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Brighter side of web - General
I enjoyed Jogyata Recount tales from his childhood, at Radio Sri Chinmoy.
His father wanted him to be a concert pianist. But, he didn't get on with his piano teacher. In fact he was so much in awe of her, that when there was an earthquake he continued to play a Chopin interlude, even though his teacher was hiding under the kitchen table. (this was the only time his teacher was impressed with him...)
I think my mother would have liked me to be a good pianist (she herself is a piano teacher), however I never made it past grade 2. I did however, take up the clarinet and became OK. Grade 6 Merit, being the high point. My old neighbour used to complain about me practising (it wasn't as if I practised very much and the houses were detached by about 30 metres of garden.)
Anyway, one day he came out and stared at me, from his garden, for having the audacity to practice at 4pm in the afternoon. This was a real motivation to practise; I think I remember bowing to him at the end of my practise.
Last week I received a spiritual name from my Guru, Sri Chinmoy. My new name is Tejvan. The name embodies the qualities of enthusiasm, dynamism and self giving.
I have a new hosting company which allows unlimited domains, so I will have Tejvan.co.uk. I'm not sure what I will be doing at the site. I will continue to update this site, because it has a reasonable traffic rate.
Another new site for the upcoming 3100 mile Race
If England was what England seems, An’ not the England of our dreams, But only putty, brass, an’ paint, ’Ow quick we’d drop ’er! But she ain’t!
Rudyard Kipling
A quick mention for: Dear England a blog by an old friend Matt Fullerty from LMH.
Interestingly there is a site dedicated to HP Brown Sauce
"You don't love HP Sauce because it is beautiful, is beautiful because you love it."
On the subject of novels, we are all eagerly awaiting, with barely concealed excitement, anticipation and interest, the imminent arrival of the soon to be very famous novel "Hall of the Gods" - stay tuned for more info...
One of my earliest sporting memories was watching Morecambe F.C play Goole , the northern Premier League, Boxing day 1984.
They were currently 2 divisions below the football league. At the time it was a huge gulf in finance, and quality of play.
There were no stands either side of the pitch, which didn't really matter because there were only about 150 spectators in attendance. (about 10% of those were me and my relatives).
My Uncle, Michael Berry, has watched Morecambe F.C. for over 60 - 70 years (he probably doesn't read the internet, so it doesn't matter if I exaggerate a little). My cousin Andrew, frequently goes to all games home and away. I think he once got a mention in the Morecambe F.C. programme for not missing a game all season.
Anyway, yesterday was Morecambe' finest hour, getting promoted from non league football, to English football league 2. They beat Exeter City 2-1 at the new Wembley, and so make the great transition.
I hope playing in the football league will not over commercialise the club, and I hope they can stay up.
A 116 year old Ukrainian, who is one of the oldest living people, attributes his longevity to two things: celibacy and being stupid.
Hryhoriy Nestor, has never had a wife, and as a Christian has practised the philosophy of no sex before marriage.
"According to my Christian beliefs there is no sex before marriage, so I never had a wife." He went on to say that people who get married spend all the time arguing. He also believes that leading a simple life leads to longevity.
"People, who know too much always come to a nasty end. better to stay stupid and not wonder too much about anything."
Nestor used to work as a shepherd of goats.
It would make an interesting self help book. "The Secrets of Long-life: Celibacy and Stupidity" - but I can't see it selling too many copies...
Photo by Dhananjaya of Sri Chinmoy Centre.
Comedy Links
- Funny Stretcher video I found this short video, it made me laugh.
- Weakest link - hip hop video - Just in case you missed it earlier, well worth watching.
If you enjoy filling in opinion polls you may be interested in this scheme by YouGov.co.uk
You get paid 50p per survey that you complete. My sister says she is close to getting her first £50. The registration form takes about 1 or 2 mins to complete.
I like the site design of You Gov - simple but effective.
A motorised arm chair.
When buying a car it is important that you have a comfy chair, but I think this is taking the principle to extremes. It reminds me of the sketch in "Last of the Summer Wine" by BBC when the 3 old men go sliding down a hill on a settee.
"Somebody said you can't have your cake and eat it"
"no it was not Marie Antoinette."
See also videos
These titles were chosen by Melvyn Bragg as being the most significant books for changing the world. It has been developed into a BBC series, which is quite interesting, even if I don't agree with his selection.
- Darwin - The Origin of Species (1859)
- The First Rule Book of the Football Association (1863)
- William Shakespeare's First Folio (1623)
- Newton - Principia Mathematica (1687)
- Adam Smith - The Wealth of Nations (1776)
- William Wilberforce - Speech to the House of Commons (May 12 1789)
- The King James Bible (1611)
- Patent Specification for Arkwright's Spinning Machine (1769)
- Mary Wollstonecraft - A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792)
- Michael Faraday - Experimental Research in Electricity (1855)
- Marie Stopes - Married Love (1918)
- Magna Carta (1215)
I received a very kind email from another Richard Pettinger who writes books on management at UCL university London. I have often googled Richard Pettinger and am impressed by his many published books. Funnily enough since I teach Economics some people have mistakenly assumed it was me who wrote these books. Alas, I have not as yet written a book, although I will be writing an Economics revision book very soon.
Anyway it was very nice to hear from another Richard Pettinger, I think the name is not common at all.
I did actually hear from another Richard Pettinger back in March, unfortunately I lost my old blog so I can't remember but I think he was an accountant from the Midlands.
Just in case you wish to purhase a book on management by Richard Pettinger
the Oxford Bypass after a bit of rain.
Actually the Russian Siberian Road to Yakutsk
Don't go near the edge
Bolivia's "Road of Death". About 200 people die on this road every year.
The World Darts Championship final was quite exciting. One guy Phil Nixon was losing 6-0 but came back to 6-6, before losing to Martin "Wolfie" Adams in the last set. Impressive stuff. Some like to question how much of a sport Darts is. It has a bit of reputation for being a sport for those who are not exactly athletes in peak of physical condition. As one leading darts player commented.
"Before a match I like to relax with 25 bottles of Holsten Pils and six steak n' kidney pies."
- Andy Fordham on his MySpace page (Yes, even The Viking has a Myspace page.)
- Source Greatest darts quotes ever BBC
But I think it is as much a sport as the javelin. Which is probably why Fatima Whitbread was invited to take part in the immortal quiz show Bullesye unless you have had the pleasure of growing up with Bullseye (british gameshow) these Bullseye quotes may not mean much
Darts is also educational as BBC presenter Ray stubbs said:
"Darts really can help with literacy."
BBC presenter Ray Stubbs to Sports Minister Richard Caborn. (That'll be numeracy, Ray. )
Watching the film "O What a lovely war" reminded me of an essay I wrote a couple of years ago about the Christmas Truce of 1914 This was both a remarkable and also quite poignant moment of the "Great War"; when soldiers on both sides spontaneously stopped fighting for quite a few days.
It looks like the Little Chef may close down. Working at the Little Chef was one of my first jobs. £3.00 an hour, a free uniform, and a lunch allowance of 50p per hour. If you did an 8 hour shift it would just about get you a pasta and chips or a pancake with chocolate sauce. Happy days!
Little Chef
Critics say Little Chef appears stuck in a 1970s timewarp. The dimly lit, tired salmon pink walls at Tabley match the salmon pink leatherette banquettes. The only nod to the 21st century is the whitewashed brickwork and wooden Venetian blinds which shield you from the heavy rain and constant stream of traffic on the busy A556, just off the M6. A few miles away in the market town of Knutsford, there is a plethora of high quality restaurants. Little Chef seems a world away from the epicurean delights of its chic rivals, but it still has its supporters. Fifteen thousand of them lobbied the firm last year when executives said they wanted to slim down its red and white logo, Fat Charlie.
Cat trying to down a pint of water.
Just to show cats aren't always just cute they can be stupid just like us as well.
My lucky numbers are number 7 and number 13. I hope the year 2007 brings good fortune to all!
The Number 7
1 Seven is the optimum number of hours of sleep for humans, according to a US scientific study.
2 Seven is seen as a lucky number in many cultures. Japanese mythology talks of Shichifukujin (The Seven Gods of Fortune).
3 The seven deadly sins, or cardinal sins, were refined by Pope Gregory I in the 6th century. They are pride, avarice, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth.
4 The seven virtues are humility, liberality, chastity, kindness, abstinence, patience, and diligence.
5 At a ceremony in Lisbon on 07/07/07, presumably at 7:07, the results of a global vote for the New Seven Wonders of the World will be announced. The 21 finalists include Stonehenge, the Kremlin and Timbuktu.
6 The superstitious believe that to break a mirror brings seven years of bad luck. The cure: to bury the pieces, or run them in a stream.
7 The average person's digit span (the number of digits they can recall in sequence) is seven.
Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper
The Last Supper was painted onto the walls of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie near Milan. Leonardo spent three years painting the work, and much of that time was spent searching the streets of Milan for models of Christ and Judas. It is said that only Leonardo's threats to paint the Prior of the convent as Judas bought him the time he needed to finish.
The Last supper and other paintings of Leonardo.
I wrote a biography of Leonardo da Vinci at Biography online
How to stay thin whilst eating Chocolate cake.
This photo was taken in "Coffee Dream" in Antalya Turkey. It was one of the few places to serve good coffee. It was Christmas day. On Christmas day we had Pizza and chocolate cake
Leonardo's flying machine.
Admist his numerous projects Leonardo had a long standing interest in Flying. He designed several flying machines and drew detailed diagrams. This included a protype of a helicopter which became a reality many centuries later.
This is from Universal Leonardo
"In his fascination with flying, Leonardo attempts to combine the dynamic potential of the human body with an imitation of natural flight. In his notes, he cites the bats, the kite and other birds as models to imitate. He refers to his flying machine as the “great bird” . "
currently on holıday
In Turkey strugglıng wıth Turkısh t´ınternet ĞÜŞİÖÇ é
I asked my youngest sister Lynne for some constructive criticism for my blog. She kindly said my grammar and spelling are terrible. I always listen to what my sisters say... so here is my intention to write better grammar.
-Extract from Eats, Shoots and Leaves
A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.
"Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.
"I'm a panda," he says at the door. "Look it up."
The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation.
"Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."
So punctuation really does matter, even if it is only occasionally a matter of life and death.
well I'm suitably impressed,
read more for the obligatory satire
Can't say its my favourite sport. But there is something very impressive and fascinating about how the best skaters can perform so many jumps.
This video is of Midori Ito, 1988 Olympic Games. She got only the silver medal
I think I'll stick to cycling though
Dice for the Geniuses
From: Contest for geniuses
- Speed limit (Sqaure root of 677) strictly enforces
Via: Betuman blog
My profession is an economics teacher. Occasionally I am inspired to write on Economics. At the moment I am interested in the UK housing market. I think the price of houses is the most popular topic at dinner parties in the UK, 2nd only to the weather.
It is also one of the favourite topics for the front page of the Daily Mail, who are renowned for a bizarre choice of front pages, unrelated to the news. Quite recently when the Stern report (on global warming and future well being of the planet) came out. It was on the front page of all major newspapers. Except of course the daily mail.
Anyway here are my arguments that house prices will fall?
and being an economist. I am of course obliged to write a "on the other hand"
Brit Blog list of british blogs
A Welsh View by Robert Gale
I rarely watch TV so take the opportunity to rent DVDs from Amazon.co.uk. It is much easier than having to go to a video shop. You can choose from nearly any DVDs you might want to watch either film or TV. THere have only been a few old films which weren't available. I was suprised because I found them in a top 100 film list of all time. It costs £10 for 6 per month. or £6 for 3. When finished just pop them in the post. Its hard to see how DVD rental places like Blockbusters will be able to survive in the future.
Training ride. Photo by Andy Sherwood who joined me for a gentle ride up the A40 climb in High Wycombe.
Its starting to get a bit colder. I have been using my battery operated socks for a few weeks now. They were developed for fisherman who used to get cold feet whilst at see. But they work pretty well for cycling as well.
This weekend I managed to cycle 100 miles. The weather was very good bright and sunny with very good colors. On Saturday I saw a fox hunt, even though they are illegal in the UK now. I think the rule is you can go hunting with dogs as long as you don't catch anything or something like that. To be honest I can't see the point. Anyways each to his own, unless your a fox.
I often fly to New York to visit friends in the Sri Chinmoy Centre. I'm always keen to find the cheapest flight so often end up travelling with Air India.
- My first transatlantic flight to NY was with Air India in the company of my good friend Brian. (Brian, who is aged 67, last season still managed to take 7 wickets in an innings - a demon medium pacer.(cricket)) Anyway we both got a veggie curry. I like to eat my greens so went straight for the "haricot vert" They had placed on top of the curry. Except it wasn't a green bean, but a chilli. Having eating nothing other than mild Korma's, ingesting a whole chilli was too much for my sensitive pallette. I was dying with heat, pain and thirst. Such an experience! Brain couldn't quite grasp the gravity of the situation, thinking it all rather amusing. But lesson number 1 flying Air India.
continued...
First Flight. 1903
Image from Picture History
Picture History contains many fascinating photos from our modern era. Includes interesting stories about the picture in question.
Genesis of the Daleks.with Tom Baker
Many Dr Who aficionados say this is one of the best Doctor Who series. After seeing the “New” Doctor Who series it is quite a shock to see the changing production values. I remember being captivated by Doctor Who when very young. I really did used to go and hide behind the settee when frightened by the monsters, even though there appearance seems very basic now. One problem with these old series is that the production set seems to have been made on an episode of blue peter using a few toilet rolls and tin foil. Just for one example the Vlads build a rocket which is going to destroy a civilisation but it really does look like it has been made out of a empty cardboard kitchen role.
I remember there was a degree of amusement when our college LMH, decided to set up a special committee to deal with:
"The problem of squirrels" Apparantely they were a great pest and used to chew wires e.t.c. In fact in the 19th Century a motion was tabled in Parliament that grey squirels should be renamed "Tree Rats".
However when you see a pic like these you can't help but like them:
Super Squirrel
Yesterday being the last day before term starts I spent a nice relaxing day on my computer, gardening and visiting a coffee house in Oxford.
Today (Monday) I arrived for the introductory meeting at 8am like the last 7 years.
- But where was everyone.
"Why is the introductory meeting not taking place?" I venture
"But that took place yesterday"
"You mean we had it on Sunday this year, thats strange its usually always on Monday."
"But its Tuesday today. The meeting was yesterday on Monday"
I really thought it was Tuesday I don't know what happened to Monday. But anyway I missed the first day of term.
Did I sleep for 30 hours? No
How can you not know what day it is?
Is this more dopy than taking the wrong turn in the BTTC yesterday? Who knows
Today, 28th August is the birthday of my father. Happy Birthday
Your present is in the post...
_______________________________
Yesterday was the 75th birthday of my Spiritual Teacher. Sri Chinmoy
Birthday celebrations included a new Guiness World Record for Ashrita Furman who helped organise the worlds biggest cake made out of popcorn.
It was 24 feet high and was a very impressive cake
Photos to follow soon.
Firstly learn to spell Blog
At Vasudeva Server we are using a Plone Blogging tool called Easy Blog. It has a few rough edges but is generally easy to work with.
I have written a short guide to using Easy Blog. Also advice on writing blogs in general
Bolton Abbey in the Spring (Yorkshire)
"Tuesday is Yorkshire Day, when men and women from across this historic county gather to celebrate their... well, Yorkshireness - leaving outsiders baffled about why they have such a high opinion of themselves."
Visit to Lake District
- Check out new Cycling Blog at Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team
- Big hello to Gail (my other sister)
Thursday
Like my blog Floyd Landis has seen his tour chances resurrected in spectacular style. i made the mistake of turning eurosport for a 5 min break from marking to "check the tour" 3 hours later i had watched one of the most remarkable breakaways in tour history.
comment Friday (o dear another doping scandal in cycling) THis means this year all the winners of the big 3 tours have been implicated in drugs scandals )
Race results from Monday are up at Sri Chinmoy Races
Start of Blog
I can't get my blog software to work so I shall improvise.
My sister kindly offered some words of encouragement.
re: no blog
"You're one of my range of distractions from work. To be honest, you're
not no 1 in terms of entertainment value of all the websties I look at,
but you are my brother and its good to know what goes on in your life.
( i hope you don't mind lynne author of this bestseller )
Cycling
- won 2 races one on Saturday 10 mile TT 22.15
- one at Weston on the Green airfield 23.04 10 mile TT
- (pics to follow)
Tour de France 2006
Is exciting this year.Lead has changed hands many times. Who would have predicted Oscar Perrerio to be leading and in yellow at this stage?
Floyd Landis looked so pale when he finished, after loosing 9 mins to micheal Rasmusen.
Maybe this tour is the most drug free tour.
- Interesting point 7 out of 10 of the top 10 from the 2002 have since been heavily implicated in doping scandals. (that doesn't include L.A)
