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

yet even more iPhone 4s Tips

Please read the Disclaimer in or about the 25 June 2012 Blog post before proceeding.

(17) Smiley faces.  Go to HOME SCREEN and select the SETTINGS App.  Now select GENERAL and then KEYBOARD. Then select INTERNATIONAL KEYBOARDS and EMOJI KEYBOARD.  You will now have two keyboards installed on the iPhone 4s that you can switch between one of which has a significant number of smiley type faces

The smiley should work well when sending and receiving iMessages between you and other APPLE device users.  However these images may appear as squares or other data when sent to non APPLE users even though they appear correct when you are compiling the text message

Wow, all of this APPLE talk has made me wander out to the kitchen and grab a piece of fruit. Yummy, a great product and healthy eating too!

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

Don't forget to free John Massey

Just in case you forgot; then don't forget to free John Massey. Please see both the John Massey Blog Post below and the John Massey commentary in my Human Rights interests detailed on the Side Bar of this Blog.

I wonder how much a FREE JOHN MASSEY T-Shirt would be?

Staysure

I noticed the Staysure advertisement has popped up on my Blog.  Well that's a timely occurrence as I have just arranged annual European travel insurance for wifey and I and I am overwhelmed at how cheap the price was and how seamless arranging the travel insurance cover was.

Cheap and seamless hassle free arrangements for European Travel Insurance, now that's a first in my life, and I'm no spring chicken!  Well done Staysure on having what we needed and having it at a good price.  You can be certain that God willing I shall be stayingwithyouforsure next year!

If the Staysure advertisement and the Staysure link still appears and you need Travel Insurance; then I can only re-inforce what I have already written.  I found that it was good value for money, it cost less than I expected, and the lovely person that I spoke to on the telephone to book the insurance for wifey and I was a pleasure to chat to.  You have to make your own choice based on your circumstances and the circumstances of others on the intended travel insurance policy.  But for me Staysure was good forsure, but that's just my opinion and yours may differ.

Even more iPhone 4s Tips

Please read the Disclaimer in the circa 25 June 2012 Blog posts before proceeding.

(14) If your iPhone 4s is lost or stolen then let’s hope that you had the common sense to turn on the ‘Find my iPhone’ facility in iCloud.  Go to the SETTINGS App on the HOME SCREEN of the iPhone 4s, and then into iCloud.  Scroll down and you will see ‘Find my iPhone’ and then simply select the ‘on’ switch

(15) In the App Store search for and download the ‘Find iPhone’ App (this App was free of charge in June 2012).  If your iPhone 4s is lost or stolen, you can open ‘Find iPhone’ App on another APPLE device, i.e. an iPhone owned by one of your friends or family and search for your lost or stolen iPhone 4s.  The ‘Find iPhone’ App will locate your iPhone and provide you with a map.  You can also send an alert to the iPhone and even if you or the person who has the iPhone has turned the sound to off, the alert will sound on your iPhone 4s at maximum volume for 120 seconds.  You could even send a message to your iPhone screen, I quite like the idea of sending something like; “give me back my iPhone you b*^%@rd” (and for the latter word you could instead insert your own meaningful interpretation), but alas you have to be careful just in case someone has already handed your iPhone into the local police station.

As a last resort and it is a last resort, you can remotely wipe your iPhone 4s with the ‘Find iPhone’ App, but rest assured there’s no chance of locating the iPhone with this the ‘Find iPhone’ App after taking that particular measure!

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

Oh, and while you are at it, please read the Blog Post below about it being time to free John Massey