My, How The Years Fly By

Is it my advancing years or is this year flying by?

I saw my daughter on Friday for the first time since we spent time together at Christmas and I suddenly realised that was nearly six months ago. We never seem to have time for each other these days. She has her life and her Job and I have mine and there just never seems to be time...

...but I remember the first day I saw her. She was so small and fragile, in fact she still is. Her cute little button nose and those pretty little eyes. I was the proudest man alive. I had someone I could teach to survive this world and to have a life she would enjoy - I wanted the best for her. I remember holding her and saying in a very quiet voice, just in case I was overheard; "Hello there little one. I am going to teach you all you need to know to get on in this world. I will do my best for you like I have never tried to do anything, ever before. I will protect you."

Then time took over. One minute I was trying to teach her to read; "The Cat In The Hat" and the next I was helping her fill in her University Application Form. One minute it was; "Daddy, it's bath time", and the next it was; "Dad, for God's sake will you knock on the bathroom door?"

But many millions of gallons of water have trickled down the drain since those days. She has grown up fast. But I have to say this, looking at her now; I think I have done a pretty good job.

... 35 years. My, how the years fly by.

Love, Dad.

Television

It is not that television is entertaining but that it has made entertainment itself the natural format for the representation of all experience. The problem is not that television presents us with entertaining subject matter but that all subject matter is presented as entertaining.

— Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

Vanessa Paradis - Lucky Guy

I was watching some Rickie Lee Jones videos on YouTube when I came across this. It is Vanessa Paradis singing Rickie's song; "Lucky Guy", and I have to say I love it. I have never heard anyone cover a Rickie Lee Jones song before and sound anywhere near as good as the original. This comes very close!

Home Truths

I have recently been reading a book entitled "Actually Factually: Mind-Blowing Myths, Muddles and Misconceptions", by Guy Campbell. I have to say that I can't put the damn thing down. It is full of all the old wives tales you have heard since childhood and the book sets out to tell you if they are true or not.

Carrots help you to see in the dark. Is a deliberate lie from World War Two. British pilots were shooting down more German planes than usual thanks to a new long-distance radar system. To keep the radar secret, the Government spread a rumour that pilots had been put on a high-carrot diet to improve their night vision.

Heinz have 57 varieties. In truth there are thousands. The labels boast of 57 because founder Henry Heinz thought the numbers five and seven were lucky.

However the most disturbing one concerns whether Lemmings actually jump off cliffs or not. It turns out that this event was "captured" on camera in a 1958 Disney film called; "White Wilderness". Further investigation found the film crew took the animals there and herded them off the cliff to provide a sad ending to the film.

I shall never think of Mr Disney in the same light ever again.

A Remarkable Picture?

At first glance there is nothing remarkable about this picture. I am sure it happens all over the world. Someone wanting a part for their car visits a local scrapyard to see if they can obtain the part they require at a knock down price. This particular picture was taken in Bangkok and shows a car mechanic searching for a spare part amongst a pile of scrap.

The one thing that makes this picture remarkable, is that it wasn't taken at a scrapyard. Instead, the search for a spare part in a pile of junk was at the side of a street!

Don't You Just Hate Kids?

A friend of my daughters was at a loss for someone to look after her 6 year old, after being let down at the last minute. Having no major plans for the day I volunteered my services. I was met with laughter from my daughter who wanted to know how I would entertain a 6 year old on the spare of the moment.

After 20 minutes of jokes, mostly at my expense, I was left with the afore mentioned 6 year old to entertain.

I have to say it was the funniest, most enjoyable four hours I have spent in a long time. We decided we were going to draw a picture and write a poem. I thought I would share the results...

Big fat elephant, big fat nose.
His favourite food is cheerios.
He goes to bed at quarter past five.
He lives in one big gigantic beehive!

Now can someone explain to me why it took me years to learn how to touch type and attempt computer graphics while a 6 year old can pick it up in four hours?

Where Is Life Going?

January is already nearly at an end. Life just seems to be whirling along at tornado speeds right now. I really wish I could find a way to slow it down and just have more time to relax and enjoy more of life. I keep thinking about things I should do, things that I could go and enjoy... then I just get this total feeling of "Blah" and I can't be bothered and so another day goes by.

A little Seasonal Affective Disorder anyone?

Life On Mars?

I am a great fan of science-fiction and have to admit to a certain amount of excitement this week. After years of uncertainty; scientists have announced that there could well be life on Mars. It turns out that methane is being produced on the planet and this can only come from one of two sources; the gas could be produced either by geological activity or by life.

Some of the NASA Scientists are speculating that microbes could have survived for millions of years under the Martian permafrost layer in deep canyons of liquid below the ice. NASA will be launching another "Rover" mission in 2011 which will carry instruments that have the potential to distinguish between methane that is produced by geochemical means and that which is of biological origin.

Am I the only one who thinks it is ironic that, after all the different ways science-fiction stories had us discovering life on Mars, we should find it from traces of it farting?

Arthur C Clarke is surely turning in his grave!

End Of Morris Dancing?

According to the BBC News Service; Morris Dancing, one of the oldest forms of British dance, could be on the verge of dying out. One association, the; "Morris Ring", says young people are often too embarrassed to take part.

Get away! I cant understand why?

Merry Christmas

While I hope everyone is having a great Christmas; maybe it is worth sparing a thought today for others whose day may not go as well as our own. For example...

This year an estimated 250,000 civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo have fled their homes following the violence in their country...



Our guys are still in Irag...



Thousands of civilians were trapped in the fighting around South Ossetia when Georgia tried to retake the region by force...



Global food prices have made basic food stuffs like rice, corn and cooking oils too expensive for many people all over the world...



Our guys are still in Afghanistan...



Have a great day!