I think this year I might take the Ringo Starr approach and post the following note on my front door, for the Trick or Treat brigade:
"Clear off. Peace and love, peace and love."
That should do it. LOL
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Eunoia
For this post, like Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, I am largely indebted to the BBC -Eunoia is the shortest word in English containing all five vowels - and it means "beautiful thinking". It is also the title of Canadian poet Christian Bok's book of fiction in which each chapter uses only one vowel.
Mr Bok believes his book proves that each vowel has its own personality, and demonstrates the flexibility of the English language. The book took seven years to research and write. Below there's an extract from one of Bok's chapters:-
from CHAPTER O - FOR YOKO ONO
Loops on bold fonts now form lots of words for books. Books form cocoons of comfort - tombs to hold bookworms. Profs from Oxford show frosh who do post-docs how to gloss works of Wordsworth. Dons who work for proctors or provosts do not fob off school to work on crosswords, nor do dons go off to dorm rooms to loll on cots. Dons go crosstown to look for bookshops known to stock lots of top-notch goods: cookbooks, workbooks - room on room of how-to-books for jocks (how to jog, how to box), books on pro sports: golf or polo. Old colophons on schoolbooks from schoolrooms sport two sorts of logo: oblong whorls, rococo scrolls - both on worn morocco.
BBC Website readers were asked to devise their own little pieces using only one vowel. Here's just a small selection:-
Mr Bok believes his book proves that each vowel has its own personality, and demonstrates the flexibility of the English language. The book took seven years to research and write. Below there's an extract from one of Bok's chapters:-
from CHAPTER O - FOR YOKO ONO
Loops on bold fonts now form lots of words for books. Books form cocoons of comfort - tombs to hold bookworms. Profs from Oxford show frosh who do post-docs how to gloss works of Wordsworth. Dons who work for proctors or provosts do not fob off school to work on crosswords, nor do dons go off to dorm rooms to loll on cots. Dons go crosstown to look for bookshops known to stock lots of top-notch goods: cookbooks, workbooks - room on room of how-to-books for jocks (how to jog, how to box), books on pro sports: golf or polo. Old colophons on schoolbooks from schoolrooms sport two sorts of logo: oblong whorls, rococo scrolls - both on worn morocco.
BBC Website readers were asked to devise their own little pieces using only one vowel. Here's just a small selection:-
I think this is gimmicky! Katherine, Arizona, USA
A Lancs man asks "Can that mad, bad, Yank MacCain catch Barack?" Lancs Man says Yanks want Barack? Fab! Mike W, Lancashire
Every sheep relent ! Seven enter where'er three entrench. Ten express envy. Better repent eh ? Very deep.... James Upton, London
Dull. Dull, ugly, uck:Tumult upturns, hurls, bursts, Curbs plush hush, Dull murmur gusts -Humdrum duck clucks thus. Laura Redfern, Conwy, Wales
John won't borrow Bok's book - too bloody wordy! Only O's? Noooooo! John W, Sheffield
A Lancs man asks "Can that mad, bad, Yank MacCain catch Barack?" Lancs Man says Yanks want Barack? Fab! Mike W, Lancashire
Every sheep relent ! Seven enter where'er three entrench. Ten express envy. Better repent eh ? Very deep.... James Upton, London
Dull. Dull, ugly, uck:Tumult upturns, hurls, bursts, Curbs plush hush, Dull murmur gusts -Humdrum duck clucks thus. Laura Redfern, Conwy, Wales
John won't borrow Bok's book - too bloody wordy! Only O's? Noooooo! John W, Sheffield
CHALLENGE! Can any readers of this blog create their own bits of language using only one vowel? Here's my, admittedly, rather pathetic example:-
Even the defenceless yet excellent Exeter eels "eek" endlessly whenever they bend. Y.Pudding, Sheffield
I heard Christian Bok on Radio 4 today, talking about how the exercise of writing his odd little book had caused him to shelve normal creative channels and instead focus on the whims of language. An unusual notion drawn from his favourite word - eunoia - beautiful thinking. I had never even encountered this word until today.
At The Movies
Went to the cinema last night to see the new Coen Brother's film, Burn After Reading.
Bit of a slow start, building the characters and establishing the set-up but once the plot got going really very funny
. Good strong cast featuring John Malkovich, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Brad Pitt to name but a few.
I don't wish this to sound too negative but to really enjoy this film you have to at least like the Coen style (it's not for everyone I admit) and- I should warn- not be too easily offended. The certificate 15 was deserved to be honest. Coming in at just over an hour and a half there wasn't a single scene I could say was not put to good effect and moved the story along at a pace.
Now where exactly did Harry get the plans for his machine from..? LOL
Unrelated I know to the above but regarding yesterday's snow: Someone made an interesting observation to me. Yesterday morning many car doors were frozen up including my own, meaning they couldn't easily be opened. Picture the scene- you press the clicky thing to unlock, pull the door handle and nothing happens. The door won't budge. Automatically your brain fails to take in the evidence of all the snow and ice, instead reasoning that you must have left the car unlocked over night. So what do you? You press the button again (which of course now locks the car) and frustratingly try the door again. Repeat until common sense kicks in. LOL
Bit of a slow start, building the characters and establishing the set-up but once the plot got going really very funny
. Good strong cast featuring John Malkovich, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Brad Pitt to name but a few.I don't wish this to sound too negative but to really enjoy this film you have to at least like the Coen style (it's not for everyone I admit) and- I should warn- not be too easily offended. The certificate 15 was deserved to be honest. Coming in at just over an hour and a half there wasn't a single scene I could say was not put to good effect and moved the story along at a pace.
Now where exactly did Harry get the plans for his machine from..? LOL
Unrelated I know to the above but regarding yesterday's snow: Someone made an interesting observation to me. Yesterday morning many car doors were frozen up including my own, meaning they couldn't easily be opened. Picture the scene- you press the clicky thing to unlock, pull the door handle and nothing happens. The door won't budge. Automatically your brain fails to take in the evidence of all the snow and ice, instead reasoning that you must have left the car unlocked over night. So what do you? You press the button again (which of course now locks the car) and frustratingly try the door again. Repeat until common sense kicks in. LOL
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Who Next?
David Tennant has just announced he is to step down from the lead in Doctor Who at the end of 2009. Read the story here on the BBC News site.
First Russell Brand quits his radio show, now this. Talk about experiencing the highs* and the lows all in the same day.
*Hint: I don't care for Mr Brand's type of humour.
First Russell Brand quits his radio show, now this. Talk about experiencing the highs* and the lows all in the same day.
*Hint: I don't care for Mr Brand's type of humour.
Step Back In Time
Found this (courtesy of F) about the discovery of an abandoned corner shop, seemingly stuck in the past. Made me smile.
First Snow!
OK so it only just counts as snow and won't last the day out but nevertheless this is the first of winter in these 
parts. Yea! It actually started around 8 last night and I guess must have continued through the night.
Temperatures have taken a small but noticable jump downward to -1.5 Celsius this morning. Maybe we'll be in for a good, cold winter. You know: the sort that will take care of some of those bugs that have thrived in our more recent mild ones. Might even have to consider closing my bedroom window at night...
Elsewhere last night, the Royals went down away at Burnley 1-0 totally against the run of play. How did that happen? Reading drop to fourth.
parts. Yea! It actually started around 8 last night and I guess must have continued through the night.Temperatures have taken a small but noticable jump downward to -1.5 Celsius this morning. Maybe we'll be in for a good, cold winter. You know: the sort that will take care of some of those bugs that have thrived in our more recent mild ones. Might even have to consider closing my bedroom window at night...
Elsewhere last night, the Royals went down away at Burnley 1-0 totally against the run of play. How did that happen? Reading drop to fourth.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Cities
Prepare to be bored as Yorkshire Pudding again dips his toes into one of his passions - namely, geography - specifically cities. This weekend Mrs Lincolnshire Pudding and I will be travelling to one of the world's great cities. New York? Rome? Sydney? Kuala Lumpur? No, none of these. We are off to Ripon in North Yorkshire. Ripon you say? Yes Ripon which, with an eye on wavering tourists, proudly boasts that it is England's fourth smallest city. So what's the smallest? Why, of course, it is Wells in Somerset, though the city of St David's in Wales is much smaller - with a population of just over two thousand at the last census.
I began some research into English cities and please don't yawn at the back as I share some of my fascinating findings with you.
The Romans arrived in Britain in 43BC and not long afterwards established significant "camps" at London, Colchester and St Albans. When they "left" three centuries later they had developed a whole network of significant and influential townships including Wroxeter and Eboracum - later to become York. By the time of the Norman Conquest, London was believed to have a population of around 10,000 and the other major "city" was Winchester, the old Anglo-Saxon capital with a population of about 6000.
By 1334, the influence of large settlements was growing and in that year eleven of the top thirty places in the country were all in East Anglia - testament to the economic impact of the wool trade - Norwich, King's Lynn, Boston, Great Yarmouth, Thetford etc. . In that list of thirty there was of course no Manchester, no Birmingham, no Sheffield, no Liverpool. These places were then pretty much just little agricultural villages of negligible significance. This remained so in 1523 when after London, the two biggest "cities" were Norwich and Bristol.
In 1662, London had an estimated poulation of 350,000 and by 1750, we see the real emergence of the great industrial centres on the population hit list - Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield - then with a population of some 12,000 souls.
In 1861 London's population had grown to over three million while the second city in the land was now Liverpool with 443,000 residents - half of them pickpockets, horse and cart joyriders and vagabonds (I made the last bit up!). Forty years later in 1901, London's population had shot up to 6.3 million, Liverpool was now up to 702,000 and Hull was also in the charts with 240,000 Hullensians though Hull had clearly been a significant trading place since the middle ages. Below see the cartographer John Speed's map of Hull in 1611:-
Well, moving on with Professor Pudding's lecture, let's finish... you at the back - WAKE UP! .... let's finish with reference to the biggest cities in each continent. I think Paris simply makes the list because of its metropolitan area - including suburbs and satellite towns - but even so - EUROPE = Paris (9.6 million frog eaters), NORTH AMERICA = Mexico City (18 million - that's a hell of a lot of Corona beer to recycle), SOUTH AMERICA = Sao Paulo (17.7 million and they all play beach volleyball), AFRICA = Lagos, Nigeria (13.5 million but I think they missed a few), AUSTRALASIA = Sydney (3.6 million whingeing Aussies) and last but not least ASIA = Tokyo (28 million sushi-eating, pod-hotel-dwelling, karaoke-screeching Japanese).
1. Hull
2. Sheffield
3. San Francisco
4. Venice
5. London
6. New York
7. Berlin
8. Amsterdam
9. Rome
10. Lisbon
And just missing out by a whisker - Marrakesh, Durban, Boston USA , Birmingham UK, Galway, Oslo, Gdansk - oh what the hell sometimes these favourite lists are a dumb waste of time... It's like asking someone what their favourite drink is. Sometimes you want a nice cup of tea, sometimes a glass of fine wine. Sometimes you want to dip your head in a mountain stream and gulp the crystal water. It's the same with cities. How can you compare the medieval din of the main square in Marrakesh with a stroll through Central Park or Guinness supped in a tiny Galway bar with a walk through The Brandenburg Gate?
Howard Gardner Has A Lot To Answer For
Have just taken this test curtesy of T & J respectively.
Here's my outcome, what do you think?
Your result for Howard Gardner's Eight Types of Intelligence Test ...
Spatial
8% Logical, 65% Spatial, 8% Linguistic, 20% Intrapersonal, 33% Interpersonal, 37% Musical, 25% Bodily-Kinesthetic and 37% Naturalistic!
"This area has to do with vision and spatial judgment. People with strong visual-spatial intelligence are typically very good at visualizing and mentally manipulating objects. They have a strong visual memory and are often artistically inclined. Those with visual-spatial intelligence also generally have a very good sense of direction and may also have very good hand-eye coordination, although this is normally seen as a characteristic of the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.
Careers which suit those with this intelligence include artists, engineers, and architects." (Wikipedia)
Hmmm....
Here's my outcome, what do you think?
Your result for Howard Gardner's Eight Types of Intelligence Test ...
Spatial
8% Logical, 65% Spatial, 8% Linguistic, 20% Intrapersonal, 33% Interpersonal, 37% Musical, 25% Bodily-Kinesthetic and 37% Naturalistic!
"This area has to do with vision and spatial judgment. People with strong visual-spatial intelligence are typically very good at visualizing and mentally manipulating objects. They have a strong visual memory and are often artistically inclined. Those with visual-spatial intelligence also generally have a very good sense of direction and may also have very good hand-eye coordination, although this is normally seen as a characteristic of the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.
Careers which suit those with this intelligence include artists, engineers, and architects." (Wikipedia)
Hmmm....
Brrrrr!
Bit chilly this morning coming in to work. My car very helpfully told me it was no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (about 33F). Reminds me it won't be long and the Fat Man* will be on his way to visit us. Can't wait LOL.
Regarding a previous post, of course another benefit of this time of year is having the excuse to sit in front of a roaring fire. Preferably with a warming glass of something.
* See Terry Pratchett's The Hogfather.
hAPPY dIWALI
HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL THE CRAZYBLOG STARERS!
Steal this e-card from below!
(I stole from santa banta's source ;))
....
After blasting off half the crackers i finally made an animation of a "phuljari" cursor!
here it is
knock it off...
Steal this e-card from below!
(I stole from santa banta's source ;))
....
After blasting off half the crackers i finally made an animation of a "phuljari" cursor!
here it is
knock it off...
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sunday Update
Just a brief update.
Yesterday I visited the Contemporary Craft and Design Show, at it's stop-over in the wonderful grounds of a nearby private school. Spent an enjoyable couple of hours browsing the 100 or so stalls and chatting with makers. I should be posting lots of pictures from the show but sadly there were numerous signs forbidding photography and every time I whipped out my camera for a sneaky click, I got seriously scowled at. Here's the link for the official site. My only real criticism of this event remains the same as for previous years and venues. This particular organisation seems to allow a disproportionate number of Jewellery makers into their events. Somehow it appears a little unbalanced in that regard.
Later I met with my uncle and aunt plus two of my cousins (the middle and youngest on that side, fact fans) with their respective wives and kids. I haven't seen the middle one and his family properly for years (they moved away, for a better life in the West Country) although we used to be quite close, brewing and 'sampling' wine and beer together (hic) among other things... The conversation was lively, while the Beef Madras was very good and although it sounds like an odd combination to follow, the Treacle Toffee Pudding with custard was excellent. Mmmm
Yesterday I visited the Contemporary Craft and Design Show, at it's stop-over in the wonderful grounds of a nearby private school. Spent an enjoyable couple of hours browsing the 100 or so stalls and chatting with makers. I should be posting lots of pictures from the show but sadly there were numerous signs forbidding photography and every time I whipped out my camera for a sneaky click, I got seriously scowled at. Here's the link for the official site. My only real criticism of this event remains the same as for previous years and venues. This particular organisation seems to allow a disproportionate number of Jewellery makers into their events. Somehow it appears a little unbalanced in that regard.
Later I met with my uncle and aunt plus two of my cousins (the middle and youngest on that side, fact fans) with their respective wives and kids. I haven't seen the middle one and his family properly for years (they moved away, for a better life in the West Country) although we used to be quite close, brewing and 'sampling' wine and beer together (hic) among other things... The conversation was lively, while the Beef Madras was very good and although it sounds like an odd combination to follow, the Treacle Toffee Pudding with custard was excellent. Mmmm
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Burn
I love this time of year. The leaves change to a beautiful colour and the mornings can be crisp. We put the clocks back, so an extra hour in bed tonight (will we ever stop debating whether we should keep changing our clocks?). Long walks and hearty winter food*.
And above all we get to celebrate religious intolerance. Yep I'm referring to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. We mark the occasion when Guy Fawkes (a Catholic) and his band decided to blow up the (Protestant) King James I and his Parliament because they didn't quite see eye to eye with each other. You thought religious extremists were something new, didn't you? Guess you're wrong LOL.
This event is traditionally held on or about 5th November each year but in this particular neck of the woods we celebrate at least a week earlier than everyone else. Don't really know why but it does guarantee a really good crowd. So we have a big firework display followed by a big bonfire, where a dummy Guy is tossed on the fire to be burned. Not quite sure why but this year he seemed to resemble Abraham Lincoln...
Reading 0-0 QPR
*I also attended a local Breast Cancer Awareness fundraiser today, where I won in the raffle a cook book. Maybe I'll be cooking lots of lovely winter dishes. Or as a friend once put it: "All pigs loaded and ready to fly." Maybe not then.
And above all we get to celebrate religious intolerance. Yep I'm referring to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. We mark the occasion when Guy Fawkes (a Catholic) and his band decided to blow up the (Protestant) King James I and his Parliament because they didn't quite see eye to eye with each other. You thought religious extremists were something new, didn't you? Guess you're wrong LOL.
This event is traditionally held on or about 5th November each year but in this particular neck of the woods we celebrate at least a week earlier than everyone else. Don't really know why but it does guarantee a really good crowd. So we have a big firework display followed by a big bonfire, where a dummy Guy is tossed on the fire to be burned. Not quite sure why but this year he seemed to resemble Abraham Lincoln...
Reading 0-0 QPR
*I also attended a local Breast Cancer Awareness fundraiser today, where I won in the raffle a cook book. Maybe I'll be cooking lots of lovely winter dishes. Or as a friend once put it: "All pigs loaded and ready to fly." Maybe not then.
WeeMe
Above. That is "Weeme". I constructed him myself - a sort of mini "avatar". Now in England the word "wee" is not only a synonym for small, it is also an alternative term for urine! Hence small children or "wee" children will often say to their mummies, "Mummy I need a wee!". They wee in their pants and wee in their beds. Small boys wee all over the floor or have weeing competitions with each other as they wee up walls like wee firefighters.I wish to reassure you that my "WeeMe" has absolutely nothing to do with urine. It's just a cartoon mini version of me. I am playing my guitar in my old supermarket brand blue jeans and my old work suit jacket. I am so good on the guitar that - as you can see from the picture - I don't even need to use my hands! The only thing missing is my Hull City lapel badge.
Look at us flying high in The Premiership! Played eight, won five, drawn two, lost one! However, I rather think that this will be the pinnacle of our season. I am predicting three defeats in a row now - West Bromwich*, Chelsea and Manchester United. Even so the start to this season has been so fantastic that WeeMe could be in danger of weeing himself!
Why not make your own "WeeMe"? Then our little "WeeMes" could have a cyber-party together in WeeWorld! Click on my WeeMe to begin making your own!
*LATER - Hell! I shouldn't have been so pessimistic. We beat West Brom 3-0! And now we sit joint top of The Premiership with Chelsea and Liverpool. Absolutely amazing!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Boron
"Boron is in Kern County, California. The population was 2,025 at the 2000 census. In 1990 the population was 2,904.Boron is a community on the western edge of the Mojave Desert. A unique asset of the location is that within a half day drive you can view the highest and lowest points in the contiguous 48 states of the United States (Mount Whitney and Death Valley), the world's oldest tree (the Bristlecone Pine), and the cities of both Los Angeles and the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Boron is home to California's largest open-pit mine, which is also the largest Borax mine in the world."We drove into Boron at Eastertime 2005 on our way from Las Vegas to Bakersfield. It was a godforsaken place of boarded up homes, a handful of stores and a fantastic diner where we ate a hearty all-American lunch by the empty Twenty Mule Road. On the edge of the Mojave desert and almost treeless you sensed just how hot this place would become in the summertime. It was miles from anywhere - beyond Barstow and far from the fertile central Californian plain which gave Bakersfield its wealth.
I often think of that place. Another America. Not the America of "Baywatch" and "Miami Vice" but the America of open spaces and hard work and anonymity. It only exists because of the mineral Borax which is used in fire retardants, soap, putty and metal processing. I would rather spend a day in Boron than a month in Disneyland or Hollywood... "All gone to look for America" - it was there in Boron.
Above - Boron High School and the excellent K&L Corral Diner. Eat your heart out Gordon Ramsey!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Three Points
Reading 2-1 Doncaster
Tonight the Royals played host to visitors Doncaster. Reading took the lead in the first but the visitors battled well in the second half and equalized, putting pressure on Reading.
Necessary points hard won and a home record still intact. Reading remain third in the Championship, four points and two behind Birmingham and Wolverhampton respectively.
Tonight the Royals played host to visitors Doncaster. Reading took the lead in the first but the visitors battled well in the second half and equalized, putting pressure on Reading.
Necessary points hard won and a home record still intact. Reading remain third in the Championship, four points and two behind Birmingham and Wolverhampton respectively.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Thrall*
The Last Lesson of The Afternoon
When will the bell ring, and end this weariness?
How long have they tugged the leash, and strained apart
My pack of unruly hounds: I cannot start
Them again on a quarry of knowledge they hate to hunt,
I can haul them and urge them no more.
No more can I endure to bear the brunt
Of the books that lie out on the desks: a full three score
Of several insults of blotted pages and scrawl
Of slovenly work that they have offered me.
I am sick, and tired more than any thrall
Upon the woodstacks working weariedly.
And shall I take the last dear fuel and heap it on my soul
And shall I take the last dear fuel and heap it on my soul
Till I rouse my will like a fire to consume
Their dross of indifference, and burn the scroll
Of their insults in punishment? - I will not!
I will not waste myself to embers for them,
Not all for them shall the fires of my life be hot,
For myself a heap of ashes of weariness, till sleep
Shall have raked the embers clear: I will keep
Some of my strength for myself, for if I should sell
It all for them, I should hate them -
- I will sit and wait for the bell.
by D. H. Lawrence (1885 -1930)
I guess I first read this poem when I was seventeen or eighteen. I "used" it today with a class of eleven/twelve year olds after more years in the classroom than I care to remember. Suddenly, it starts to really mean something to me... "I will keep some of my strength for myself". In this most thankless of jobs, you sometimes really do feel that your life force is burning away instead of being conserved for the future. Working in a council estate school with government and local council targets to meet, A4 ringbinders full of the usual governmentally driven bumf and lots of kids with "issues" caused by poverty, marital breakdown, television and negative role modelling at home - it's virtually impossible to keep going till you're sixty. As I have often remarked, it's like being in a "shit sandwich". Who was it who sang, "I gotta get out of this place if it's the last thing I ever do". Well surely I can't go on much longer. I owe it to myself to get out. As the Hull City returnee, Nick Barmby announced after leaving Leeds United - "Money Isn't Everything!"
*Thrall = slave
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Baa
Some will know I am a big Wallace and Gromit fan and so is Little Lad. That's why it's so easy to indulge him in DVD's of the spin-off series, Shaun The Sheep.
If you enjoy the plasticine adventures of inventor Wallace and his faithful dog, you'll probably appreciate it. There's now 4 DVD's, with around 8 stories on each and a 5th due for release in November. Cracking good fun.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Must Try Harder
Preston 2-1 Reading
After the break for international duties, the Royals traveled to 12th placed Preston today. Having taken the lead in the first half, all they had to do was hold on for the remaining 45 minutes or even score a second to seal it. Instead Reading managed to give it away with an own goal and later allow the home team to score the winner. A questionable decision from the Referee late in the game might have permitted Reading the chance to equalize from a penalty but it was not to be. It seems appeals by Preston players changed the Referee's mind.
Had they won and taken the 3 points, it would have allowed them to move closer to the leading pair of Birmingham and Wolves. As it is Reading stays rooted on 20 points in third. United take on Wednesday in the Sheffield derby tomorrow. A win for Sheffield United will put them on equal points with Reading.
After the break for international duties, the Royals traveled to 12th placed Preston today. Having taken the lead in the first half, all they had to do was hold on for the remaining 45 minutes or even score a second to seal it. Instead Reading managed to give it away with an own goal and later allow the home team to score the winner. A questionable decision from the Referee late in the game might have permitted Reading the chance to equalize from a penalty but it was not to be. It seems appeals by Preston players changed the Referee's mind.
Had they won and taken the 3 points, it would have allowed them to move closer to the leading pair of Birmingham and Wolves. As it is Reading stays rooted on 20 points in third. United take on Wednesday in the Sheffield derby tomorrow. A win for Sheffield United will put them on equal points with Reading.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Family
This is an old photo taken, probably in 1961. Before? Before The Beatles. Before computers. Before colour televison and pizzas, punk rock and video recorders. Long, long ago in a time of innocence.There's Dad at the back. Born in 1914, he trained to be a primaryschool teacher between the wars and then afterwards with Mum - the woman he fell in love with and married in India - he came back to England to be a primary school headmaster from 1951 right through to his retirement in 1978. He died a year later.
And there's mum next to him. Product of a broken home. She grew up in poverty in South Yorkshire but loved to dance and to sing and finally she danced and sang her way into the Women's Royal Air Force, ending up in India as a military secretary and drum major in the airforce marching band. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined becoming the wife of a country headmaster in rural East Yorkshire. She died just over a year ago.
The tall boy is Paul - born in 1947. Paul the violinist. Paul the rock climber and choirboy, the biologist and German scholar. Paul who rode through two major relationships and ended up three miles down a lonesome track in western Ireland under an array of stars with Josephine and their two boys.
The big boy at the front is Robin - he of the dyslexia, the tractors, the motorbikes and the cars. He achieved jack all educationally but made up for it by using his native wit and ruthlessness to become successful in business. Export deals took him to Saudi on a regular basis and South America and Egypt. He is the one who lives up a lonesome track with Suzy in southern France, looking out on the Pyrenees.
The little one is Simon who never left East Yorkshire and still lives alone in our mother's house in the village where I was born. His life has not been easy and he currently works as the trusty maintenance man in a Beverley hotel.
And the other one? The one at the front. That's me. In the bosom of my family. Hair just combed. Not realising, even for one moment, that this simple safe loveliness would not last forever. And 1961 would give way to 62 and 62 to 1963 and almost everything would change in the end.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Gold Badge
On this day 50 years ago a little 15 minute programme called Blue Peter was first broadcast on BBC TV.
I guess almost everyone in the country has at some point sat and watched BP when they were younger and it is still going strong today. No other children's programme can make that claim.
Over the years format has changed and the presenters have come and gone, some more memorable than others. We all have our favourites, depending on the decade we were watching. For me I fondly remember Singleton, Noakes and Purves, yeah that gives away my age. Then there were the numerous pets from dogs and cats to tortoises; some have even been named by popular vote of the viewers. Of course there have been rival shows that have attempted to steal BP's crown but where are they today? What happened to ITV's Magpie?
So here's to Blue Peter, a programme that has shaped and entertained the nation's young with stories of trains and dolls, sticky backed plastic, safari adventures and charity appeals.
I guess almost everyone in the country has at some point sat and watched BP when they were younger and it is still going strong today. No other children's programme can make that claim.
Over the years format has changed and the presenters have come and gone, some more memorable than others. We all have our favourites, depending on the decade we were watching. For me I fondly remember Singleton, Noakes and Purves, yeah that gives away my age. Then there were the numerous pets from dogs and cats to tortoises; some have even been named by popular vote of the viewers. Of course there have been rival shows that have attempted to steal BP's crown but where are they today? What happened to ITV's Magpie?
So here's to Blue Peter, a programme that has shaped and entertained the nation's young with stories of trains and dolls, sticky backed plastic, safari adventures and charity appeals.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Mexican frying an egg
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Teal
This week I will mostly be listening to Clare Teal.
I think I'm in a bit of a jazz/big band/swing* mood so I'll playing the current cd (above) and lots of her previous stuff. Best apologize now to the neighbours.
*Define her however you fancy, Clare has a lovely voice and is brilliant live in concert. So there. LOL
I think I'm in a bit of a jazz/big band/swing* mood so I'll playing the current cd (above) and lots of her previous stuff. Best apologize now to the neighbours.
*Define her however you fancy, Clare has a lovely voice and is brilliant live in concert. So there. LOL
Praise
READ ALL ABOUT IT! I have been honoured in faraway New Zealand for producing this "acerbic, silly, clever, interesting... and sometimes cute" blog. The honour has been bestowed upon me by Lady Katherine of Bayofplentyshire. I now eagerly await my return plane ticket for the official honours ceremony to to be held in a Maori longhouse with hopefully "plenty" of freshly squeezed orange juice available. In the meantime, I will tackle the meme she has just passed on...Outside my window... are apples hanging plentifully from the branches of our mini-orchard and the limp washing that Shirley pegged on the line this morning.
I am thinking... wonder how William's wedding has gone this afternoon and why weren't we invited - he's our next door neighbours' oldest son and we went to the other two family wedings and I know him best of all of them.
I am thankful for... my wife and my children and for being born within the ancient boundaries of Yorkshire.
From the kitchen... I can hear and smell absolutely nothing.
I am wearing... a "Fat Face" sweatshirt with a strange modern collar. Shirley bought me it as a birthday present and I opened this gift early on Wednesday morning.
I am creating... a lesson for my official observation on Tuesday. It's based on Robert Cormier's "Heroes" - a GCSE examination text.
I am hearing... the gentle humming of the computer fan and the stillness of this early autumn afternoon.
I am reading... "A Year in Marrakesh" by Peter Mayne - written in the 1950's.
I am hoping... that England whup Kazakhstan in this evening's World Cup group match.
Around the house... I want to get rid of the old NHS desk that we brought down from Frances's room following its recent redecoration. It's blocking up our little hallway.
One of my favorite things... is the word favourite with an English spelling!
A few plans for the rest of the week... 1. Finish the damned lesson plan. 2. Write computerised reports for around eighty older pupils - all in my own time - not in work time as other workers might expect. 3. Go to Ian's house to take down the wall cupboards pending his kitchen refurbishment. 4. Watch the England/Kazakhstan game later on today.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing... 
I took this photograph in The Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Who is it?
I took this photograph in The Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Who is it?
If you fancy Katherine's meme, please run with it yourself - no copyright royalties required! Click on girl guides logo on the right >>>>
Friday, October 10, 2008
Breasts, Boobs, Jugs, Tits
Well that got your attention didn't it?
Here in the UK October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Take a look at http://www.cancerresearchuk.org.uk/
I don't think there are ma
ny people that can say they haven't been affected in some way by Cancer. My mum died in August of Secondary Breast Cancer and I have a family friend who has had a lump removed from her Breast but not before the disease had spread to her Liver.
Here's a couple of facts: Around one in 9 women develop this form of Cancer at some point in their lives and although rare, approximately 300 men are diagnosed each year.
Whatever you call them and wherever you are in the world, please do your best to raise awareness and also get yourselves checked! Thank you.
End of Preachy Bit.
Here in the UK October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Take a look at http://www.cancerresearchuk.org.uk/
I don't think there are ma
ny people that can say they haven't been affected in some way by Cancer. My mum died in August of Secondary Breast Cancer and I have a family friend who has had a lump removed from her Breast but not before the disease had spread to her Liver.Here's a couple of facts: Around one in 9 women develop this form of Cancer at some point in their lives and although rare, approximately 300 men are diagnosed each year.
Whatever you call them and wherever you are in the world, please do your best to raise awareness and also get yourselves checked! Thank you.
End of Preachy Bit.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Hero
Arthur Scargill is seventy years old. Leader of the British coal miners' union in the late seventies and early eighties, this right-thinking and honourable Yorkshireman was turned into a figure of national hatred and ridicule by the gutter press and its Tory paymasters. He wasn't trying to hold the country to ransom. He was standing up for his members and he was fighting for the very future of British coal. Little did he know that Thatcher would do whatever it took to crush the miners' strike of 1984-1985 and the men and women who wore that simple yellow badge - "Coal Not Dole". How strange to think that this all happened almost a quarter of a century back in time. Britain still sits on massive coal deposits while we import ship loads of the stuff from Poland and beyond. And even today the horrid legacy of Thatcher's extremism still blights the former pit villages of South Yorkshire and South Wales.
Arthur Scargill said:-
"All too often miners, and indeed other trade unionists, underestimate the economic strength they have."
"Yet what you need is not marches, demonstrations, rallies or wide associations, all of them are important. What you need is direct action. The sooner people understand that, the sooner we'll begin to change things."
!!! HaPpY DuSsEhRa !!!
Since morning I was trying to kill my time with this useless, bullshit attempt of an e-card...
and here's the crappin' result
BTW
!!! Happy Dussehra!!!
and here's the crappin' result
BTW
!!! Happy Dussehra!!!
Guest Potter
For some reason best known only to the founding members our Ceramics Association our year runs from the Autumn, so last night was our first meeting after the Summer break.
Our guest potter speaker was Tina Vlassopulos from London. She took u
s on a brief pictorial history of her 30 something years in ceramics. This was followed by a demonstration of her working techniques in coiling, pinching, slabbing and also using paster molds.
Our guest potter speaker was Tina Vlassopulos from London. She took u
s on a brief pictorial history of her 30 something years in ceramics. This was followed by a demonstration of her working techniques in coiling, pinching, slabbing and also using paster molds.Tina also brought along some excellent examples of her finished work for sale, all very reasonably priced in the £20-£50 mark. Visit her website (link above) for more information and much better pictures.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
From Riches To Rags
Yet again I appear to have cursed another top US TV show by saying how much I enjoyed it.
The Eddie Izzard/Minnie Driver series The Riches has been cancelled by the FX network and won't be returning for a third season.
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/a132099/fx-drops-izzards-the-riches.html
Just for the record, I think Heroes is rubbish and Battlestar Galactica should be taken off the air immediately. LOL
Oh and happy Hump Day everyone.
The Eddie Izzard/Minnie Driver series The Riches has been cancelled by the FX network and won't be returning for a third season.
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/a132099/fx-drops-izzards-the-riches.html
Just for the record, I think Heroes is rubbish and Battlestar Galactica should be taken off the air immediately. LOL
Oh and happy Hump Day everyone.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Moving On Up
Reading 3 - 1 Burnley
Keeps Reading in third position, only 3 points off the leaders. Nice work boys.
Elsewhere I see Melton Mowbray pork pies have now been given the same protected status across Europe as Champagne. Fantastic. I'm pleased to see the portion of my taxes that funds the EU is being put to good use.
Keeps Reading in third position, only 3 points off the leaders. Nice work boys.
Elsewhere I see Melton Mowbray pork pies have now been given the same protected status across Europe as Champagne. Fantastic. I'm pleased to see the portion of my taxes that funds the EU is being put to good use.
Me
Where is the boy
With the hand-me-down jumper
He of the scuffed knees
And the curled up collar
Hiding his hands in his pockets
Like a TV cowboy at his holsters -
Ready.
Ready for what?
The sit-me-down world
Of the old school room.
Copperplate copying
And chanted tables
At old school tables
That witnessed
So many country childhoods
Passing by...
I see me now
In those photographs
Of long ago
Snapped by my father
Long deceased
He'd be pleased to see
With a happy face that
I made it this far at least
Friday, October 3, 2008
7:52
They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and see that out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. - John 7:52
7:52. No. Not seven days a week fifty two weeks of the year but 7:52 am. 7:52 in the
morning. It's like Groundhog Day for me. This is nearly always the time I see on the dashboard of our Vauxhall Astra as I head off for work. I never get up early enough. It's always a mad rush for I was born a night owl. The morning will always look after itself.
I wait till the last possible minute to launch myself out of bed. Into the shower. Speed shower with all-in-one shampoo/conditioner to save time. Shaving gel applied in shower. Swift shave. Out. Brush teeth. Shit. Towel dry hair. Comb it. Race back to bedroom.
Underpants. Socks. Clean shirt. Tie. Trousers. Shoes on. Remember to tie them. Race downstairs. Shirley's made me a mug of tea and there's a slice of toast in the toaster. Dip bowl in sack of birdseed. Out up the garden to the bird table. Back in. Butter toast. Gulp tea.
Jacket on. Grab sandwiches and keys. Kiss goodbye while Terry Wogan jests idly with his listeners in the background. Out to the car. Yes! 7:52. I can make it.
Now the race is on to make Shore Lane by the eight o'clock pips on the radio. Shore Lane is a rat run - a little lane that sweeps past the Masonic Hall and up over Crookes, crossing Manchester Road. Yes! 8:00. I can make it!
7:52. No. Not seven days a week fifty two weeks of the year but 7:52 am. 7:52 in the
morning. It's like Groundhog Day for me. This is nearly always the time I see on the dashboard of our Vauxhall Astra as I head off for work. I never get up early enough. It's always a mad rush for I was born a night owl. The morning will always look after itself.I wait till the last possible minute to launch myself out of bed. Into the shower. Speed shower with all-in-one shampoo/conditioner to save time. Shaving gel applied in shower. Swift shave. Out. Brush teeth. Shit. Towel dry hair. Comb it. Race back to bedroom.
Underpants. Socks. Clean shirt. Tie. Trousers. Shoes on. Remember to tie them. Race downstairs. Shirley's made me a mug of tea and there's a slice of toast in the toaster. Dip bowl in sack of birdseed. Out up the garden to the bird table. Back in. Butter toast. Gulp tea.
Jacket on. Grab sandwiches and keys. Kiss goodbye while Terry Wogan jests idly with his listeners in the background. Out to the car. Yes! 7:52. I can make it.
Now the race is on to make Shore Lane by the eight o'clock pips on the radio. Shore Lane is a rat run - a little lane that sweeps past the Masonic Hall and up over Crookes, crossing Manchester Road. Yes! 8:00. I can make it!
The Masonic Hall, Tapton.
...One day, I will wake with the dawn. Shower leisurely, dress and amble downstairs to make bacon and eggs. Sipping my third cup of tea, I will peruse interesting news stories in "The Guardian" before loitering out to the car, arriving at work at what time? Why - perhaps 7:52!
Stay Calm And Stay In Your Own Homes
Thought I would post this, following it's publication this week by the National Archives. Produced in the 1970's by the BBC and the government for use in the event of a nuclear attack on the UK.
BBC TRANSCIPT TO BE USED IN WAKE OF NUCLEAR ATTACK
This is the Wartime Broadcasting Service. This country has been attacked with nuclear weapons. Communications have been severely disrupted, and the number of casualties and the extent of the damage are not yet known. We shall bring you further information as soon as possible. Meanwhile, stay tuned to this wavelength, stay calm and stay in your own homes.
Remember there is nothing to be gained by trying to get away. By leaving your homes you could be exposing yourselves to greater danger.
If you leave, you may find yourself without food, without water, without accommodation and without protection. Radioactive fall-out, which followed a nuclear explosion, is many times more dangerous if you are directly exposed to it in the open. Roofs and walls offer substantial protection. The safest place is indoors.
Make sure gas and other fuel supplies are turned off and that all fires are extinguished. If mains water is available, this can be used for fire-fighting. You should also refill all your containers for drinking water after the fires have been put out, because the mains water supply may not be available for very long.
Water must not be used for flushing lavatories: until you are told that lavatories may be used again, other toilet arrangements must be made. Use your water only for essential drinking and cooking purposes. Water means life. Don't waste it.
Make your food stocks last: ration your supply, because it may have to last for 14 days or more. If you have fresh food in the house, use this first to avoid wasting it: food in tins will keep.
If you live in an area where a fall-out warning has been given, stay in your fall-out room until you are told it is safe to come out. When the immediate danger has passed the sirens will sound a steady note. The "all clear" message will also be given on this wavelength. If you leave the fall-out room to go to the lavatory or replenish food or water supplies, do not remain outside the room for a minute longer than is necessary.
Do not, in any circumstances, go outside the house. Radioactive fall-out can kill. You cannot see it or fell it, but it is there. If you go outside, you will bring danger to your family and you may die. Stay in your fall-out room until you are told it is safe to come out or you hear the "all clear" on the sirens.
Here are the main points again:
Stay in your own homes, and if you live in an area where a fall-out warning has been given stay in your fall-out room, until you are told it is safe to come out. The message that the immediate danger has passed will be given by the sirens and repeated on this wavelength. Make sure that the gas and all fuel supplies are turned off and that all fires are extinguished.
Water must be rationed, and used only for essential drinking and cooking purposes. It must not be used for flushing lavatories. Ration your food supply: it may have to last for 14 days or more.
We shall repeat this broadcast in two hours' time. Stay tuned to this wavelength, but switch your radios off now to save your batteries until we come on the air again. That is the end of this broadcast.
Not actually feeling this would have reassured me too much.
Full story can be found here.
BBC TRANSCIPT TO BE USED IN WAKE OF NUCLEAR ATTACK
This is the Wartime Broadcasting Service. This country has been attacked with nuclear weapons. Communications have been severely disrupted, and the number of casualties and the extent of the damage are not yet known. We shall bring you further information as soon as possible. Meanwhile, stay tuned to this wavelength, stay calm and stay in your own homes.
Remember there is nothing to be gained by trying to get away. By leaving your homes you could be exposing yourselves to greater danger.
If you leave, you may find yourself without food, without water, without accommodation and without protection. Radioactive fall-out, which followed a nuclear explosion, is many times more dangerous if you are directly exposed to it in the open. Roofs and walls offer substantial protection. The safest place is indoors.
Make sure gas and other fuel supplies are turned off and that all fires are extinguished. If mains water is available, this can be used for fire-fighting. You should also refill all your containers for drinking water after the fires have been put out, because the mains water supply may not be available for very long.
Water must not be used for flushing lavatories: until you are told that lavatories may be used again, other toilet arrangements must be made. Use your water only for essential drinking and cooking purposes. Water means life. Don't waste it.
Make your food stocks last: ration your supply, because it may have to last for 14 days or more. If you have fresh food in the house, use this first to avoid wasting it: food in tins will keep.
If you live in an area where a fall-out warning has been given, stay in your fall-out room until you are told it is safe to come out. When the immediate danger has passed the sirens will sound a steady note. The "all clear" message will also be given on this wavelength. If you leave the fall-out room to go to the lavatory or replenish food or water supplies, do not remain outside the room for a minute longer than is necessary.
Do not, in any circumstances, go outside the house. Radioactive fall-out can kill. You cannot see it or fell it, but it is there. If you go outside, you will bring danger to your family and you may die. Stay in your fall-out room until you are told it is safe to come out or you hear the "all clear" on the sirens.
Here are the main points again:
Stay in your own homes, and if you live in an area where a fall-out warning has been given stay in your fall-out room, until you are told it is safe to come out. The message that the immediate danger has passed will be given by the sirens and repeated on this wavelength. Make sure that the gas and all fuel supplies are turned off and that all fires are extinguished.
Water must be rationed, and used only for essential drinking and cooking purposes. It must not be used for flushing lavatories. Ration your food supply: it may have to last for 14 days or more.
We shall repeat this broadcast in two hours' time. Stay tuned to this wavelength, but switch your radios off now to save your batteries until we come on the air again. That is the end of this broadcast.
Not actually feeling this would have reassured me too much.
Full story can be found here.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Tic Tac Toe
My heart wants to post
My mind has turned compost
But i decide not to go...
instead
let you play
TIC TAC TOE
thanks nali's scrapbook
My mind has turned compost
But i decide not to go...
instead
let you play
TIC TAC TOE
thanks nali's scrapbook
Centric
I guess it's a reflection of what I've been up to of late or more to the point, what I've not been doing but I'm aware recent posts may look a little TV-centric and this one won't help matters much...
2) I've read recently that series two of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles isn't doing too well in the US and may get cancelled mid-season. As a fan of the films I thought series one took the story in new, alternative directions and was a neat addition to the franchise. If it goes, I for one will miss it.
3) Having parted company with Sky a couple of years back I've only been able to keep up with Battlestar Galactica via DVD. Yeah I know I could probably download but... anyway I've just received notification that series four is winging it's way to me in the post as I type. Yea!
Normal service will resume shortly. Honest.
1) The BBC screened the first two episodes of Heroes series 3 last night. Wow- what a fab start. Unlike many I actually enjoyed series 2 despite it's slower pace but the new one looks like it will be a real roller coaster. Can't wait to see more of the new characters and (of course) how the established ones develop this year.
2) I've read recently that series two of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles isn't doing too well in the US and may get cancelled mid-season. As a fan of the films I thought series one took the story in new, alternative directions and was a neat addition to the franchise. If it goes, I for one will miss it.
3) Having parted company with Sky a couple of years back I've only been able to keep up with Battlestar Galactica via DVD. Yeah I know I could probably download but... anyway I've just received notification that series four is winging it's way to me in the post as I type. Yea!
Normal service will resume shortly. Honest.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Crisis
Don't know about you but this world financial crisis is an absolute mystery to me and that's in spite of recently reading "Cityboy" by Geraint Anderson which exposes the excesses of greedy stockbrokers guzzling at the money trough in London's famous square mile - claiming huge and thoroughly undeserved bonuses while ordinary people slog their guts out to make a crust and feed their families. So hideously wrong.
But during this miserable "credit crunch" as we northern hemisphereans sink into winter's dark abyss, we surely need to laugh. I adapted this from a discovery I made when googling "credit crunch":-
How to survive the credit crunch
Millions of people are worrying about how they are going to survive the credit crunch. The answer is simple: become a hippy.
1. Smoke Pot - unlike alcohol there is no VAT on illegal drugs so you save money straight away. As cannabis is far safer than alcohol you also save on the cost of liver transplants in the future, so smoking pot is a sound investment for your old age. You could also consider becoming a weed dealer and/or grower which will help rebuild your nation's 
shattered economy.
shattered economy.2. Don't cut your hair, cut your costs - having long hair saves money and is warmer in winter. People with long hair save fuel costs, cut national dependence on foreign fuel, and cut CO2 emissions which could save humanity from extinction.
3. Don't shave - razor blades, shaving cream and other fetish body hair removers such as leg waxing kits etc are all products of the decadent 'throw away' consumer society which is destroying the rain forest and your credit rating. Nature gave us hair for a reason. Don't help Boots survive the credit crunch, help yourself and become a hairy hippie.
4. Squat now while stocks last - if you have a mortgage you can't pay don't worry about foreclosure. In fact the more foreclosures the better as this increases the housing stock available for squatting - now you can live mortgage free and rent free!
5. Become a pseudo 'veggie' or 'virtual vegan' - don't worry, most veggies cheat so you can eat fish and meat when ever you want, but eating veggie can dramatically cut your food costs. For example Tescos are doing a can of red kidney beans for 18 pence, while a pack of King Prawns costs at least £3.00. One meat meal requires 10 meals worth of grain to produce. Meat production creates 18% of world Co2 emissions while air travel contributes just 3%. This means 'veggie' hippies can still fly Ryan Air and save the planet! It is Plain Obvious.
6. Dress down (and out) - even if you have a family trust fund, looking poor is the safest option in these dangerous knife crime times, plus it will save you a fortune. Even Madonna shops at Oxfam, thats why she is so rich. If you are really broke raid the clothing recycling bins; don't feel guilty - just remember that we are all Africans now. Alternatively you could become a nudist and cut your clothing bill completely.
7. Start or join a commune - council tax is chargeable per household so if you have twenty people in your commune the cost saving per person or couple is dramatic. With communal meals, shared sleeping areas and a washing up rota you can save even more and might only have to do the washing up once every two weeks!
8. Love is all you need - the new economy should not be based on shares but on sharing. For those with high sexual drives there is also the increased chance of attending more orgies, especially if you are bisexual.
9. Give Peace a chance - it is totally unrealistic of course, but supporting hippie pacifist defence policies could save billions for national economies. If the whole world went hippie the only defence we would need to think about would be against violent anti hippie skinheads, Tory counter revolutionaries, or a 'UFO' invasion from outer space.
10. Go to India - you might be able to get a job in a call centre.
Romantic Halloween cards
This is the only destination to own some unusual Romantic Halloween cards gallery which bring the widest selection of horror and romance cards of witches, ghosts, vampire and bloody lovers. Send a perfect scary greeting cards on this Halloween season. kids love the scary masks, dresses, props, sounds, wallpapers and ecard to own. Just check it out right here....
Enjoy the Halloween party of couple and teenagers, They use to spread love in the air like valentine's day party..
Enjoy the Halloween party of couple and teenagers, They use to spread love in the air like valentine's day party..
- Scary witches cards
- Pumpkin carving cards
- Halloween ghost cards
- couple bloody love cards
- Halloween costumes of props and vampires
- Halloween Party invitation cards
Halloween Love cards
Choose from the dying heart sexy Halloween love cards to send as a symbol of love and horror to gather. These romantic cards are just like my bloody valentine cards. Send them right now.
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