Tadpoles

You often see books, newspaper or magazine articles that suggest "things to do before you die". You know the sort of thing - bungee jump, drive a Ferrari, climb Mount Fuji in cherry blossom season and of course - everyone's ultimate dream - to swim with dolphins! Well I was thinking about these lists when I woke up this morning and for your edification I have decided to present my own - alternative list of fifteen things to do before you die.

1. Check the car's oil level and tyre pressures.
2. Climb up to the attic and start sorting out all the accumulated crap that has been shoved up there from cuddly toys the kids hugged when they were little to damaged suitcases and old Christmas decorations.
3. Visit Wolverhampton.
4. Take the excess plastic you have collected in bins to a recycling centre as, absurdly, the council will only collect plastic bottles - not plastic trays, carrier bags and such like.
5. Go under the house and sort out all the half-empty cans of paint you possess. Mostly they will just need chucking away as a lot of the paint is over ten years old and has hardened like rock or has developed surface skin that's as impenetrable as a hospital matron's bloomers.
6. Polish every pair of shoes you possess including the stylish brogues that last saw polish in 1983.
7. Trim the hair that's weirdly sprouting from your lug holes - not just the aperture entrances but round the fleshy rims as well.
8. Get the first eye test you have had since you were in primary school.
9. Lead a team of saboteurs devoted firstly to blowing up Britain's 4000 fixed speed cameras and, secondly, to digging up the ridiculous and ill-considered speed bumps that blight many of Sheffield's suburban roads causing Nissan Micra drivers to slow down to 10mph for each and every bump.
10. Read the Quran, Curan, Koran or whatever you want to call it to find out what all these mosques and people in funny religious apparel are all about. Who knows - it could be required reading in all British schools by 2025.
11. Learn to poach an egg perfectly every time - instead of watching the white swirling around like a mist in the pan or the yoke bursting on impact with the boiling water.
12. Delete unnecessary files, documents and pictures from your computer.
13. Resurrect your complaint about the outrageous twenty euro airport development tax that is demanded unexpectedly from travellers as they pass through Knock Airport in Ireland. Sheer daylight robbery!
14. Go to night school to learn the intricate craft of ironing shirts.
15. Swim with tadpoles.

Any other suggestions?

Irene Stirred Things Up, Alright

I'm not gonna lie; I really wanted to have a boyfriend for Hurricane-Turned-Tropical-Storm Irene. I wanted a man-- in the most primal sense of the word. One of those who changes light bulbs with one hand, opens beer bottles with his forearm, and could carry me over his shoulder effortlessly (!) if we had to run for our lives. A big, strong, handy, resourceful, protective man.

I actually had a great time during Irene, hiding out in Brooklyn with a bunch of friends, drinking, laughing, cooking, playing games, and waiting for a tree to fly across the sky or a big Hudson River wave to crash over a building. It was good old fashioned bonding, and I didn't feel lonely or scared. I didn't need this fantasy man, I simply wanted him around. I was happy, surrounded by friends, and having a good time, but still-- this natural disaster brought forth my desire to be loved and cared for.

Currently, my brother and I live together (though he was out of town for Irene), but I lived alone for four years. I learned to change light bulbs, fix leaks, open jars, kill bugs, and mend broken things. I braved many a windy night (and it gets scary up here on the 14th floor during the winter), and I often nursed myself when I was sick. I learned to soothe a burned hand with honey and to put salt under my tongue when my blood pressure gets low. I once took the subway to the hospital when I thought I'd seriously injured my neck and sat in the emergency room for 7 hours by myself. I've carried heavy suitcases through the snow and walked home with eggplants in my pockets after a grocery bag broke on me.

I know I can live on my own; I know I can take care of myself. And that's very important information to have about oneself.

But I don't really want to be alone anymore. I want someone around to share these natural disasters with. Build a puzzle while watching the weather channel, make spaghetti from scratch, use the unused bathtub water to wash yoga mats and curtains, paint the bathroom wall, take pictures of the wind messing up our hair, and snuggle up at the end of it all knowing we survived this crazy non-hurricane... together.

I think this might be what independence is; knowing I can be on my own, but not wanting to be.

Thanks, Irene.

Sky on Sunday evening, after Irene had passed...

Junior Grand Prix kicks off international skating season

Even with the delayed world championships, it seems like a long time since we've had a chance to watch major international figure skating. The new season kicks off this week with the first leg of the Junior Grand Prix (JGP) from Riga, Latvia

Last year's JGP graduates Adelina Sotnikova and Elizaveta Tuktamisheva have moved on up and are ready to compete with the seniors this year. This years JGP series could give us a glimpse of the future. Skaters eligible for the JGP this year will also be eligible for the 2014 olympic games in Sochi.

Here are a few names to look out for at JGP Latvia
(Full list of entries here).
Canadian junior men's champion Nam Nguyen (pictured) who beat skaters several years his senior and well over a foot taller than himself to claim his 4th national title (he also holds novice, pre-novice and juvenile golds) and also skated at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Gala. He is pipped to be one of Canada's brightest takents for the coming 2 quadrennia. Read my previous post on Nam here.
Russian Ladies Polina Shelepen and Polina Agafonova. Both have medalled on the JGP before and will be contenders this season aswell. 
American Yasmin Siraj, who won two silvers of the series last year and placed 7th at the JGP final.
2 time World Junior Champions, and last year's Senior GP bronze medallists Wenjing Sui & Cong Han who seem to still be competing on the junior circuit alongside their senior exploits. No conclusion has been made following a controversy over Sui's age last year, questioning whether she was old enough to compete on the senior circuit.
These and many more could be names we hear more about over the coming years.

The rest of the JGP season looks like this...
31/8-4/9 Riga, Latvia*
7-11/9 Brisbane, Australia
14-18/9 Gdansk, Poland*
21-25/9 Brasov, Romania
28/9-2/10 Innsbruk, Austria*
5-9/10 Milano, Italy
12-16/10 Tailinn, Estonia*
(*includes pairs skating event)

8-11 December - JGP and GP finals - Quebec City, Canada
Also, the ISU site has announced that the 2012 GP and JGP finals will infact be held in Sochi, Russia.

You can also preview the entries for the senior Grand Prix series (starting with Skate America 21-23 October) here.

Quotations

Twelve quotations:-

"All the world is queers save thee and me and even thou art a little queer" - Robert Owen (1771-1858)

"Try to understand men. If you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never led to hate and almost always leads to love." - John Steinbeck (1902 - 1968)



"There is nothing greater than enthusiasm" - Henry Moore (1898 - 1986)



"Honest people don't hide their deeds" - Emily Bronte (1818 - 1848)



"Talking about the general psychological health of the species, man. He needs the existence of mysteries, not their solution" - John Fowles (1926-2005)



"Knowledge speaks but wisdom listens - Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970)



"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." - Harper Lee (b.1926)



"Had I been a man, I might have explored the poles or climbed Mount Everest, but as it was, my spirit found outlet in the air." - Amy Johnson (1903-1941)



"Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet." - Bob Dylan (b. 1941)



"Better to die standing than to live on your knees" - Ernesto "Che" Guevara (1928-1967)



"We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road. They get run over." - Aneurin Bevan (1897 -1960)



"Discrimination still exists. Some people feel that their own beliefs are being threatened. Some are unhappy about unfamiliar cultures. They all need to be reassured that there is so much to be gained by reaching out to others; that diversity is indeed a strength and not a threat." - Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926)

Have you got any favourite quotations you'd like to share?

German World Teams Announced

See a theme here? There's going to be a run of these posts as the countdown to Tokyo continues. Germany held it's National Championships this weekend and from there named it's men's and women's world teams.

Women's World Team (14th in Rotterdam)
Elizabeth Seitz
Kim Bui
Oksana Chusovitina
Nadine Jarosch
Pia Tolle
with Marie-Sophie Hindermann, Lisa-Katherina Hill or Anja Rheinbay in the final spot.

Men's World Team (3rd in Rotterdam)
Philip Boy
Fabian Hambuchen
Marcel Nguyen
Eugen Spiridinov
Sebastian Krimmer
with Helge Liebrich, Thomas Taranu or Andreas Toba in the final spot.

The Men should definitely be looking at Olympic qualification and a few medals on the side. For the women a top 8 team finish in Rotterdam may be too much to ask, but top 16 with a view to making it to the second qualification event in London is very reasonable. Individual performances from European medallists Seitz, Bui and Chusovitina should also be a treat for us the audience.

Countdown to Tokyo - 39 Days.

Shun!

The Days Passed So Soon
No Time To Look At This Blog
The Blog, Which Introduced To Many 
Beautiful Writers!


Creativity Is Back With A 
Thought To Regularly Share 
Poems, Tales! 

A Cute Little Angel Named Shun, Always Loved The Fields, Green Fields, & Always Used To Play & Stay With The Field of Sun Flowers. As She Grew Up, She Learnt Many Matters of How To Take Care of The Field, The Needs of The Fields, Types of The Manure, And Many Many More. 


As She Was Interested In Bringing Up The Varieties of  Plants, Trees, She Chose Agriculture & Went For Higher Studies By Leaving Her Village & Her Childhood Farm In The Hands of Few Farmers. Everybody In The Village Cried For Her & Even Those Sunflowers Looked As If, They Terribly Miss Her. Many Plants And Branches of The Trees Were Bent :(

During Her Study Period, She Used The Pictures of Her Farm For Her Presentations & Explained To The Audiences Present There. Everybody Were Spell Bound About Her Knowledge,  Interest & Love Towards The Plantation. She Had Oceanic Knowledge & Was Using Them As A Tool, To Teach Upcoming Professionals & Was Also Spreading Awareness About The Necessity & Importance of Plantation. 


Her Professors Were Very Much Keen To Visit Her Farm. One Fine Day, College Authorities Planned & Conducted A Day Trip To Her Farm. They Were Surprised To See Such A Beautiful Green & Yellow Farm Which Had Very Well Embraced The Land. 


From Then On, Everybody Worked For Her Farm & Learnt Many New Techniques & Tricks To Use While Farming. She Became The Most Professional Guide For The Neighbouring Villager's Farm. At Such An Young Age, She Had Achieved What She Had Dreamt of Seeing Her Great Grand Father Working Day & Night For The Farm :) :)

Written For

Thursday Tales

#74

Image Courtesy :-  Whendt

PS :- Dear Bloggers Thanks A Lot For All Your Cherishable Compliments For The Previous Post, "Happy Friendship Day Dearies".

Omnisexual

I've been thinking of late a little bit about the latest series of Torchwood, subtitled Miracle Day.

It seems to me that when Torchwood was smaller, ie made exclusively by the BBC, it was somehow bigger and far more creative, had better aspirations than this new Startz co-production incarnation. I mean eight episodes in (and only two remaining) and we've mostly had exposition and run of the mill conspiracies which to be frank almost border on villain-of-the-week standard; there's not been a compelling narrative which has built the story week on week. Torchwood used to be about the aliens and monsters that lived amongst us, in the underworld and just out of sight or the occasional glimpse of the monster living inside each of us. We've had none of that. Just an undefined plodding lecture on how despite medical advances we really need people to die or else we face population explosion and all the hardships, strains on resources that will bring.

So what of the central character, Captain Jack Harkness? He's meant to be around 2000 years old, quite possibly immortal and above all a humanoid alien with quite different sexual desires to us. To be exact Jack is meant to be omnisexual. Not a word you tend to hear outside of the world of Torchwood and Doctor Who but basically means he is attracted to men, women and aliens and will bed any and all without a moments thought. Something of a sexual predator; he will happily stop in the middle of an adventure if someone/thing catches his eye. What exactly does this have to do with Miracle Day? Well he suddenly seems to have become exclusively Homosexual and us viewers have been "treated" to some pretty graphic sex scenes and references.

And do you know what? At the conclusion of episode eight the villain behind the so called miracle is revealed as a- conveniently just invented- spurned (homosexual) lover from the 1920's. Not very original and to be honest I'm not quite sure what the openly gay writer, Russell T Davies is saying here. Don't cross a gay man because he will never forget and will set out to wreck havoc in your life for years to come..? Please!

Team Torchwood as it used to be. Note the giant Phallic structure in the background.














Now what of some of the other characters in the series? The excellent Bill Pullman has produced a compellingly creepy character in the form of convicted paedophile Oswald Danes. Whether this character is essential to the story arc and part of the conspiracy or just a diversion is at this point unclear. Having escaped execution in the first episode and having travelled on some sort of personal journey towards public adulation (within the plot) it seems likely at the close, death will catch up with him. Equally Rex Matheson, played by Mekhi Phifer seems largely redundant and only there to serve as a moral opposite to the promiscuous Captain Jack. Having turned himself into a human kebab in the opener, he too will expire I am sure before the final credits. This much was obvious from the beginning therefore I haven't been able to invest in either of these characters.

The supporting female cast members seem to have come off worse. Eve Myles returns as Gwen Cooper playing the "heart and soul" of the piece and reminding us all that Torchwood is Welsh but has very little else to do. She frets over her baby and worries about her father who has had a fatal heart attack, so I think we can guess where that is going. Finally Alexa Havins seems largely along for the ride as CIA agent Esther Drummond. Obviously meant to be the new "eyes and ears" of the viewer to ask the who, what and why questions, she's avoided not dying but as an actress should be feeling poorly served by this opportunity.

All in all I think you can gather I'm not impressed with Torchwood: Miracle Day. To be honest the only miracle here is that anyone, myself included, is still watching.

End of Rant.

Oh by the way, wasn't it great to see new Doctor Who back on our screens this past weekend? That's how to tell a compelling story.

Canadian World Team Announced

I the wake of their recent selection meet, Canada too has announced the gymnasts they will send to the World Championships in Tokyo.

Dominique Pegg
Talia Chiarelli
Kristina Vaculik
Peng Peng Lee
Mikaela Gerber
Coralie Leblond-Chartrand
Madeline Gardner

Canada is another one of those countries on the edge of an olympic team berth. I wish the Canadian girls all the best in their quest. It's great too to see Chrisine 'Peng Peng' Lee complete her successful comeback from injury to make a world championship team. Is it too much to hope to see her special and individual beam work in event finals?

Reunion

On Thursday, I met up for lunch with two former colleagues at "The Meadow Farm" pub-restaurant , Ecclesfield on the northeastern edge of the city. Part of me just wants to relegate memories of my long teaching career to history and move forwards but Sofia and Emma are such nice people that for them I'm happy to resist that urge.

It's been two years now. There have been no regrets. If I hadn't taken my early retirement package in the summer of 2009, I wouldn't have got to teach in Bangkok or experience the naturalness of one-to-one teaching in two other Sheffield secondary schools or travel to Easter Island. Looking back, the job, its associated pressures, the ten hour days and the thankless weekend and holiday work were squeezing the life out of me like a medieval press. However, unlike Giles Corey in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible", I certainly was not crying out for "more weight". Quite the opposite.

It's nice to see Emma getting on with her life. She's twenty eight now and I'm rather proud that I was instrumental in giving her a first real break as a teacher. She was dogged, reliable and resilient. Next month she'll be my old school's new Second in English. With her boyfriend, she has bought a house and has recently had a new kitchen fitted.

Sofia was my English department's very capable teaching assistant. Having extricated herself from a difficult marriage, she has raised two teenage daughters pretty much on her own and, to her credit, they have both turned out well. She was practical and effective, intervening sensitively when behaviour flare-ups in classrooms occurred or when troubled teachers had just about reached the ends of their tethers. We got on famously and I'm pleased that she is proceeding nicely with her foundation degree which will ultimately lead her to a full teaching qualification and therefore a much better rate of pay.

After sitting in the late August sunshine at "Meadow Farm" I captured some photos of northern Sheffield for the Geograph British Isles mapping project. This is what I saw:-

"The Meadow Farm", Ecclesfield

Elliott Lane, Whitley

Barnes Hall

Church of St Paul, Parson Cross Estate

Sheffield Lane Top

Soap Dodgers

Thank goodness very soon the great unwashed and other undesirables will be leaving the area for another year. Yes I am referring to the Reading Music Festival, held annually on the last weekend of August. 

Many residents find the town centre at daytime to be a no-go area over this period, myself included. This year the noise at night has been particularly unbearable until quite late. I live around 5 miles (about 7 km) from the main site, yet I could hear it all very well, thank you.

Despite Reading Council's annual protestations that they will be tough on the organisers, that the costs of policing and clearing up will not be met by Tax Payers and that sound levels will be closely controlled and monitored, I can't help suspect the Council find this event far too lucrative and nothing will change.

I think next year I will go away for the weekend.

Gaddafi

Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi came to power in Libya in 1969 when he was just twenty seven years old. That's him above in the picture. What made him so special? What leadership skills and wise understanding about life did he possess in order to seize power and hold on to it for so long? The essence of the man is plain to see in the following quotations:-

________________________________

“If a community of people wears white on a mournful occasion and another dresses in black, then one community would like white and dislike black and the other would like black and dislike white. Moreover, this attitude leaves a physical effect on the cells as well as on the genes in the body.”

“Sporting clubs which constitute the traditional sports institutions in the world today are rapacious social instruments. The grandstands of public athletic fields are actually constructed to obstruct access to the fields.”

"Women must be trained to fight in houses, prepare explosive belts and blow themselves up alongside enemy soldiers. Anyone with a car must prepare it and know how to install explosives and turn it into a car-bomb. We must train women to place explosives in cars and blow them up in the midst of enemies, and blow up houses so that they can collapse on enemy soldiers. Traps must be prepared. You have seen how the enemy checks baggage: we must fix these suitcases in order for them to explode when they open them. Women must be taught to place mines in cupboards, bags, shoes, children's toys so that they explode on enemy soldiers." - 2003

“Women, like men, are human beings. This is an incontestable truth… Women are different from men in form because they are females, just as all females in the kingdom of plants and animals differ from the male of their species… According to gynecologists women, unlike men, menstruate each month… Since men cannot be impregnated they do not experience the ailments that women do. She breastfeeds for nearly two years.”

"Whenever I ask about Pepsi-Cola or Coca-Cola, people immediately say it is an American or European drink. This is not true. The kola is African. They have taken the cheap raw material from us. They produced it, they made it into a drink, and they sell it to us for a high price. Why are Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola expensive? Because they have taken our kola, produced it, and sold it back to us. We should produce it ourselves and sell it to them." - 2007

_________________________________________

More recent quotes include the following:-

• "Is there any toilet paper left?"
• "How are Barnsley doing in the league this season?"
• "What the hell was that?"
• and "Help! I'm scared shitless!"

But I doubt that the end quotes will appear in any revised editions of his famous "Green Book" - mainly because, if you hadn't already guessed, I made them up!

Surya's 7 am Arivu latest stills

Milestone

I first took up blogging in June 2005. I can't really remember why. I think I had stumbled upon a couple of blogs while exploring the net and probably thought, "I could do that". Having dabbled in writing since childhood and being an opinionated so-and-so, I saw that blogging could be both a release valve and a means of publishing without the hindrance of editors or publishers. More recently, I have enjoyed using my blog to share photographs with visitors.

Essentially, making a blog can be like making a diary. When I look back on the last six years, I see how my life has proceeded. Many notable things have happened. My beloved mother and oldest brother died. My football team made it to The Premiership. I escaped from my teaching career through early retirement. Frances got her A levels and went to university - then joined the rat race. Shirley and I visited India, Morocco and Hong Kong. My brother-in-law, Norman and my mother-in-law, Winnie died. Boris, our cat, disappeared. We had a family holiday in California. Ian bought a house. I took up an unexpected opportunity to teach in Thailand... Without this blog, those events, those moments would have mingled in the swamp of my memory. The blog has allowed me to mark them all.

Visitors have come and gone like other blogs I once I enjoyed. Thank you to my regular visitors who have stuck with me for a long time now - Jenny in Wrexham, Robert in Georgia, Ian at "Shooting Parrots", Katherine in NZ, Elizabeth, Lord John Gray, Jan at Sloughhouse, Helen in Brisbane, Michael in Sydney and to the people who visit but never leave comments - Oldham Mike, Mick, Richard in Minneapolis, Sofia, Tricky Trev etc.. Thank you all.

It's like a journey. When I set out in June 2005, I didn't know how far my blog would travel or for how long. Perhaps I'll still be writing it on my deathbed. "Nurse! Nurse! Bring me a laptop!"

Getting sleepy now. The morphine gives me bizarre dreams. They say

I've only got a few days left, perhaps hours, perhaps min.... shit! So adiós amigos!

Harrogate

One thing leads to another and today I found myself at The Mercer Art Gallery in the heart of Harrogate. I was there to see the special exhibition of Atkinson Grimshaw's artistry which runs until September 4th. Various key paintings had been lent to The Mercer - including the familar "Princes Dock, Hull". It was lovely to see Grimshaw's work close up and to learn more about his life.

Harrogate is a place that doesn't seem to belong in Yorkshire. The town is all tea shops, cupolas, BMW's and flower beds. It's as if it was ripped out of the ground somewhere deep in the Home Counties and transported north. Of course it owes much of its refined character to the fact that it was England's first real spa town and during the Victorian era it attracted hordes of visitors seeking to "take the waters" - as well as getting a break from the main Victorian preoccupations - industry and duty.

I visited Harrogate because I had the time. Frances is working in Leeds now but hasn't found her own flat or studio apartment yet so this morning I zoomed over to Leeds to see three or four rental properties, including a minuscule studio on the thirteenth floor of the huge West Point apartment block. There were some less modernistic places to see in Headingley and then I had three hours to kill before late afternoon viewings. Harrogate fitted nicely in between. And of course I took photographs. Let me share a few of them with you in chronological order:-

View from West Point, Harrogate's Pump Room, Crown Place in Harrogate, Cat on a gatepost with the Wharfe valley beyond, Statue of Sir Peter Fairbairn in Leeds

Cowboys And Buses

My recent life in brief...

• Last night I met a friend at the cinema and we saw Cowboys and Aliens. Absolutely brilliant concept and really well executed. Couldn't quite believe it had such a low certificate mind you. Ford and Craig, almost but not quite a movie dream team.


• Love the new series of "Who Do You Think You Are?"


• College beckons again. Seems like ages since I last had my hands in some clay.


• I've recently found someone really important.


• I have resumed work on the loft hatch cover. I intend to be snug this winter no matter how cold it gets.


• After 8 months out of work, just like buses, two different job offers come along in one go. For the record it's not all about the money but the prospect of having to drive 200 miles (about 320 km) each way at least twice a week sure had something to do with my choice.

A Crush

Image from here

On the days I know we're going to see each other I am all happy and smiley, unable to concentrate and fluffing up my hair as if he were watching. I think about what I'll wear, wondering what he'll notice while trying not to look like I dressed up for him. I repeat to myself: Be cool. Do not give away that you like him! That is the death of cool. Must keep cool alive.

I leave for class so excitedly that I forget my books. I realize it when I'm almost there. Of course, I'm me, so I'm half an hour early, because I always plan for the unexpected and I am never, ever late. So I have time to go home and get my books and then get to class on time. No, not on time. Early. I am always early.

He is always late.

He rushes into class, finds his seat quickly, and our eyes don't meet. My heart sinks. He is only two chairs away, though, and so I know I will not hear a word the teacher says. I am busy memorizing the side of his arm and shoulder. I need to memorize him so that I can think about him when we're not in class.

Of course it's in the two seconds that I am distracted by something else that he looks at me. When I look back he's waiting for my gaze. In my state of unpreparedness, I break out a huge smile with a half-giggle, complete with a pulling my hair behind my ear move. So not cool.

But he returns the smile. With a wink. A light wink. Just one of those, "Hey there," winks that really attractive men give away for free. I blush. Death of cool. 

Of course we have a group activity in class today, and of course we are in the same group. This is good, because I know more than he does about what we're asked to do and can impress him. He is impressed. He touches the side of my arm to look at my notes and my legs almost splash everywhere; they turn to liquid so fast.

We find excuses to talk to each other and I am all smiles and eye-glows. I have lots of time to memorize his scent and the warmth I feel when I stand close to him. Time goes by too fast; it always does when you're alive.

Class is over. We are free to go. He has to stay behind for a few minutes. I desperately look for a reason to be hanging out in the hallway waiting for him, so we can walk a bit together, but I cannot find one. Without a reason, I would go from being charming to obvious. And obvious is so not cool.

I leave.

But I have so many new things about him that I've memorized, so many new moments to replay in my head all the time; I have fresh material to be giddy-smiley about for days.

The effect of a crush, I've learned, stands the test of time, cynicism, and experience.

I am 26 years old. I am 16 years old. I am 6 years old. I am 46 years old. And my smile is exactly the same.

****

I'll have a guest post going up today on the blog JUST LIVE LOVE LAUGH; be sure to check for it!

Tuesday Randoms

I should probably post in here, huh? Sorry about that. Work was melting down last week, but all is well now! And what is up with this breakup summer season? I hate seeing all of my friends hurting and wish they could all be at peace.

I also have crazy, psycho dreams. People always die in my dreams or bombs and terrorist attacks happen. Last night I had a dream that serial killers were in my house trying to kill me and my younger brother. There was 2 vicious dogs and everyone was chasing us. All of the sudden Casey Anthony showed up and attempted to kill me. She then laughed and screamed that she got away with murder. It was NUTS.

I'm so excited because today is my last FULL day in the office! Here is my schedule for the next few days!

Wednesday: Day off. Finish back to school shopping and PACK.
Thursday: Half a day at work, tailgating and then Jason Aldean, Thompson Square & Chris Young concert!
Friday: Move back to school!!!! (I've only been waiting for this all summer) & Speak at Service Learning Orientation
Saturday: Society for Human Resource Retreat
Sunday: Student Activities Fair

I cannot wait to move back to school and see everyone. I also can't wait to post pictures of my apartment on here! I bought and made a whole ton of decorations for it this summer to spice it up a lot more than last year! I will post them this weekend!

Currently Reading:

SUCH a great book! It is SO inspirational and great for anyone feeling down or going through some difficult challenges in life. I definitely recommend it and I'm not even done!

Russian World Team Announced

Russia has announced it's team for the World Gymnastics Championships in October. It includes A good smattering of all-arounders and a mix of 'youngsters' and 'veterans' (if you can say that about 16-19 year olds!)

Russia clearly has confidence that Viktoria Komova will be ready to give Jordyn Wieber a run for her money for the all-around crown.

Russian World Team 
Viktoria Komova
Ksenia Afansyeva
Anna Dementyeva
Yulia Belokobylskaya
Tatiana Nabieva (VT and UB)
Maria Paeska (VT & FX)

Alternates - Yulia Ishina & Alyona Polyan

Hopefully other teams will follow on soon. With GB and Romania facing off on Onesti this week it shouldn't be too long until they pick their team too.

Recommendation

Last week, following a strong recommendation from Oldham Mike, I went to The Showroom cinema near our city's main railway station to see "Sarah's Key" based on the novel of the same name by Tatiana De Rosnay and directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner. I was not disappointed. Starring Kristin Scott-Thomas as an investigative magazine reporter, the film explores what is for France a veiled and embarrassing episode in the history of World War Two.

In the summer of 1942, under the instructions of the Nazis, Parisian police herded up over thirteen thousand members of the Jewish faith and held them in disgustingly inhumane conditions in an old velodrome until arrangements could be made to ship them away to death camps. One of those Jews was a little girl called Sarah who, sensing the danger at her family's door, instinctively locked her little brother in a secret wardrobe to keep him safe and took away the key.

I loved the way the film moved frequently from the desperation of wartime to the present day and the magazine reporter's pursuit of the truth. There was an interesting mingling of lives - as if somehow what happened in the past had infected the present with repercussions still hovering around like a fusty aroma.

It was a tender film containing a range of human emotions - from fear to selflessness and from joy to utter disbelief. At one level you are confronted with the horror of what human beings are still capable of doing in wartime and at another level you recognise the essential goodness to be found in people - in Sarah, the farming family who adopted her and in Scott-Thomas's character - Julia Jamond.

This was a film with depth. It held my attention throughout as a good film should. There were about thirty people in the screening I attended and unusually, everybody stayed in their seats until the credits were over. "Sarah's Key" - I recommend it wholeheartedly. And thanks to Oldham Mike for pointing me towards it.

Beanz

Picked my first crop of dwarf runner beans this afternoon and cooked a handful for dinner. Very tasty- the best way to eat produce is straight from the garden and into the kitchen. Of course you do realise you're invited round sometime if you fancy. Just let me know when you are free...
 

Oh and what's happened to Torchwood: Miracle Day? Six episodes in, lots of exposition and still no sign of a monster or alien. Mind you, finger's crossed for episode 7...

16 Aug Portsmouth 1 - 0 Reading
20 Aug Reading 1 - 2 Barnsley

Yesterday was the anniversary of mum dying. Miss her.

Brainwave

A number of people have become very rich via the internet and usually on the backs of very simple ideas. I think of e-bay, Friends Reunited, Trip Advisor, Bebo and Facebook to name but a few. Perhaps, like me, you have sometimes wondered what the next lucrative internet phenomenon might be and could I/you conceive the core idea. A spark to light a fire. Well wonder no more, for I have seen the light. It struck me as I was weaving home from the pub the other night. The antithesis of Facebook. Yes that's it. Assbook... Bumbook... Arsebook and finally I came up with:-

Millions of hours have been wasted around the planet - mostly by younger generations - amending and checking out their Facebook pages and social connections. Facebookphilia is all around us - not just on laptops and home computers but on smart phones too. In offices, universities, internet cafes, schools, libraries and factories the Facebook legions keep checking and changing their pages like obsessive lunatics.

Buttbook will be different from that. To begin with, there'll be no faces - just butts. Visitors will be restricted to no more than ten minutes a day on the site. Anyone found using the term "lol" will be immediately barred but with regard to misuse of capital letters in written posts, the principle "three strikes and you're out" will be applied. Comments must be entirely truthful and credits will be earned by those judged to be champions at kicking butts - not literally but metaphorically. There will be separate sections for kicking the butts of banks, the wrongdoing of public servants, insurance companies, supermarkets, celebrities with inflated egos and media moguls.

Idle Facebook-like chitter chatter will be deleted immediately by highly intelligent and good-looking moderators. Any photographs uploaded must not include pictures taken at parties, in pubs or at nightclubs or any photos of Lancashire or the Costa Brava. In Buttbook's business plan we expect to earn an estimated $250,000 by Christmas and as the phenomenon gathers pace, profits from advertising are expected to double and redouble with each passing quarter. We shall only advertise "uncool" products like "Izal" toilet paper, "Woodbine" cigarettes, "Vosene" shampoo, The Liberal Democrats and balsa wood - giving Buttbook a distinctive "retro" appeal.

You've got to move with the times and Buttbook is surely the next "big thing". If you would like to apply to become a Buttbook moderator or want to invest your life savings in Buttbook, please feel free to summarise your credentials in the "comments" section after this post. Eat your heart out Zuckerberg!

Gymnastics can be so cruel.

This morning I woke up and went straight away turned on my computer, having set time aside to watch last night's coverage of the Visa Championships. Firstly I was slightly miffed when the Universal Sports front page told me everything I needed to know before the first minute of video played. Jordyn Wieber wins, Rebecca Bross is injured. Damn it!

Universal sports/NBC did some great, poignant filming in the moments following Bross's disaster. Instead of focussing in the carnage of the vault run, they panned around the many many faces of gymnasts and coaches around the arena. Shock, disappointment and resignation. They all knew that in that moment the reigning national champion and multiple world medallists dreams for this years worlds, and possibly a full strength 2012 had flown out the window.

Bross's injury status is not yet confirmed. The initial spot diagnosis was a dislocated kneecap. Bross has come back from a lot, winning world medals on a stress fracture of her ankle, but this one will take some coming back from, and probably another trip under the surgeons knife, followed by best part of a year of rehab. The clock is ticking. The one year to london mark has been and gone.

Meanwhile, Jordyn Wieber did what everyone expected her to do. Win her first national title in devistating, consistent fashion.

All-Around

1.  Jordyn Wieber, DeWitt, Mich., 121.300

2.  McKayla Maroney, Laguna Niguel, Calif., 115.150

3.  Alexandra Raisman, Needham, Mass., 114.600

4.  Mackenzie Caquatto, Naperville, Ill., 112.500

5.  Sabrina Vega, Carmel, N.Y., 112.050

6.  Bridgette Caquatto, Naperville, Ill., 111.500

7.  Gabrielle Douglas, Virginia Beach, Va., 110.350

8.  Chellsie Memmel, West Allis, Wis., 109.850

9.  Sophia Lee, Plano, Texas, 109.200

10.  Grace McLaughlin, Allen, Texas, 108.600



Vault

1.  McKayla Maroney, Laguna Niguel, Calif., 30.700

2.  Alicia Sacramone, Winchester, Mass., 30.600

3.  Brandie Jay, Ft. Collins, Colo., 27.825

(And of course Wieber & Maroney with awesome amanars!)



Uneven Bars

1.  Jordyn Wieber, DeWitt, Mich., 29.750

2.  Mackenzie Caquatto, Naperville, Ill., 29.700

3.  Anna Li, Aurora, Ill., 29.450

3.  Gabrielle Douglas, Virginia Beach, Va., 29.450

5.  Amanda Jetter, Milford, Ohio, 28.650

6.  Shawn Johnson, West Des Moines, Iowa, 28.600



Balance Beam

1.  Alicia Sacramone, Winchester, Mass., 30.100

2.  Chellsie Memmel, West Allis, Wis., 30.000

3.  Jordyn Wieber, DeWitt, Mich., 29.900

4.  Shawn Johnson, West Des Moines, Iowa, 29.400

5.  Sabrina Vega, Carmel, N.Y., 28.850

6.  Alexandra Raisman, Needham, Mass., 27.900



Floor Exercise

1.  Jordyn Wieber, DeWitt, Mich., 29.900

2.  Rebecca Bross, Plano, Texas, 29.500

3.  Alexandra Raisman, Needham, Mass., 29.150

4.  Sabrina Vega, Carmel, N.Y., 28.900

5.  McKayla Maroney, Laguna Niguel, Calif., 28.150

6.  Chellsie Memmel, West Allis, Wis., 27.900 

With Bross out the team USA selection commitee has to regroup, and recruiting strong bar workers has become more crucial, now being without Bross and Bridget Sloan, currently 3rd and 4th in the world on bars. That said, there's also room for a strong all-arounder. Step-up Ali Raisman & McKayla Maroney.

Looking to Tokyo: 

Vault - US has no trouble here, put up Sacramone, Wieber & Maroney and they could already have a large lead over the field. 
Bars - The top two consistent workers from Visas were Wieber and Mackenzie Caquatto. Based on that I'd take both of them to Tokyo, particularly as Caquatto can contribute elsewhere and has experience. I don't buy into Anna Li making the team as she had one job to do here and was wobbly on both bars and beam. Also, if youre taking Sacramone, everyone else will have to compete bars in qualifying. Who knows, Shawn Johnson or Gabi Douglas might make the team after all! And for all it's slack, Ali Raismans bar routine may contribute to the US qualifying to London.
Beam - Again not really a problem for the US but consistency is the name of the game. For their likelihood to stay on the beam I'd pick Wieber, Memmel, Sacramone & Raisman.
Floor - The US could do with some big numbers here too, and whilst most of the competitors have moments of brilliance, they also have moments of inconsistency. I'd put up Wieber, Raisman, Sacramone and either Memmel or Maroney.

So based on that event by event plotting, my likely wrong, new-look US team would be.

Jordyn Wieber

Alicia Sacramone

Alexandra Raisman

McKayla Maroney

Mackenzie Caquatto 

Chellsie Memmel

Alternate - Shawn Johnson/Gabrielle Douglas/Sabrina Vega.

It may not be the prettiest team in the world but should be capable of getting the job done.
Hopefully that ice pack on Chellsie's shoulder was nothing too serious either!

Never mind Valerei Liukin, your top junior, Katelyn Ohashi made easy work of taking the US junior title. What, she's too young for the 2012 Olympics? Damn it!

GB vs Spain vs Portugal

In the run-up to worlds, the whole GB senior team are to compete in two international events, to aid the powers-that-be select the 6 member world team. The first of those events, a tri-meet between GB, Spain and Portugal took place today at Pipers Vale Gymnastics in Ipswich.

GB fielded two teams in order to allow all senior gymnasts to compete. Team GB 1 (Hannah Whelan, Jenni Pinches, Charlotte Lindsley, Niamh Rippin, Jocelyn Hunt & Lizzie Beddoe) took part in the team competition whilst GB 2 (Beth Tweddle, Danusia Francis, Becky Downie, Imogen Cairns, Kelly Simm, Laura Mitchell & Laura Edwards) competed on indidual events only for event final qualification or simply for verification.

Rather like the US nationals, there were plenty of errors from the GB girls, allowing Spain (Ana Maria Izurieta, Ainhoa Carmona Urbano, Maria Paula Vargas, Beatriz Cuesta, Claudia Menendez, Claudia Vila & Silvia Colussi) to squeak in and take the team gold. Granted, Team GB 1 was not the team we are likely to see at worlds, but really, they should have walked this!


1) Spain - 217.750 
2) GB 1 - 216.500
3) GB 2 - 193.750
4) Portugal - 137.950

Team Portugal (Zoi Lima, Alexandra Choon & Ekaterina Kislinskaya) could not contend the team competition, as it was a 6-5-4 competition format and they only had 3 gymnasts, but they performed well enough and gained experience. It will be a big ask for this team to qualify to London 2012, Portugal was 32nd at the 2010 worlds (Spain 18th and GB 5th in qualifying, 8th in team finals).

In some level of redemption for the GB team, Hannah Whelan posted a very respectable score of 56.000 to win the all-around gold. Hannah had a few minor errors (out of bounds on floor, a dodgy beam dismount) but nothing very major. She is GB's best AA hope for worlds and on a good day could place in the worlds top 10. Jenni Pinches was a bit more mistake riddden, with a fall on beam.

AA Results.

1) Hannah Whelan (GB) - 56.000
2) Maria Paula Vargas (ESP) - 54.500
3) Beatriz Cuesta (ESP)- 53.850
4) Jenni Pinches (GB) - 53.600
5) Claudia Menendez (ESP) - 53.250
6) Silvia Palaez Coulussi (ESP) - 53.000
7) Jocelyn Hunt (GB) - 52.850
8) Ana Maria Izurieta (ESP) - 52.750
9) Lizzie Beddoe (GB) - 52.550
10= Claudia Vila (ESP) - 52.200
10= Laura Edwards (GB) 52.200


Beth Tweddle competed in the GB 2 team and only performed on floor. She had taping on her neck + shoulder so likely avoided doing bars to protect an injury. Danusia Francis also was taped up at the shoulder and conpeted a watered down competition (she performed her floor routine without tumbling, but had some of the best artistic choreography of the day).   

Becky Downie was also testing the water again following her achilles injury. She cometed solid beam and bars routines with watered-down dismounts. I'd be surprised to see her in Tokyo, but her recovery is coming on well with London 2012 in mind. It's good to see her out on the floor again. A pleasant surprise of the meet was Lizzie Beddoe. She doesn't have the most difficult gymnastics, but showed some beatiful elegant work on beam and floor especially.

Event Finals take place tomorrow and in a slightly prescribed format, each final will have 3 gymnasts from GB, 3 from Spain and 1 from Portugal.

Here were the top scores on each apparatus from today.

Vault (Each gymnast only competed 1 vault)
1) Claudia Menendez (ESP) 14.600
2) Imogen Cairns (GB) 14.550
3) Hannah Whelan (GB) 14.350

Bars 
1) Hannah Whelan (GB) 14.000 
2= Beatriz Cuesta (ESP) 13.850
2= Maria Paula Vargas (ESP) 13.850
4) Jennifer Pinches (GB) 13.750

Beam
1) Hannah Whelan (GB) 13.950
2) Silvia Palaez Colussi (ESP) 13.350
3) Jocelyn Hunt (GB) 13.300

Floor
1) Beth Tweddle (GB) 14.750
2) Niamh Rippin (GB) 13.750
3) Hannah Whelan (GB) 13.700

Click here to see many more photos from the event.
Full Results (British Gymnastics)

Things didn't get much better for GB in the event finals - granted the coaches decided to rest Hannah Whelan and Beth Tweddle from all events and give other gymnasts the experience. Spain came away with all the gold. 

Vault
Gold - Claudia Menendez (ESP) 14.300
Silver- Imogen Cairns (GBR) 14.100
Bronze- Niamh Rippin (GBR) 13.700

Bars
Gold – Ma Paula Vargas (ESP) 14.000
Silver- Beatriz Cuesta (ESP) 13.750
Silver- Claudia Vila (ESP) 13.750

Beam
Gold - Ainhoa Carmona (ESP) 13.250
Silver- Ana Maria Izurieta (ESP) 13.050
Bronze- Laura Edwards (GBR) 13.000

Floor
Gold - Claudia Menendez (ESP) 13.800
Silver- Ma Paula Vargas (ESP) 13.700
Bronze- Imogen Cairns (GBR) 13.650

The GB girls will be boarding a plane on Tuesday evening to compete in the Romanian national championships in Oneti (Nadia's home town). Hopefully this will give us a more promising measure of how they are likely to compete on the world level. 

Health advise

The world today is so fast moving and hence people have started preferring fast foods when compared to the traditional food items. The result acidity is a common complaint for almost everyone. The solutions for this to change the food habits and start eating hale and healthy food. Well again time is a factor here and hence an alternate for this buy prevacid which reduces the amount of acid present in the stomach. The side effects of this drug are very minimal.



Alternativ drug is to buy protonix which treats high quantity of acid in the stomach. This medicine is best taken with doctor advise. This drug is a big no to pregnant ladies and people who have any kidney or liver ailments.



Conjugated Estrogens a vital female organ and for this problem buy premarin. Some of the other common names for this drug under which it is available are Cenestin, Longaplex, Menostat, Biostrogen, Enjuvia. This drug should be consumed with full stomach and glass full o water to avoid any chances of stomach problem.

Costa

Have discovered this week that one of the office units near work has sub-let space on the ground floor to a Costa Coffee franchise. A couple of us paid a "fact finding" (LOL) trip this lunchtime. A large Latte is only £1.75 (about $2.60 US, $2.80 AU) and taste just great.
 

 


You shouldn't drink near expensive electronic equipment- don't worry this one was empty.















They even tried to ensnare me with the promise breakfast bacon butties. Sneaky don't you think? Given I drive past this unit on my way to the office, I think this might become a regular if I'm not too careful! Mmmm.

Grimshaw

John Atkinson Grimshaw 1836 - 1893

Just in case you think I was fooling - John Atkinson Grimshaw really did exist and really did earn a fortune as an artist towards the end of the Victorian era. Above, you can see his painting of the Humber Docks, Hull dated 1882. In the very centre of the picture next to the domes of the dock offices you can see the city's statue of William Wilberforce on a column rising out of the gloom. After the Humber Dock was filled in, Wilberforce's statue was moved to the end of what is now Queen's Gardens.

In 2009, when this painting was sold at Sotheby's in London, it raised the princely sum of £400,000 making it the priciest painting of Hull ever sold. A very similar painting by Grimshaw hangs in Hull's Ferens Art Gallery. It is called "Princes Dock, Hull" and was also created in 1882. Look closely and you may spot some differences. I remember at the start of the nineteen seventies, as an A level Art student, marvelling at this picture and wondering just how Grimshaw had created those dramatic lighting effects.