only wish they could match the Sky Sports Red Button options. They do not. Sky are too powerful and it will be a dangerous thing if we are compelled down the line of a single provider. They may be the best at the moment but they must be stopped. It would be like letting America police the world. Nobody would be safe.

I must go.

I jumped out of my armchair when this happened

2007-10-27T08:48:00.000+01:00

Another Great Memory

2007-10-27T08:43:00.000+01:00

My own personal football highlight

2007-10-27T08:40:00.000+01:00

Germany & Back

2007-10-24T20:06:00.000+01:00

It has been a busy week or two, partly because normal routine maintenance has to be fitted in along with the adventure that was a Speedway meeting in Germany.

Friday evening we joined the Plymouth supporters coach in Exeter and settled down to a long overnight journey through England, across the channel, then through France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. Arriving at 8:00 am in Dortmund where we had written confirmation that we would be allowed into our rooms for a freshen up, we determined that the staff had not been informed and we were told there was no chance.

Fortunately, thanks to strong bargaining from our organiser and a responsible manager at the hotel, we were treated to a breakfast free gratis to compensate for the lack of a room. I call that a result as we had a good choice from the buffet including bacon, eggs, ham, cheese, croissant, fruit juices, melon, fruit, and other bits and pieces that I was happy to leave.

We got to our room about 10:00, although others had to wait a lot longer. We then slept through to 12:30 as the overnight journey, although affording some slumber, had been less than comfortable.

At 13:00 we left for the stadium, arriving there just before 14:00. Fortunately we spotted a local immigrant market about 500 yards from the stadium and that occupied the next hour or so as we walked to the market, ambled around, and walked back to the stadium.

There was nothing to do at the stadium except buy and drink beer or buy and eat bratwurst. What could we do? We did both. Twice. Dawn thoroughly enjoyed her bratwurst and also spotted a long blue horn retailing for 3 Euros, so I had to buy her one of those. It was money well spent as she enjoyed blowing her trumpet for the next three hours.

As gate opening time approached we made our way to the gate noted on the ticket. After waiting for half an hour there appeared a young German who informed the Germans waiting that this particular gate was not going to open. We had to make our way to another one for the body search. I had a deadly weapon which was a bottle opener with a cork screw. They let me in with no problem. My wife had a bottle of water to quench her thirst. Naturally they took that off her.

The meeting was probably one of the dullest affairs I have ever witnessed as the track was a one line wonder. Anyone that tried to move from the racing line lost position and lost place. The gate was the only place to win any of the races. After lap 1 there was not a single pass all night.

The journey home on the Sunday was a good one as we stopped for a delicious salad on the Dutch motorway, then stopped at a Belgian chocolate shop, and finally a French booze store where we found that most of the prices in Britain are now better than the ones we found over there. Times have changed.

I got kicked at football a week ago. The only problem at the time was pain, but since then the bruising has developed resulting in me collapsing on the floor a week later. I took two days off work to allow the bruising to subside, resting with an ice pack on my leg. I still cannot walk freely but at least the pain has subsided and it no longer feels as if my leg is fluid.

Now, I must find a You Tube video or two for your entertainment.

101 NOT OUT

2007-10-11T21:43:00.000+01:00

I found it.

One of the proudest moments of my life.

I was checking the Rayleigh Cricket Club website and I clicked on statistics, and from there I hit the season 2000 link. I checked the batting averages and looked at the Sunday side. There I am with my highest ever batting score clearing the ton (see the HS column = highest score).

I was never a natural cricketer. My mathematical ability was inate and I seemed to go through to my degree without putting in much effort but I had to work really hard at my cricket. The end result, after 13 long years with Rayleigh Cricket Club was my maiden, and to date only, ton.

I enjoyed my time at the club and in many ways it helped me to grow up. I had to progress from being an ordinary member of a very ordinary side to become captain of a young and progressing team full of characters and enthusiasts. Those were the happiest times, when few of us had any real ability but we all had boundless enthusiasm.

With experience comes knowledge of tricks of the trade and spotting opponents using those tricks to cheat my teams of an honest result eventually took its toll on me. I retired knowing that umpiring standards had reached the level of Darryl Hare. On one occasion I asked an old umpire about a decision and was told he would have been sacked from his club if he had made the right decision. Such is modern club cricket.

Tomorrow, we head for Germany.

Facebook and Old Friends

2007-10-09T19:25:00.000+01:00

Facebook has just entered my family and looking up old friends has become the thing to do.

My wife found that an old boyfriend of hers in now an M.P.

My daughter has linked up with lots of friends she has lost in the five years since leaving school.

I tracked down my old cricket club and details can be found on the website:

http://rayleighcricketclub.org.uk/

One of my old playing partners is leaving the club and I get a couple of mentions in his report.

I joined the club at the same time as he did when we were struggling to get two teams out, and I left when we had four teams with an occasional fifth. Now there are six full teams and a set of colts sides to push the club forward.

I was part of the committee that proposed buying the land and building a clubhouse, started raising funds and made applications to the National Lottery. It is gratifying to know that the acorn has grown into an Oak Tree and the clubhouse now has its own bar raising funds for the club.

I notice that international players are being notified not to apply for a place. That tells me how far forward the club has progressed. A young player that I introduced to the club is playing well and producing results in the first team now.

I must send an Email.

Sunday Cycle

2007-09-30T19:13:00.000+01:00

Today was the day that I took Dawn out on her new bike.

I got a rusty old heap from the recycling centre and pumped up the tyres which seemed to hold despite the obvious age of the rubber judging by the cracks in all places. The first thing I tested was the brakes and I soon worked out that the left hand operates the back brake (safe) while the right hand operates the front brake (accident assist) then I oiled the chain and made sure that the cogs had a coating to cover all the obvious rust.

I have managed to get the 6 back gears working but the chain remained firmly on the smallest front cog, so I was able to go from slow to slightly faster, which is all I needed today. Sixth gear was plenty fast enough to keep up with Dawn, who did not dare use her gears until the journey home. She has now gained in confidence and is happier since I moved her chain to her smallest front cog. She was able to pedal uphill on the way home.

We both walked our bikes up the final steep hill back home but we hope that by the summer at least one of us will feel fit enough to cycle all the way up.

The Mill on the Exe was our cycling stop, where we indulged in a pint of diet coke each.

As a reward for all the effort Dawn put in, and on seeing her glowing rosy cheeks, I took her to the Double Locks for lunch, where we enjoyed an hour's wait for food (we were warned in advance) before enjoying a relaxing afternoon at home.

Now to look at that other cogset and see if I can get all 18 gears working.

I will have a much better chance of killing myself then.

:)

The Results

2007-09-29T16:57:00.000+01:00

SO

England beat Tonga quite easily in the end.

Arsenal have gone 1-0 up away to West Ham (a bogey team in the last few years).

Portsmouth are beating Reading 6-3.

Wales are losing 25-3 to Fiji when they need to win to go through.

If you are reading this a week ahead or further all this will be meaningless, but today, at this point in time, a lot of people are living and dying (emotionally) by the results of these sporting events.

We went out for breakfast to a lovely place called Terry's which is rough and ready and cheap but the service is always fast and the throughput is what keeps them going. I have a bacon sandwich and then my wife, who had ordered the full breakfast, gave me one of her sausages and most of her toast, so I ate big this morning.

I have just picked up my suit from the cleaner's and am hoping to patch together the bicycle we picked up from the recycling centre so that I can keep an eye on Dawn as she rides her new bike for the first time tomorrow.

Now, Wales have just scored two very well worked tries and the conversion is bouncing off the post. 25-22 now. Wales are still in with a chance, and obviously have the upper hand at the moment.

Tickles is fast asleep (when is he ever awake?) lying just in front of my laptop. He is a great example of how to stay laid back in all situations. He would sleep through an earthquake.

Wales now lead 27-25 so it is up to them to lose it now.

Signing off to watch the rugby.

This is looking good.

Ciao

Cardiff Bay

2007-09-25T19:04:00.001+01:00

Brilliant.

The song that first attracted Steve Knightley to the music of Martyn Joseph, set to pictures of Cardiff Bay and the surrounding area.

I particulalry like the way the images are used to give you a real feel of movement and life.

A great effort.

I love it.

Speedway

2007-09-21T21:50:00.000+01:00

It has been a good week for me.

Monday night is Speedway night and Sky Sports were showing both Elite League playoff semi-finals so I was able to watch all the action all night.

Tuesday I finally got to see the Latvian Grand Prix thanks to an unseen friend who recorded it and sent me a copy so that I did not have to miss any of the action.

Wednesday night we took Dawn's nephew Sam up to Somerset for a Double Header as they rode against both Edinburgh and Newcastle on the same evening. A full evening of entertainment.

Thursday I took it easy and simply scanned the Bydgoszcz event but then there was World Cup cricket and World Cup rugby on at the same time. I kept flicking to get updates on the lot.

Friday I was going to go down to Plymouth to watch Allen Trump's Oxford side in action. Dawn is not feeling very well at the moment so we have stayed in and I have started relaxing ready for the weekend.

It is funny how getting older makes you appreciate the quiet times. There was a time when I would have tried to fill every second with some activity or other.

Ireland have just lost to France.

Unknown Friends

2007-09-18T23:01:00.000+01:00

One of the advantages of forming friendships on the internet is that you sometimes receive gifts from friends you have never met and had no idea they were so generous.

One such friend who knows me as a Speedway fanatic very kindly enclosed not ONE but THREE DVDs covering three important meetings over the past three weeks.

I am now watching one of them, I scanned the third (very unexpected one) and I am looking forward to watching the third one another evening.

Thank God for Internet Friends.

Swindon v. Coventry

2007-09-17T22:09:00.000+01:00

Coventry Bees have beaten the Poole Pirates and Swindon Robins have beaten the Peterborough Panthers in a great evening's entertainment on Sky Sports.

Next week we will get the first leg of the final.

Swindon v. Coventry

Speedway is about to reach its climax before we put it away for the winter.

I am preparing to put away happiness and develop depression like the rest of the English.

Today the weather is cold.

Ski-Gliding the Eiger

2007-09-10T21:22:00.001+01:00

As a keen skier, and knowing the area around the Eiger like the back of my hand I would love to be given the chance to do this, although I can see that it is seriously dangerous terrain.

Barbecue Sunday

2007-09-10T21:01:00.000+01:00

This was one very busy day for me.

I had to clear my papers from the lounge so that my wife could prepare the place for visitors. I gave her a hand by hoovering up the cat and rabbit fur and some paper and glitter from the girls attempts to produce some stunning art.

Next I set about the garden after strimming the lawn (more like a meadow) from top to bottom the day before. There were a few tufts that I pulled out with my hands and the back fence then needed to be trimmed as we have some rush fencing with brambles pushing through from the rough land behind. Protruding brambles were given the snip to clean up the fence and I also topped off the tallest bramble branches to prevent overhang.

As guests arrived I made the first pot of tea then set myself up at the barbecue as the first branch of the family arrived. Timing was good as the second family group arrived just as the first lot had finished eating. We has sausages, burgers, chicken kebabs and a few lamb and spicy beef kebabs to go with the assorted salads that had been produced during the morning.

The next door neighbours arrived just as the embers cooled so I had to do a relight to get the food cooked for them. The final arrival was just in time to catch the tail end of the second set of flames.

All this for a 21st birthday celebration. Happy Birthday Jessica.

In the evening (after I had driven one of our guests home - 30 minutes each way) we had our regular Sunday night guests round for a few (more) drinks and a chat.

I had absolutely no problem sleeping.

Through Exeter at Night

2007-09-08T23:18:00.001+01:00

If you come to visit us at night please follow this route then turn left at the roundabout and first left after that.

See you soon.

Greenbelt Weekend

2007-09-08T19:42:00.000+01:00

Memories of this event go back to the late 1970s and I remember back then it was a chance for church raised children to ask all the questions that were stifled in the indoctrinatory methods used back then to whip Christians into a "Christian Shape".

This year, having settled into a 'non-Christian shape' I am far closer to God than ever before. The indoctrination is still evident in some attendees and the freedom from doctrine is clear in the faces of the youth at whom the event was originally aimed. I will admit I object greatly to people of my own age complaining about the noise made by noisy teenagers as that was the whole point of the event for me over 30 years ago.

I enjoyed this year in a different way. Several people pointed out significant changes and I liked the idea of this year's theme. Heaven in Ordinary is so accurate as to be pointedly precise if you are looking for a direction to head if you want to experience heaven on earth.

Alcohol consumption was far lower this year than I can ever remember, which meant we went home with some undrunk bottles. Conversation with one internet friend suggested that we love the idea of being able to relive teenage years and just let go and enjoy the weekend. Maturity denies one that pleasure most of the time.

Music was once again a disappointment. Over the Rhine promised a lot but did not quite deliver in my opinion. The find of the weekend was, less surprisingly, Irish. Duke Special impressed the wife so much that she has gone and ordered an album from the internet. My call was that he produced a 99.99% performance but then "I was there when U2 performed in 1981".

The talk of the weekend for me was listening to another internet friend talk about the day she met her future husband. The emotions were full on as the mystical tale was woven and we were drawn into her complete and total happiness at the result of what happened. A group walk, with people dropping out, a mountain and talk of Scotland have never sounded quite like they did that evening.

Roll on the next one. Go if you get the chance.

Rachmaninov had big Hands

2007-09-08T11:20:00.001+01:00

I have the same problem but now I know the solution.

Too Much Going On

2007-09-06T18:03:00.001+01:00

There is so much going on that I just do not have the time to tell you, so to summarise:

Computer Network Updated to make it secure.

Plans afoot for a barbecue to celebrate Jessica's birthday.

The cats have just got new flea collars and have been fed flea pills.

The rabbits have dug a burrow at the top of the garden.

We have returned from an enjoyable weekend at Greenbelt.

We are booking tickets for a short trip to Germany.

The bills seem to have been all paid for the first time in years.

The 2007 Knockout Quiz has just been started.

I have to update the Fantasy Grand Prix tables now.

Farewell all those who browse this with a caring eye.

Fare badly if you are just a nosey bastard.

Ciao for now.