SA Local is LEKKER in exile

Happy Birthday MD

2012-10-05T15:46:00.003+01:00

An excellent day to break the blog fast – the occasion of my mother’s birthday.

Happy Birthday MD! It’s been a slow one.

Some quality time in the morning spent in contemplation, memories and then a couple of chapters reading a good book. Accompanied by 2 little cats thrilled to find their lazy owner lounging around in the bed. You’d have loved it – the sun pouring in through the blinds and a nice chilly little breeze battering the burnt orange leaves still attached to the tree out front.

A brisk stroll to the library – yes Mom, the library! Tooting Library rocks and they’ve just got a whole new batch of books in. I KNOW you’d approve.

Now it’s feet up and whopper piece of carrot cake – yes Mom, I got over the carrot thing. Who knew carrots could be an integral part of such glorious cake. Down here in murky Tooting, we have a ripper little French Café Tartine which never fails to please in the cake department! I would have put a candle in but that just seemed a little silly.

And later, the boys and I are out for Ribs and Chips – Carnivore heaven!

So Happy Birthday MD – MissUDearly. We can revert to Mother Dearest or Managing Director perhaps in 2013

Yours

Monkey xxx

And the winner is .......

2012-07-23T14:31:00.003+01:00

Magnificent sporting weekend just gone! Truly magnificent. Even more so as a South African sports fanatic - it was

The Proteas and specifically Hashim Amla, broke records, raised the bar and beautifully gave the English team a batting lesson or 3. A TRIPLE century, South Africa's first ever! What a man. Today commences the bowling lesson!

The Big Easy fabulously won his first major since 2007. Bogeys and Birdies galore! Well done Ernie, we've missed you.

Richard Murray stormed ahead to win the ITU Hamburg Triathlon ahead of one of his hero's Javier Gomez. Oh the proud and wonderful sounds of Nkosi Sikelel 'iAfrika piping out in Germany!

Bradley Wiggans and the Sky Team storming into Paris after winning the Tour de France and watching Cav's "Manx Missile" perfection grabbing the last victory on the Champs Elysees.

Three great riders on the podium and one of them, Christopher Froome, born Kenyan & South African educated (so yes, we're claiming him) - 2nd place winner. WOW!

And all this just one week before the start of the greatest sporting spectacle on earth! Olympics 2012! What a sporting year.

........... in the sunshine. I approve.

Ciao
NBB

Having a Rant!

2012-07-17T09:36:00.001+01:00

Today is "rant day"!
There are just some days that my cage is rattled really early, and today is one of them. So to avoid a whole day full of irritation and grrrrr bah humbug's, I'm sharing and unloading.

No. 1
Shark attacks in Western Australia once again raise the question of whether or not to lift the ban on the systematic murder of any shark longer than 4ft!

Comment:
For the "top of the food chain" we are a SERIOUSLY stupid and incompetent grouping of cells! Sharks live in the sea - SURPRISE! They're big they're hungry and that is THEIR TERRITORY. You don't like it - STAY OUT OF THE WATER. Yeah. let's kill a whole load of sharks because 5 surfers, who were doing what they love most and best, have died in the last 5 months. Since close to 2000% more people die annually in car accidents, I say we ban cars and driving - makes sense to me!

No. 2
Scotland MP's are convening to discuss legalising gay marriage! The catholic church is in an uproar and wants to be consulted before any discussion is held!

Comment:
Give me a break! Seriously! This is the same catholic church who over years and generations has consistently ruined lives by fiddling with little boys, passing their pedophile priests on from parish to parish to "hide the problem" and who are the leaders in promoting Aids and other SDD's and as such systematic daily attacks on women through their obsession with the banning of condoms. Please SHUT UP! Start grovelling and atoning for light-years of abuse, sexism, pedophilia and ...... why is marriage SUCH an issue for you? You won't even let your "staff" have sex although that doesn't seem to have stopped them!

No. 3
The Olympics are upsetting commuters in London! WTF.

Comment:
You know what people, commuting in London on a day to day basis year round - IS A PAIN IN THE ASS. In Winter - leaves on the track, ice and snow. In Summer - too hot and sweaty and stinky and gross. Tracks expand & trains run late. The Tube is overcrowded, it's expensive and it breaks down all the time. GET OVER IT.

This is 2 weeks in 1 year! Thousands of unbelievably talented, amazing and dedicated sports people are spending 2 weeks in London during one of the greatest spectacles on earth showcasing their particular brilliance which takes hours and months and years of training and dedication. Turn on the television and watch - maybe you'll learn something about brilliance, hard work and dedication. Or better yet, get off your lard-ass and head to an event on the road or in Hyde Park and watch, appreciate and LEARN SOMETHING.

No. 4

HSBC has been accused of laundering Mexican drug money!

Comment:
I kid you not! You could not make it up. Bank's are involved with ALL TYPES OF CRIMINAL offenses, not least of which includes their outrageous charges and lack of service to their clients. Start locking these pathetic excuses for humanity up. Take the money they've stolen from everyone all around the world to :

A - fund research on how to get people and sharks living successfully in the same environment;
B - pay for the immense amount of digging it will take to uncover exactly how corrupt and dreadful the catholic church has been and still is;
C - stand up against the food industry worldwide and their systematic abuse of the terms "healthy food" "low fat" and "organic" and remove them from positions of power in forming government policy on the "obesity crisis" - oh, and get compulsory sport back into ALL SCHOOLS.

Well I certainly feel better!

NBB

Ups and Downs

2012-07-12T14:17:00.003+01:00

What goes up .........

Too fast and too furious also works here I'm afraid.

It seems that what I gain in years, I lose in wisdom. Mrs Dumbass indeed!

I actually listened to my "fabulous sports therapist / take the eina out guru" describing me and my ailments to a trainee colleague this week - bit of a shock really. I'm apparently more gung-ho than even I thought I was and while Raff always manages to remain polite (he's only half English - the rest of him is Italian) it's clear I've come across as fiercely competitive, completely unaware of my limits and disregarding of any previous injuries or ailments that I've gone under the knife for in the past. Or the short version (imo) I'M JUST PLAIN THICK!

So I'm now wearing a "tape corset" across my back and my sporting achievements for the next 4 days will be exactly .........

On Monday we'll look again and while I'm still aiming for the beautiful

http://www.castletriathlonseries.co.uk/en/chateau-de-chantilly/

at the end of August along with a fabulous 10 day biking, wine, cheese and beautiful French holiday with www.banditoblanco.com there are a couple of 10km, 5km and other events - I'll be sitting out.

Still

http://www.uptontriathlon.com/

this weekend with Ironman Bayly, camping for 2 nights in a bog and a whole lot of Clapham Chasers fun & fabulousness awaits. I'm behind the lens again. Let's hope I don't need my water-wings.

Still standing tall (with some assistance)
NBB

Times they are a changing!

2012-06-20T17:20:00.001+01:00

I'm a little surprised sometimes at how quickly the shift from "Party Bayly's" to "Sporty Bayly's" has taken place.

A little over 365 days ago - Thursday could still be classified as "little Saturday" at Chez Bayly (assuming that's where we actually were on a Thursday evening).

The re-cycling bins were ALWAYS glass clinking full of wine & beer bottles and I would happily have pasted my FB page full of quips like :

I certainly wouldn't have been following the likes of Tri220 Magazine, or the Brownlee brothers on Twitter and nor would I have been thrashing out 1.4km's in the swimming pool after a "heavy night out drinking with the girls" - 1 x Guinness and 1 x small Rioja - with dinner! Or even being aware that I was marginally off the pace with a slight hangover.

Still, it's thrilling and ........ well it is an Olympic year.

So i'll raise my cup of "rooibos" to that then!

NBB

What is a Fan?

2012-06-13T10:26:00.004+01:00

Just in case anyone was in any way confused about what a fan is or is not !

FANS!

Easy to spot mostly because they look happy (if a bit odd) and they act happy!

IDIOTS!

East to spot too - they're ridiculous, pointless, annoying, dangerous - oh, and they also dress odd and like to wrap their faces up in flags & wear hoodies.

Sadly, there are WAY too many idiots around!

NBB

Polar Bears!

2012-05-21T12:25:00.003+01:00

My husband says I'm hardcore!

Essentially that means :

I'm in touch with my masculine side?

I'm no pussy?

I'll go swimming with him at 6.15am at the Tooting Bec Lido, which is less than 3deg, in a wetsuit (which I bought second-hand yesterday) - because I'm doing a triathlon this year!

Go figure!

Ice-ice Baby!

Catch Up - Round 2

2012-05-15T12:35:00.000+01:00

1291 - catch up on Day 4 of 21 and the weekend bit! That's 291 more than required (let's not think about days 7 and 8 (Monday and Tuesday) of this week quite yet, still getting there.

This speaks volumes for the guilt which is always profess not to struggle with ..........

Do as I say, not as I do!

(just found this dude's blog and cribbed his image) classic! Thanks BC Matthews! http://bcmatthews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/story-day-bs.html

What I've learned ...... so far

2012-05-15T11:05:00.001+01:00

So this should read "Seven of 21" but doesn't!

What I've learned in 8 days is :

'The road to fame is paved with good intentions';

Wanting something to be so doesn't 'Make it so' - unless you're Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise;

Creation of a good habit is as hard as the breaking of a bad habit - falling off the wagon is guaranteed

What I'm doing next is :

Let the games begin!

NBB

Comparisons

2012-05-14T12:16:00.003+01:00

Two sides of the same footballing weekend!

and

90 minutes between celebration and horror!

and

Comedy and ......... frankly, worrying!

and

image credits in order to (Manchester Evening News, Mufcgirl blog, ABC grandstand sport, Mail Online, Wikipedia and Zimbio)

Three of 21

2012-05-10T18:34:00.002+01:00

Not so easy today. A little distracted and sleepy. Still, 518 and it made me feel good because it's running.

2 of 21

2012-05-09T16:56:00.000+01:00

Success again. 526 including dialogue. Epic.

Very rewarding.

Rib time!

NBB

One of 21

2012-05-08T17:41:00.001+01:00

Aaaaaaand she's off ..............

536 words in 30 minutes! I kid you NOT.

Great start, YIPPEE!

NBB

The making or breaking of a habit!

2012-05-08T16:57:00.001+01:00

It takes 21 days to make / break a habit!

I established this pearler while researching something completely unrelated of course which speaks volumes for my already acknowledged and increasingly annoying habit of procrastination!

Here is the argument FOR : http://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/blog/a-new-habit/

Here is the argument AGAINST : http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/09/how-long-to-form-a-habit.php

Please note these are only two of many I actually read - I refer back to procrastination.

Well I've decided to test myself here - so here goes ......

I will write 500 words (and no, this blog does not count) daily for 21 days - excluding weekends when I will write 500 words over 2 days.

If this works - I will have an excellent habit! Include here "prolific writer" "success" "income generator" person etc.

If it doesn't and I feel the need to take a 2 week break after 21 days of squeezing 500 words out of my exploding head - well, I should still have around 10,500 words to use in some shape or form - which can only be a good thing!

There are only 2 rules : (of course there are rules otherwise it won't feel real)

I HAVE to write 500 words a day - and report, as such, each day on this blog, briefly, so that I'm held accountable by anyone reading this;
I CANNOT write ' Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet ' as tempting as it may be!

There - I've gone and done it!

Keep me legal people!

Thank you

NBB

Back in the saddle

2012-05-02T15:27:00.001+01:00

Just touching base.

It's Spring already - although, I suspect someone forgot to inform the weatherman. But perhaps I'm being harsh. It is warmer, mostly. Definitely wetter, a lot wetter and based on all my Google research, will remain that way for the weeks to come.

RJB and I have Safari'd, visited our beautiful homeland and spent time with family and friends.

RJB is now blogging which is noteworthy - he's blogging here http://cosmology2012.blogspot.co.uk so that's where to go if you're stalking us or just want to know where we're at.

A chapter in my life has closed which means time to refocus and get on with it. Getting paid and famous, not necessarily in that order, is the new direction. Just to clarify that, I won't be going viral on YouTube any time soon, we're talking books, blogs, web and copy writing here folks - although that's not to say it won't be seedy.

Loads of races coming up, the 2012 Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee - busy little year.

Family moving to Sweden - I can still get excited through the sadness of parting; 'tis another holiday destination to include after all - Yay.

Better crack on or it will be Christmas and i'll have missed the boat again.

Over and out ....... don't forget your brolly

NBB

New Year's Procrastinations!

2012-01-06T17:41:00.000+00:00

I am prone to procrastination in the worst way. I’m very aware that this it not an exclusive club membership but a malaise I share with millions, if not billions – but it’s annoying!

One of my New Year’s resolutions (for the last 40 years) has been to shape up and stop dicking around and GET DOWN TO IT. I’ve also read self-help books, articles, guaranteed fixes (sad I know) on the subject – I mean, if that act alone isn’t the height of procrastination, what is?

New Year, new plan – I’m going to embrace my tardiness and rather than seek the ever elusive solution, I’m going to self analyse, self medicate and self propel my thoughts and worries – onto paper! Excellent solution – I write to work out why I dither and don’t write. Result, I write – which is really the whole point!

Just getting started daily and marking a blank page with text is the killer. Perhaps if I write as many rude words as I can to mucky up the clean sheet, I’ll get bored or grossed out and be moved to more classic prose.

So if I set up a fail safe solution / enticement? Say ……

No writing – no tea! Won’t work, I’ll just drink coffee!
No writing – no water! Won’t work, I’ll just drink wine – we all know where that’s heading!
No writing – no TV! Good thing Sky has a record facility; just means I won’t ever sleep for watching catch up TV!

See, it doesn’t work – I’m a master procrastinator and Boer maak altyd ‘n plan etc.

Idea - I’ll write about why I procrastinate, why I can’t / won’t write and even perhaps crack fiction on the subject.

Failsafe plan! Watch this space. He, who hesitates, is lost.

Over and out

Sick Season

2011-12-13T12:38:00.000+00:00

“SICK” Season!

One and a half weeks to Christmas! Silly season is well upon us. Everything is TOO ……… cold, much, expensive, late, wet, dark, drunk, SICK! Etc. In my own case, I wish I were less sick and perhaps more motivated. And yes, I am whining.

It feels like months since I went out for a run or had a crazy party or went shopping, and even more months since I wrote anything good, useful or in fact, at all.

So I’ve titled this “Sick” season instead of the overused “Silly” season. This Christmas build up has not been an abundance of cinnamon, mulled wine, ginger and cardamom scents but rather menthol and eucalyptus smothered with chicken noodle soup, burnt toast and marmite.

There is no warm glowing red-cheeked beauty, tipsy with mulled wine and chestnuts. Yes there is red, but rather fever shiny, dull eyed, red nosed grumpy tart with bulging pockets of tissues and a frown.

“Snap out of it” I hear you say, well perhaps I will. Perhaps if it snows and the Nurofen kicks in and I find the energy to actually leave the house, I can find an outdoor market teeming with shoppers quaffing mulled wine and buying tat!

Here’s hoping.

Buon Natale

No really,

Happy Christmas!

I'm Back !!

2011-10-12T17:06:00.000+01:00

Peering out my ‘office’ window, I’ve just had the pleasure – well around 30 minutes of pleasure, watching a learner driver trying to reverse park!

Actually, some pleasure tainted with vague unease as the car she’s pulling up next to each time and trying to park behind is in fact Hansie the fat red Volvo!

It’s been many years since I passed my drivers test and I have no doubt that I could/would in fact fail another attempt at this – only because of bad habits learned such as crossing hands on the steering wheel (which i notice she's not doing which makes parking look REALLY hard) not making 3 trips around the outside of the car each time I drive to check 20 different things first and any number of other odd things i still believe to be included for sketchy learner drivers because let's face it, we're all dreadful when we start out.

Saying that, I don’t remember finding reverse parking quite as difficult as this poor dear clearly is and in fact the inspector on my test day wasn’t even watching me park! He was chatting to a work colleague and once I’d finished, parking left and right – I actually hooted at him to let him know I was done! He merely raised his eyebrows, hopped in and told me to move into the road for my driving test - radical traffic roundabouts (circles where I come from) 3 point turns and hill starts! Incidentally, that doesn’t mean I can’t park – actually, I park exceptionally well and RJB will attest to that. Hansie is long car but I’ve been known to squeeze into the smallest spaces - without touching anything I shouldn't!

This poor instructor has the patience of a saint – she’s into 40 minutes now and is STILL turning her wheels towards the front half of my car first to reverse into the middle of the road and then back towards the curb – as ineffective now as at the first attempt and clearly no learning curve! Might have to intervene, Hansie is getting nervous!

Hmmmm, I hope she doesn’t live around here!

Ciao
NB

Winds of Change

2011-07-08T09:28:00.000+01:00

Wow, what a week!

Tabloid drama of a mucky level that has arrested any and all news broadcasting both Television and Broadsheet. Finally, Rupert Murdoch and his mafioso have been outed and the public have risen and shown their displeasure at the style of corrupt culture that permeates his organisations.

In reality, what has happened is that Jnr. Murdoch has closed a sleazy grubby little tabloid (albeit one with the largest readership also renowned for outing dirty secrets internationally) because the name and reputation were unsalvageable - Oh, and also to pave the way for a new Sunday tabloid style replacement! 200 journalists and other "untarnished" staff have lost their livelihoods in a typical Murdoch style viciousness! "Off with her head" except in this case, the body...... salvage the head!

And in weigh the heavies!

Politicians clambering over each other to point fingers and demand "justice for the people" "save and rescue the British press with a sense of morals" "public inquiry!" blah blah blah. Max Clifford, mr sleaze personified, sputtering indignantly on television, bashing the Press Complaints Commission and it's lack of independence, using word like TITI-VATION (is that even allowed?) the Police, part of the dirt and part of the solution? etc. etc.

Personally, I dislike the idea of politicians getting involved at all - the press should definitely remain free from interference by political regulation and rhetoric but I do agree that a clean out and a public display of heads on stakes is much needed. Self-regulation needs to be vigorously re-examined and strongly defended here and the truth must out.

I love the public boycotting News International publications, galvanising to sign petitions to stop the buy out of BSkyB and halt Murdoch's megalomanic world domination strategy, forcing major brands to stop advertising with NI. Cynically I wonder if long-term, this outrage will last and whether Sunday's last and final NoTW edition won't be the largest ever edition of a tabloid sold in history. Wether we won't all go back to our dismay at the weather and irritation at public strikes and the business of belt tightening to forget about this dirty nasty expose as we get on with the business of living?

I hope the police enquiry outs the creeps, ALL of them and that journalism gets back on its high horse, clean and purified and trustworthy again.

Mostly I wonder what Rebekah Brooks (nee Wade) has on the Murdoch's; both generations, that she's this publicly ass-kissed by them for this long! Perhaps the Guardian should start digging here. Seems to me, there's a lot more to this story that we can begin to imagine!

Over and out ....... and sticking to reading fiction for a while!
NBB

A Diary

2011-05-20T10:13:00.000+01:00

I've taken to keeping a written diary - just today in fact. I haven't done that since high school and if I remember correctly, I only did it then because that's what teenage girls do, isn't it?

I have friends who keep food and weight diaries, or mood diaries, or ovulation calendars and the like. I've also for the longest time stuck with everything online largely because RJB is a geek and that's rubbed off a bit I think. When I was still an active member of the rat-race, I had a paper work appointment diary, simply because I couldn't always rely on access to my online version when out at clients or travelling - technology being what it is with firewalls and overprotective IT security managers, but that often got me into trouble with the online version double booking me if i wasn't hyper vigilant.

It's not a diary in the true date sense of the word, but more a record of an exciting project and the emotions, facts and tribulations attached to that. I think as I've gotten older, keeping a record which I can refer back to, with the flick of a page is a must have rather than a nicety or a trend blending exercise.

The project is exciting. It's been a long time in the making and keeping a written record of everything about it is the right way to go about it.

So without further ado ........ Dear Diary :-)

Back soon
NBB

Who will beat who at football tonight?

2011-03-01T15:44:00.000+00:00

Well, it's a biggie this evening - Chelsea vs Manchester United! And BIG in any number of ways not exclusive to two "top" English Premier League football teams.

So apart from being two of the bigger more successful teams within the Premier League, let us examine why, where and what else they're big in / at.

They're both BIG of wallet - Chelsea just spent £50million on Fernando Torres who is yet to open his account for Chelsea and whom Carlo Ancelotti (oh he of independently expressive eye-brows) backs all the way to play "alongside one Didier Drogba". Man U, while not flashing the cash much during the last transfer window, are fairly well known for the size of their wallet - Flashy Cashy Reds from the North!

They're both BIG of ego - back to "one Didier Drogba"

add one "super-size me on the ego John Terry"

plus a little "smooth criminal Nani',

"I think I'm God Rooney"

and ever "Mr popular Ashely Cole"

...... and really, there's not much head-room left at either Stamford Bridge or Old Trafford.

BIG of idiots! Chelsea have Ashley Cole who brought an air-rifle to training with him the other day and then shot some work replacement student "by accident"! WTF - they'll be BIG of Insurance too right about now, I'm guessing.
Man U have Wayne Rooney who smacked a Wigan player in the head with his elbow last weekend, well perhaps not smacked as much as "jumped up and hit him hard in the head with the elbow" off the ball. Now I'm not worried about any Wigan player - they're all tough wide boys and grew up on that sort of affectionate bashing - but Rooney? No red card? just a small little talking too by the ref ? - REALLY?

Both these super-fools are playing this evening !

The not so BIG FA don't have an issue with either player's antics over the last week. Nor does the FA have any BIG balls it appears, no surprise there then!

They're both BIG of Manager - both past and present. Sir Alex COMMANDS big and sometimes almost owns it. His history includes thrown boots, shortening injury time (to suit Man U), lengthening injury time (at Old Trafford), changing the entire game time (to suit Man U at Old Trafford), tearing into the referees, during - before - after anytime of a game, putting sports journalists in their place or just leaving a press conference and even stonewalling all BBC interviews - forever it seems. Chelsea had the wonderfully BIG everything of Jose Mourinho - actually, he's still pining to come back to Chelsea and whines about it every opportunity he gets. And Carlo has THOSE eyebrows.

But, like i said, it's a BIG game tonight. Man U are 16 points ahead of Chelsea at this stage (which for those who're not in on the know, that's a sizeable lead). Man U haven't done much successful at Stamford Bridge for eons ..........

So who will beat who at football tonight? Perhaps if we're lucky, Ashley will bring his air rifle to the game & shoot Wayne Rooney in the A** just after Wayne has given him a Glaswegian kiss or something equally as deserving!

Enjoy the BIG game.

Cheers

Human Nature, kind or not!

2011-02-17T16:22:00.000+00:00

Just when I lose faith in human kind, something or someone reminds me of silver clouds and linings or someone does something spectacular and restores my faith.

The past couple of weeks has been a roller coaster of remarkable political, sporting and individual heroism alongside some of the most spectacular failures of humanity - i have found myself riveted as a voyeur to life, unable to blink at times.

Australia has been hit with extreme weather and natural disaster from all quarters. Watching the televised drama has been unbearable at times and i've found myself amazed at human capacity for bravery and remarkable stoic nature of some.

The Egyptians have moved a mountain in Mubarak and followed Tunisia in a revolution which is gathering momentum all over the Arab world. What a remarkable time we live in that over a number of days the world gets to watch a dictator fall and popular uprising spread from country to country as humanity insists on its freedoms.

On a much smaller scale, a little old lady here in the UK charged across a busy road in the middle of the day to attack a group of 5 or 6 pick-axe wielding thugs smashing their way into a jewellery store. She beat them off their scooters with her handbag and kept coming back for more until onlookers were forced to assist, if only to salvage their own sense of right and wrong. Crazy story, but so uplifting.

Another dreadful pedophile incest monger has been arrested in Europe ....... loads of children and other nasties involved. A tiny village, lots of gossip, NO-ONE stepping up to help, intervene, assist for about 15 years. Wonderful, we all knew, we all talked about it, we all stared ......... but its their own business. Cowards!

Sex offenders in the UK have been given back some of their "human rights" by the international courts of Europe. They can actually apply to have their names removed from the sex offenders register - if they can convince someone they're rehabilitated!? Whose fabulous idea was that?! And other general population prisoners have also got into the "human rights' battle for access to vote. Who cares whether they're Tory or Labour or Lib Dem and why should their vote count? My opinions on both these idea are very strong ...... and they're NOT in anyway PRO human rights at this level for any of these misfits. Forfeit is a strong theme here for me!

Two horses were accidentally electrocuted through faulty exposed wires on a race-course over the last weekend. There were actually punters interviewed voicing their frustration and irritation that the rest of the race meet was cancelled. I mean, what were they supposed to do with the rest of their day, they'd made plans to watch the racing and bet money for goodness sake. How thoughtless of the race organisers. TAZER their asses is my response - give them a little jolt of reality - stupid fools!

There are loads more but i think ending on a positive note is always a good thing.

Wayne Rooney scored a FABULOUS goal last weekend in the Manchester Derby, and i mean FABULOUS. I wanted to add a link to a decent video version for you, and there are a couple of average takes on YouTube - but all the others have been removed ...... property of FIFA. Well there you go, so much for a positive note.

Over and out .... not down

Happy Sporting New Year!

2011-01-05T17:36:00.000+00:00

2011 is going to be a BUMPER year !

Don't be fooled by the title here - I mean Sporting in EVERY sense of the word including the actual physical act of sport!

Thank you to RJB for being such a sport about my writing career ! I appreciate the new Mac infinitely and being a good sporting sort, will now earn it - seriously!

SUCH a big year in store. Here at Chez Bayly we have a mega family visit right in the middle - very exciting. There's the matter of RJB's acquisition of a European Passport, there's the much anticipated end in sight to a long and drawn out legal battle in SA and a number of other fabulous things i'll keep under my hat for now!

New Years resolutions include MORE of all the good stuff and LESS of all the bad stuff - including Live Gig's, friends and family, holidays, exercise, chocolate, sunshine ....... can't add the bad stuff because I'm all too positive right now!

Jacques Kallis proved, once again, today and in fact for the last couple of weeks that he is one of the GREATEST CRICKETERS OF ALL TIME, a wonderful sportsman and an all round great unit! Grace under pressure, calm and focussed skill and superb talent! Well done on the DOUBLE TON big guy - could NOT have happened to a more deserving sportsman!

It's a Rugby World-Cup year in NZ - SO looking forward to that great sporting event. I'm backing the Boks because I'm a believer .......... and because they ROCK!

LIVERPOOL ......... COME ON TEAM, it's in there - FIND IT! Must find a way to get a game in at Anfield this year. RJB won't like that because we're due at Old Trafford ...... Oh, silly me, i forgot - I'M NOT GOING WITH YOU! tsk tsk!

There's a Royal wedding in April .......... Well, at least the mood here will lift a little. And that means ..... another Bank Holiday. Now THAT is a fine idea!

VAT is up, petrol is more expensive than platinum, it will be a year of strike after strike as the Public Sector thins out, trains, tubes & busses are more expensive and will all fall over again at the next SNOW FALL .......... which is coming ! Yay, SNOW!

Clegg-Cam or Da-Nick or whatever you'd like to call them, look more and more alike as the days tick on. A very unholy union that one! Keeping my eye on that lot this year ............ there's something sneaky afoot!

Still, it's going to be a bumper year and I, for one, AM READY!

BRING IT ON!

laters!!
NBB

REALITY Bites!

2010-12-09T13:53:00.000+00:00

Quite a bit going on today, this week in fact, in terms of learning curves.

Firstly, BIG UP to the WikiLeaks team, fans, supporters on the fight back. BIG BROTHER, take that! For every commercial giant, government patsy and/or big brother creep - Take a hike!! While I'm not sure I agree with everything and anything that is being made public or perhaps all of the rationale behind any of it - HOW DARE you try to shut it down and squash freedom - freedom of any kind! To the US Government desperately looking for a law to throw at Julian Assange - your desperation and rule bending is NOT going un-noticed.

Big Brother .................... Meet Big Cyber-bully!! Excellent.

Next, to the students out there on the march today and fighting so vocally against a rise in Tuition Fees - GOOD FOR YOU! I admire your tenacity and at the same time, your naive belief that you can still sway this very undemocratic un-liberal vote! Sadly, your voted leaders LIED to you ........... and this won't be the first or the last time. You're learning the first of a group of very hard lessons about elected officials!! You will also, in some way or another, for the rest of your life - have your elected officials with their one hand IN YOUR POCKET and the other hand AROUND YOUR THROAT! That's how it works .................... WORLDWIDE!

Keep shouting, keep marching, keep voicing your disapproval - some of the worst laws and unpopular traditions of government were ended in just such a fashion. I salute you!!

Lib-Dems - hope you're blushing. I know the Conservatives are laughing behind their hands at the long-term damage this is doing for you. As for Labour ............. enough said.

Salute to the little people
Over & Out!

Funny Ol' Week - innit?

2010-11-22T15:51:00.000+00:00

This is not going to be War and Peace!
I surmise that having “avoided” writing my blog for around 6 weeks, I should keep it short and sweet.

The Springboks were beaten by the Scots at Murrayfield!
Much horror, not much shock! I read a very good comment by someone who intoned that the only possession the Boks appear good at is that of illegal performance enhancing drugs …………….. The ball, nah ................ no way, no desire for possession there at all! Twickenham this weekend is going to be, interesting to say the least! I’ll be watching in exile (at home, no beer) – can’t promise to behave you see!!

During a recession labelled as being “the worst in living memory” – although, I debate that and conclude that could depend largely on where in the world you’ve lived for the last 80 years ………… a senior member of the House of Lords stated that “The vast majority of people in this country have never had it so good”! Oh dear, lead balloon time – or at least lead-lined parachute directly out of parliament. He’s been now labelled “technically correct” by a millionaire Businessman – worryingly one that RJB is indirectly working with – double oh dear!

Followed closely by an announcement that “Social Housing will no longer be housing for life”!? Massive uproar – people feeling very insecure! Really? Council houses were for life and then you could pass them on to your kids? REALLY?! There are over 5million people in the United Kingdom WAITING, yes that’s right, WAITING for social housing! That there alone is proof that the Benefits system – IS NOT WORKING FOLKS! Get real, get a life, get a grip!! – That statement is going to really annoy some people!

Ireland has finally taken a MASSIVE loan …………. This after protesting volubly for the last 10 days that they didn’t need one. Big debate ensues as well as much self congratulations on the part of those who’ve kept fighting to keep Britain’s currency! Great Headline midweek – “DIreland”! Spain and Portugal are next ……….. Trying to think of an award winning headline for those! How about “sPAIN " and “PoorTUGAL!”

The Pope has back-tracked ever so slightly on his “Anti-Condom Status”. It’s now ok to use one if you’re actively trying to save a life and prevent the spread of Aids – specifically if you’re an HIV positive male sex-worker!? What? Seriously!? Somehow, the fact that he focussed on male sex workers and not anything else doesn’t surprise me – AT ALL! That’s a hmmmmmmmmm moment indeed!!

Kate and Wills (Katherine and William) are getting married next year! Mixed reactions! Kate is a COMMONER! Yes, they actually STILL use words like that over here! The Bah-humbugs are watching carefully to see who pays, Charles or the tax-payer! (Hell, if we stick with tradition, surely the airhostess and her commoner husband with their “party business” should pick up the tab!!) Many are looking forward to an over-the-top, extravagant & fancy event – anything to lift the general mood. The debate is the billions in revenue earned by Britain off the back of a largely defunct monarchy ………… that most can’t help loving anyway! I say, let’s have a public holiday !!

There’s more ……….. there always is, but I said NO novel so ………………

“That’s all folks !”

See you through the week if I don’t see you through the window

Ciao