Water safety

There's an overly complicated explanation of drowning doing the rounds at the mo on the Social Networking sites. The thrust of the advice is:

1. Most drowning deaths happen with friends and relatives nearby

2. Breathing is a primary function and talking is secondary and therefore someone drowning can't shout as they are trying to breathe

3. Attempting to stay afloat is a primary reflex, and therefore the person is unlikely to wave their hands

4. If you shout at them and they shout back then they are probably ok

5. If they are quiet with their arms out they could be drowning, so if they do not shout back - get your arse in the water - and haul them out

6. Never put yourself in danger when rescuing another person, check your surroundings, call on others for help, and lower yourself into the water and do not dive or jump

7. See you local swimming pool for life saving courses

8. Teach young children how to swim

9. Teach young children the dangers of playing by water

10. If in doubt get them out

Swimming clubs and pools sometimes run advanced resuscitation courses. The British Heart Foundation and St. John's and others often run cheap or free of charge First Aid or (compact) resuscitation courses. You don't have to be a swimmer to be a lifesaver as you could be the one on the side when the victim is brought to the edge and has to be saved. Get yourself qualified as one day that victim could be a good friend or a family member. Knowledge is power, so get yourself some powerful knowledge.

When I resuscitated and saved a young woman in Cardiff last year (and subsequently had another breakdown due to the trauma of dealing with the victim) there were EIGHT persons stood around including her best friend when I arrived at the scene, and not one of them had a clue of the most basic and rudimentary life saving techniques. Don't be number 9

3:28:81

I'm as much in awe of athlete Mo Farah this morning as I was when I retired to bed last night. To put it into context; not only is he now the British and European 1500m record holder, but this isn't his race, and his pre-race times were no where near this astonishing record! Even if he did (according to the Daily Telegraph) joke with Steve Cram at lunchtime that day that he might break his record for the distance)

The British 1500m Record has stood for 28 years, the European one for 16. And then along comes a Double Gold Medal winner from a significantly longer set of distances who wants to train running faster and drops down a distance. Wow, simply inspirational. I'm over weight and I'm old, but I would love to train for a day with this athlete. It wouldn't just be about physical exercise, to hit these times, it must be about mental capacity and control as well as physique.

Way to go Mo!

Sergeant Sean Murphy

Massachusetts State a police tactical photographer Sergeant Sean Murphy is a hero. Can someone please pass on my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to him, and mention that he is in my prayers for a safe and happy future.

In my humble opinion the well publicised photograph that appeared on the front cover of The Rolling Stones Magazine intentionally or inadvertently (I don't know which) glamorised a face of terrorism. Sergeant Sean Murphy absolutely done the morally correct thing in issuing the photograph rebuttal, and should be hailed a hero. We are talking about the image of a person who allegedly dealt in death and maiming, someone needed to step up to the mark, and Sergeant Sean Murphy stepped up for all of us. Way to go Murphy; you are what makes Boston good.

www.lippyeyes.com

Continuing with the poetry theme (brought about by the lovely weather and the relaxation that allows us to ponder the world and its going on's), here is a poem about make-up and prosthetics and the skill of the professional make-up artist who weaves her magic just like a magician. So this post also leads on from the previous post about the magician and illusionist called Dynamo. The professional make-up artist and hair stylist transforms the client and brings the canvas to life. After one of her jobs, the father of the Bride asked how the transformation had taken place, to which the Maid of Honour pointed at the make-up artist and said words to the effect of: ". . . she done it, she weaved her magic, she's a magician", hence the twelfth line of the poem, enjoy


www.lippyeyes.com

Lippyeyes
Does hair and stuff
Smoothing out the rough
And bringing beauty through
For anyone including you
Phantoms can simply appear
In images far and near
Or maybe a beauty day
With good make-up made to stay
Planned to make you feel good
As only an artist could
With her magic worked through
On make-up just for you
Whether her or his
Because that is
Lippyeyes

Roger Bennett
Penrhyncoch
July 2013

All rights reserved

Rhyming scheme a,b,b,c,c,d,d,e,e,f,f,g,g,a
1.5 feet per line ranging plus 0.5 foot to 3.5 feet per line for central section and then reverse back to 1.5 feet

Dynamo Magician Impossible

Dynamo Magician Impossible starts a new series on Watch tonight, so here's a little one for you Magic people out there:


HOW?

New Dynamo,
You rock you know.
With your Magic fun,
You are the One.

You exhilarate,
And don't berate.
New Dynamo,
I want to know.

How to levitate,
And find that State.
Making faces bright,
When casting your light.

New Dynamo,
Please don't show.
How its done,
Instead keep Mum.

How the Rising Ball,
And coins do Fall.
And screws undo,
Please keep true.

And maintain that Code,
Beyond being old.
Because you are Dynamo,
The one we know.



Roger Bennett
Penrhyncoch 2013

All rights reserved

The Other Guy

Here we are chaps and lasses, a poem that I have written just for you, whoever you are. Four feet per line, rhyming scheme AA, BB, CC and so on, with a half couplet at the end that brings the finale to the poem.


THE OTHER GUY

When you begin to make me cry,
Keep watching for the other guy.
You know the one that wants to be,
The one spending his time with me.
And when you start to scratch away,
To harshly berate me this day.
Call a stop and think once or twice,
As the other guy is quite nice.
And he would warmly hold me tight,
With love so tender through each night.
You should pause and think of the fact,
Which may force alarm and an act:

When our love hearts no longer sing,
The other guy can do his thing.


Roger Bennett
Penrhyncoch
July 2013

All rights reserved

P&O Part II

In case anyone is wondering who P&O are:

". . . P&O Cruises is a trading name of Carnival plc, a company incorporated in England with company number 04039524 and with registered office at 5 Gainsford Street, London SE1 2NE. VAT reg no: GB 761 4300 58. ATOL 6294 ABTA V8764. . ."

P&O

I know that I'm a valued customer even though I have never sailed on a P&O Cruise, but I must admit that I was slightly taken aback earlier today when the chappies and lasses at P&O sent me the following email:

"Dear

This is a test message ready for the CheetahMail training!"

Wow, is this an African Safari invite, or some new fangled 'Go faster' than normal email system. Or is it instead a simple play on words and some method of fooling people i.e. cheating? I'm not quite sure which is correct, but to help you out: I'm not an employee of P&O. Indeed I'm not employed by anyone.

But if I was a P&O employee, and if I was a P&O employee with big enough clout: then I would sort out your pricing arrangements so that loyal customers do not feel conned when others join them on the P&O or Cunard ships at greatly reduced rates. But as I'm not a P&O employee and I have never sailed with P&O or Cunard; then I don't have to worry about either point. I don't even have to be overly concerned about the 'CheetahMail training' either!


Ps please don't rush to get rid of any of your senior management soon, or rush to get rid of Getaway prices as I'm thinking of booking a bargain with you :-)