Captain America

With this years Annual Holiday looming and extremely fond memories of all the lovely Yanks that we met on the Celebrity Eclipse last year (2011); it's only fitting that I chose 'Captain America' for my Costa Foundation Charity Face Painting image earlier today. 

I helped our youngest who was drafted in at the last minute when the intended Face Painter for the well advertised event, fell ill.  It was a big move for us as we had never done Face Painting before and when I bought the paints (a Snazaroo small set and an extra 18ml white) as my Charitable Donation for the event; we didn't even know if you used the colours straight from the Palette or mixed them with water. 

Anyhow, Captain America rose to the challenge and became quite a dab hand at doing various themed  Butterfly and a Peacock images, and also a pretty good Spiderman.  Compared to the make-up artiste (daughter) who was also doing the charity work, my ratio was something like a lagging 1:3.5 in favour of the artiste.  But then again she's a dab hand at the brush and the sponge, whereas I sort of soldier on and simply try to do my bit for a worthy cause.  On this occasion our charitable contribution was for the Costa Foundation and is a charitable cause that I suspect Captain America would approve of and of course anyone from the United States can contribute towards if you meet me on the Celebrity Eclipse visiting Norway and Iceland from next weekend.  Potential burglars please note that not only will you have to deal with Captain America, but there are 3 adults left at home including the 6 foot plus budding son-in-law.  Oh, and we defend our home the all American way. If you cross the threshold then you can't complain if you get badly hurt!  Zap, pow, pow, zap, ca-bang!  Especially now that Captain America is learning how to defend himself at self defence classes.

The Anthem

Oh how I long to sing
The Star Spangled Banner
With its unique ring
While in upright manner
Although I’m no tenor
To sing the national song
Is all that I long

To stand side by side
With cousins from across the Pond
That’s no longer so wide
Because of our special bond
From discourse and not a wand
Oh how I long to sing
That Star Spangled thing

Roger Bennett, August 2011
(All rights reserved)

Munich

I have uploaded the poem that I wrote on the 26 July 2012 to my Poetry page of this Blog that is my homage to the tragic loss of life at the Olympic Games held in Munich in 1972 and (at the time of writing) the failure to hold a silence of one minute at this year's Olympic Games on the 40th Anniversary of the Munich Olympics.

Click on the Poetry tab and when the tab text turns bold; simply scroll down the page to read the content

Remember Munich

As I mentioned in my 20 July 2012 Blog Entry; remembering those who perished at Munich in 1972 is the RIGHT THING for the International Olympic Committee to do.

I took the time to write to the International Olympic Committee asking the Olympic Committee to honour the memory of the eleven Israeli Olympic Team members who were murdered during the 1972 Olympics Games held at Munich by holding an appropriate silence of one minute during the 2012 Olympics Games Opening Ceremony in London.

I explained on these Blog pages and in my communication to the International Olympic Committee that holding a silence of one minute as a mark of remembrance:

is not a RELIGIOUS THING,
is not a NATIONALISTIC THING,
but is simply the RIGHT THING.

More so in that 2012 is the fortieth anniversary of the Munich Olympic Games in 1972.  If we fail to remember them on the 40th Anniversary of their untimely and unnecessary deaths, then when will we remember them?  We cannot hold a silence of one minute on the 50th Anniversary as there are no Olympic Games taking place in 2022.

It is a shocking fact that those who were murdered while engaging in the Olympic ideal at Munich in 1972; have never been afforded the basic gesture of a simple remembrance at the very event which after all was the catalyst for their traumatic deaths.  The Israeli Olympic Team Members in 1972 chose to be Olympians, they did not choose to die.  

I am not Jewish, but if I was, then I would be proud to be so.  I am not associated with the State of Israel, but if I was, then I would be proud of that association.  Especially given the murderous atrocities of ethnic cleansing that were vigorously indulged in during the Second World War against Jews.  I am not an Olympian, and I will never be one, as I am not an athlete.  But if I was an Olympian, then I would be ashamed that those who governed the event had failed to give my fellow Olympians a basic honour of remembrance for their ultimate sacrifice.  Killed when they should have been enjoying their status as Olympians.

Shame on all of those that refuse to hold a silence of one minute as a mark of remembrance for the Israeli Olympic Team Members who died in 1972.  The idea of Civilising Processes is often misunderstood.  Some people believe that they are more special and others, and some societies believe that their society is civilised whereas other societies lack civilisation for some act or the other that they engage in.  Some societies and by default groups within those societies; show their backwardness within the civilising process by those acts that they omit to engage in.  It is never too late to change, but change only happens when the strength of feeling turns heavily against those that resist change, or new blood or opportunity washes away those that create a wall.


Question: is there truly an Olympic ideal, or has the Olympic Games become simply a money fest coupled with glorification and power craving of those that control the purse strings by choosing whom to pass on the Olympic torch every four years?  If there is an 'Olympic ideal' then there can be no question that a silence of one minute as a mark of remembrance for those who died in Munich in 1972 must be held.


There can't be both, either there is an 'Olympic ideal', or there is not.

Strategic investment in infrastructure

Please don't be misled by the odd sporting Blog entry; as I am no athlete.  A 22 stone book reading, typing, arty guy and poet, that's me.  Now don't get me wrong, I am capable of working out, but of course it's a struggle.  It's a struggle to find the money to pay to run the car, and a struggle to pay the astronomical fuel costs of living in a rural location in order to get that car to and from the village and into the Sports Centre.

This is where sensible strategic investment in infrastructure will pay dividends for the NHS by helping people to help themselves.  This is especially so, when we consider the inspirational performance of Bradley Wiggins over the last few weeks.  It’s not the effort of one ‘Tour’ but the culmination of years of physical activity and dedication.  Becoming the first British citizen to win the Tour de France is inspirational.  But little steps and all of that are of course the important part of the aftermath of the Bradley Wiggins astonishing win 109 years after the Tour de France annual event began.  More so in that this is the year of the London Olympics and the fantastic performance on Andy Murray at Wimbledon. It's all inspirational, albeit the success of Bradley Wiggins is more inspirational than the rest. Oh by the way, I'm not a cyclist, as it's not safe to cycle much around here.

But however good the top people are, the little people, or in my case the big people, are limited by poor infrastructure.  You can’t walk about if there are no pavements, and you can’t cycle if there is a serious likelihood of being killed and a serious absence of safe cycle routes.  This of course is where the strategic investment in infrastructure comes into place.  

Please don’t bother building this and that stadium or this or that running track as it's pointless in terms of mobility and national health.  Instead, we need to link villages to town centres with pavements that can double up as a safer cycling route.  The oportunity for safe increased mobility means that the health of the nation will steadily improve, and of course those that are do more exercise will inevitably start taking up sporting activities.  Increased mobility will will increase the pool and lead to more future sporting stars.

The problem is that those who run the place tend to think too BIG.  

Less mobility, poor public transport, high fuel costs, higher fuel costs in the country, less to do, less mobility.  

It’s a vicious circle, but one that can be broken if we rethink the strategic direction.  Pavements, more pavements, any quality pavements, lots of pavements, linking pavements, and even more pavements.   

Pavements allow activity that improves health and reduces road deaths and reduces dependence on the NHS while improving mental health.  You can dress it up any way that you want, but the reality is, it all boils down to the need for pavements linking communities that allow walking and cycling and thereby encourages people to get out and about in order to safely reach a destination that may be a mountain walk, a shopping centre, or whatever.  All we need is a long term strategic investment in infrastructure i.e. pavements.  It's sort of like the 'plant a tree' theme, but in this case it's more of 'lets lay a few kerbstones, chuck on some hardcore, tamp it down, and spread over some tarmac, and then add a few lines and words such as cycle path'.  Now this would be a legacy fitting of the astonishing and inspirational success of Bradley Wiggins in the 2012 Tour de France.

It’s not rocket science; so can someone in charge please start getting it right?    

Time Trial

What a fantastic Stage 19 Time Trial shown on ITV HD of this years Tour de France.  It was great to have excellent commentary and the opportunity to watch Bradley Wiggins crush the opposition.  But while viewers had the opportunity to see the best, we also had the opportunity to realise just how good the opposition are; and by default how superb Bradley Wiggins is. 

Can someone please arrange for Mr Wiggins to collect his Knighthood some day soon please. 

I mean; let's not mess it up with a BEM or an MBE (as good as each of them are; and I would be delighted with the BEM as that's what I aspired to aged 18).  No, let's get it right and confer a Knighthood.  Bradley Wiggins in the 2012 Tour de France is inspirational and will reduce National Health Service costs as a new generation of cyclists get on their bikes.  All we need now is a safer road strategy and strategic investment in proper cycle paths that are usable in rural areas where public transport is poor, car running costs are high, and NHS facilities are stretched or on the brink of collapse. 

One man has provided a catalyst to change society.  We will be pondering the implications of the performance of the SKY Team in the 2012 Tour de France for many years to come.  That is; providing those that run the country, act coherently and recognise the opportunity, instead of bickering and blaming one another as a reason why the safer roads and strategic investment doesn't take place.

Munich Olympics 1972

1972-2012-40-1

Munich Olympics 1972
London Olympics 2012
40 Years
It's time for 1 Minutes Silence

We should at this years Olympic Games remember the dead, on the 40th Anniversary of the Olympic Games held at Munich.  We cannot remember those who died on the 50th Anniversary as there are no Olympic Games 50 years after Munich.  A silence of One Minute is a fitting and appropriate gesture on a significant anniversary of Munich. 

They didn't ask to die, and they don't deserve to be forgotten.

I am not Jewish, I have no association however remote with the State of Israel. 

I am simply a Humanitarian who believes in doing what is right and just.  There should be a silence of One Minute at the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.  The mark of respect and remembrance can be for those who fell at Munich or if that is too difficult for those in authority to comprehend and act upon, then it can be for all athletes that have died while participating in a Sporting Event, irrespective of whether or not it is an Olympic or other event:

It's not a RELIGIOUS THING
It's not a POLITICAL THING
It's not a NATIONALISTIC THING
It's the RIGHT THING

Congratulations to John Terry

Congratulations to John Terry on his acquittal earlier today and congratulations to Fabio Capello for supporting Mr Terry and be shown to have sound judgement. It was an astonishing waste of public money for the case to have been brought given the circumstances and the absence of evidence 'beyond all reasonable doubt'. Well done to Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle for judging what many were expecting; given the weak evidence that did not stand up to criminal scrutiny. Thank goodness for our Justice System and the valid burden of proof that was required and which appeared to have been absent from the outset in this case. A waste of public money and a stressful time for someone who appears to have only ever wanted to serve his country on the football pitch and do charitable work in support of his friends and those in need. Well done John Terry I am shocked that this happened to you and pleased that you were acquitted.

Lidl et al and the Triple Dip Recession

Both Lidl and Poundland are excellent shops.  The value for money provided by both retailers has come into its own during this period of Triple Dip Recession.  It may be a Double Dip Recession elsewhere in the U.K. but in this part of Wales it certainly seems to be a Triple Dip Recession.

Extremely high local fuel prices that are forced up by a retail monopoly and which is compounded by a U.K. central government that in the main appears to constantly fail to get to grips with the Petrol Pump Rip Off.  High food prices out in the sticks with the absence of ASDA and Tesco, both of whom are sorely needed in order to drive down local food and fuel prices, and to increase employment. 

The purchasing power of my static Occupational Pension seems to dwindle weekly.  Worse still with such poor and unreliable public transport systems; the majority of people in this area are forced to run one or more cars.  We all know how much running a car costs, in simple terms, too much.  Everyone is after your coin, and I'm sorry folks but there doesn't seem to be enough coins to go around while the economy is taking a pounding and my Occupational Pension is fixed.  Healthy food costs more here, fuel costs more here, the gym and swimming pool costs, and you need a car to get to and from the Sports Centre and that also costs a lot with the inflated fuel and other costs.  Parking the car costs, repairing the car costs and I could tell you a lot about that one, but I had better not go there today.  All in all they reckon a person in a Rural location is about £2000 per annum worse off than someone living in an Urban location. 

Tell me about it, I don't know where they got their data, but they can have my confirmation material anytime.

So with all  of this in mind; thank you Lidl for the bargain £6.99 Sensiplast Pro Comfort Knee Brace complete with 3 year warranty and moisture wick system.  I wore it in the gym today and it kept the knee joint neatly in place.  Initial results suggest that although my capacity and Performance Index will need to be reduced for one or two weeks, but the bottom line is, with the knee brace it is possible to still work out.  Oh and thank you Screwfix for the £7.97 three setting shower head in chrome effect, and thank you Poundland for opening in Aberystywth.  Well done to one and all!

Athletes

The New Balance 940 shoes have arrived and I am well impressed.  Ordered late Saturday night from Runningshoes4U and courier delivered with pre-arranged one hour slot appointment on Tuesday.  I opened the box and there they were.  Two gleaming New Balance 940’s trainers: one left foot and one right foot.  Both shoes are the UK size that I ordered and a 4e width fitting.  I stood there for a while wondering what was the catch. This cheap and this quality of service and the right things arrive.  Well done Runningshoes4U and a special thank you to New Balance across the Pond who have messaged me quite a few times on a social network site to help me obtain the correct shoes.

Keeping on the athlete theme; Lidl £6.99 Sensiplast Pro Comfort Knee Brace c/w 3 yr warranty and moisture wick system.  In sizes XS-S, S-M, M-L, and L-XXL, you can guess which one I bought.  On sale tomorrow in our part of Wales BUT I snaffled one up today with a bit of cheek and charm.  Tee hee he, I have a sports injury.  I don't know whether or not to be chuffed or sad.  I mean the only sport I used to do was watch the World Cup and Euro thingy, and now it's a 4 hour on campus session (even with the injury today).  Although breast stroke apparently is not allowed as it involves rotating the knee, never, I normally use my hands :-)

Even more help

Wow, just had a message from Runningshoes4U; "Your order from Birmingham Runner Sp Ltd is out for delivery today by Neil your DPD driver and is due to be delivered between 12:27-13:27." Now that's what I call service.  No waiting around all day on the off chance that they may or may not call around.  Pretty good seeing that we are out in the Countryside (well give or take a few hundred houses).

Telephone providers, domestic appliance repairers, mobile phone deliverers; please all take note.  Not the number of houses, but how to make an effective and helpful appointment. 

Every little bit helps and so far Runningshoes4U are coming up trumps.  Now let's hope that it not one Men's and one Ladies in a polythene bag, or UK Size 8 width 'D'.  Because if Runningshoes4U get the order right, then they are surely one company worthy of a strong recommendation!

Every bit does help

Further to the 08 July 2012 Blog Post 'Every bit helps' regarding the New Balance 940 Men's Trainers in width size 4e; I have already received notification that they have been sent, and that they are due tomorrow!  Which is pretty cool seeing that tomorrow is Tuesday and the New Balance 940's weren't ordered until late Saturday night and the P&P is free.  More to follow as and when they arrive in wet and windy Wales.

Meanwhile I managed 15 minutes on the Cross Trainer earlier today, along with three sets of ten or more repetitions on each of the Abs, Lats, and Pecs machines, 10 minutes on the Concept II Rowing Machine, 10 minutes on the Treadmill on a CPR workout, 5 more minutes on the Cross Trainer at a higher level, 5 more minutes on the Treadmill at a greatly increased CPR workout, was taught how to leg stretch and done those stretches there and then and again a little later on, 1 mile around the 'Sports Track' with the usual 'walk the straights' and 'jog on the corners', 1 mile Campus up and downhill walk, and a few more leg stretches.  The old New Balance 859 trainers are just about holding out, but they are done for and the new one's are very much needed.  The New Balance 940 is an update of the old New Balance 859 version and should be (fingers crossed) good for the job.  I mention 'should be' as my New Balance 859 Men's Trainers were never put to the test when they had their strength and integrity and even when I started in the Gym a few weeks ago, there was no certainty that my desire for exercise would last or that my then almost 22 stone frame would cope with the stresses.  The frame has just about coped, only just, but maybe that coping will be enough to launch me onto the next and subsequent health targets.  Meanwhile don't be too late Mr Postman as there's an athlete (ha ha ha) somewhere inside here, bursting to get out. 

iPhone tips adjustment

Check out the disclaimer circa 25 May 2012 before reading this Blog Post

One of the previous iPhone 4s Tips mentioned using the PIN number locking facility to secure your iPhone 4s in case it is lost or stolen.  I stumbled across the point today that; you have to have the auto close down facility working for the PIN to work i.e. select 1 or 2 or 3 minutes to auto shut down in the SETTINGS part of the iPhone 4s.  If you select the last option 'never', then of course the finder of the lost iPhone or the thief if it was stolen, doesn't need your PIN  to use the iPhone as the HOME SCREEN will be showing!

I know that this is logical, but in order to use a Digital Clock App and constantly see the screen; I selected the 'never' shut down setting and then realised the implications if the iPhone was lost or stolen prior to selecting a time out.  Close one there chaps and lasses, and I shall endeavour to pay more attention in the future

Every bit helps

Being on an Occupational Pension it's important to look hard for those bargains. I'm after a pair of New Balance 940 men's trainers in 4e width fitting.  This particular 'New Balance' trainer is ideal for my bulky weight and my over pronating style of running. Well walking on the straight sections and jogging around the curve bits on my local track at the moment. 

Now, any old trainers can be bought quite cheap.  But these 'motion control' chappies come in at £85 and with some providers there's some P&P on top. So with the dwindling pension in mind, I have been looking hard, really hard.  So you can imagine my delight when after 48 hours I managed to source them at £55 including P&P at http://www.runningshoes4u.co.uk/

It will be interesting to see if the free P&P takes weeks rather than days, and to note whether or not everything in the transaction goes through fine.  But if it does, go fine that is, then why on earth would anyone go anywhere else to buy their specialist running shoes?  Especially when you can get them for this price at this particular website.  It is inevitable that a follow up Blog Post is due, and that might even include a pic of the New Balance 940 UK sized 4e width fitting trainers that were ordered.

Caravaggio

How can someone stumble upon 100 Caravaggio sketches worth an estimated £560m, it simply beggars belief. If this story is true, then can you imagine the public response if part or the whole collection goes on display?

I spent a fortune to see an Art Exhibition in Florence in 2010 that hosted only one Caravaggio. Ok, it was the astonishingly beautiful shield, but nevertheless it was just one piece. Another gallery in Florence housed 4 or 5 Caravaggio's, but all of this pales into insignificance compared to the number of reportedly Caravaggio sketches found in Milan.

I await confirmation with an eagle eye and hope that if true, the sketches reach a wider audience and not a private collector.

The iPhone 4s Tips continue

Please read the Disclaimer in or about the 25 June 2012 Blog post before proceeding.  These iPhone 4s tips are provided to assist new users to the iPhone.  If like one of my daughters you are ‘all geeked out’ then these iPhone 4s posts probably won’t be for you. In all instances the official APPLE advice as guidance is best.  So if you track down the official APPLE stuff; then there is no need for you to waste time reading this Blog.  Unless of course you are interested in the host of other ramblings that appear from time to time on The Weekender

(18) ‘Screen pinching’ is another important part of the iPhone 4s experience.  Finger and thumb together on the screen and then move them apart and back towards one another and you will see the screen zoom in out.  Great for checking out parts of the photographs or changing the font size when reading a webpage. 

(19) While we are on the subject of photographs; remember that new images can be taken by pressing the camera button shown on screen (when the camera viewfinder is open after you click on the camera iPhone App), or by ‘+’ zoom button on the edge of the iPhone 4s

(20) And don’t forget that the iPhone 4s camera viewfinder image rotates! Hold the iPhone camera one way and the ‘+’ zoom button will be on the underside and to the left.  Rotate the iPhone 4s and the camera viewfinder image will remain in the same orientation (what you see is what you get) but the ‘+’ zoom button will now be on the top and to the right hand side more akin to the normal camera shutter release position.  Open up your camera App and have a go yourself, it’s only a machine, so don’t be afraid

More iPhone 4s Tips to follow; so check back and read the Weekender Blog now and again