Dazed and confused.

Weight Loss VLOG Part 2.

2015-04-06T17:59:00.001+01:00

Moved

2008-10-20T13:36:00.000+01:00

Short but sweet,this blog can now be found at

www.picasso36.wordpress.com

Guns,Government and Gremlins

2008-08-26T13:36:00.002+01:00

We are all aware of the increase in gun crime in recent years.It would be very easy to make sweeping generalisations as to why this has happened.However here are some facts and thoughts.

Hungerfoed and Dunblane were terrible tragedies that should never be forgotten.However 99.99% of gun crime is committed with illegally held firearms.To obtain a liciense to hold firearms is difficult to say the least.These are some of the conditions.

1. Membership of a recognised club and regular attendance.

2. Safety training and a probationary period.

3. References

4. Interviews with the police.

5. Interviews between you,your Doctor and the police.

6. Granted liciense only for indoor approved ranges.Any outdoor shooting requires holding a liciense for a number of years and more approved training.

They are just the basics.The banning of handguns only succeded in affecting legally held,approved target shooters.Why?This simple the guns used in street crime pre '96 were illegal anyway.Ergo banning them has made no difference whatsoever.Gangsters and scallies ignore the law so it has no relevance.

Historically,Olympic shooting was one of strongest sports.Look at Beijing,cycling,rowing,swimming etc have done incredibly well and restored our sense of national pride.Why have they done so well?Answer because of funding.The best coaches,facilities,nutritionists means we are up there with the best in the world.

What about shooting,did we have a team-hardly.The ban now means that dedicated,focused target shooters have to travel to Switzerland to practice!!It is fairly obvious why we have no team.The odd competitor faces financial ruin and the practicalities are impossible to overcome.

London 2012,billions spent and new venue being built for shooting.Will we be able to field a team-doubtfull! After the games the sports center is to be demolished!Not even given over for a five-a-side pitch or similar.

My own experiences.What does target shooting do for me?Well it relaxes me,it enables aperson with health problems to compete in a sport theoretically to Olympic standard.Our gun club has many young members;consider this

1.Some come thinking guns-Fantastic!

2.They quickly relise that it is primarily about safety and dedication.

3.They become focused and competitive.They realise to improve they must work hard and concentrate.

Most importantly guns lose their glamour.we have kids who were going down the wrong path in life."Homies,looking to cap someones ass with a Glock19"

Now they hang aroung with different people,are focused,doing better in school and they realise they can outshoot any moron on the street.It is no longer rebellion,it is a bonafide sport primarily concerned with safety.

The government wants gun clubs closed down.This is not the answer.The answer is education,showing kids the effect of street guns and the damage they can do.We want guns off the streets more than most.But please don't penalise the law abiding dedicated shooters.The scallies will ignore whatever law you pass anyway.Guns exist and they will not go away.

We need to educate and introduce stiffer sentances for illegally held weapons.

We are not lunatics please do not tar us all with the same brush.

"someone having a glass of Chianti with linguine al forno is not the same as a man in the park with a bottle of meths"

Think about it,by working together we can possibly reduce gun crime and help kids focus their energies in the right areas.

Medea/Eliza- I love you!!

2008-08-05T17:56:00.002+01:00

Well,Tma07 is back.As usual i had no confidence with my submission.Week upon week of panic,mental acrobatics and an overwhelming fear of dread.All for nothing-88%!!!
How chuffed am i with that?was hoping for 70 or above and would have been thrilled with75%.

Here are my tutors comments;

Michael, there are no major concerns here, and yet again a clear and well-argued essay with some sound independent critical thinking. . You appear to have mastered the art of the concise introduction in a limited word length essay, and clearly show an understanding of the question and its requirements. This hearkens back to Block 1 and the consideration of form and meaning, revealing works of art as a constructed entity. Art is not reality; it is a representation of the creative intention. Therefore, that was an important task achieved.Your essay progresses through some very sound investigation, supported by some well-chosen examples. Therefore, what prevents an even higher mark? Well, you show the elements of Pygmalion and Medea separately for much of the essay. This was extremely effective per se and you provide some excellent examples, hence the very good mark. However, as I was reading of Eliza I craved to know how you might relate that to Medea and so-forth. My script comments offer some suggestion. You did attempt this on occasion and the quality of the delivery rose sharply. However, your strong point here was in maintaining the focus on the question throughout.Assimilation is the lifeblood of high quality comparative analysis and shows a sophisticated understanding of their relative values. You fully understand the need for a strong structure to your essays before deciding on the detail of the content. Therefore, I am extremely confident that you are getting there (Are you?) and it is indicative of your progress that I can spend my comments on fine-tuning. Furthermore, these are points for getting to grips with level 2 not forgetting that TMA 08 is baseline level 2. Well done Michael and keep it up till the end.

If i could ever make a decision!

2008-08-04T10:56:00.002+01:00

So, A103 is drawing to a close and this begs the question what next?First do i go straight into another course or go for a January start which will give my tired brain a rest.Since A103 i have not picked up a paint brush so maybe a break will reinvigorate?

A216(Art and its histories) feb start,but some of the comments are worrying.

A251(World archaeology) only a 30 pointer,Sept start,but quite fancy it.That would mean doing another 30 point course and AD252(Islam in the West)looks interesting.

A200(Creative writing) can't write

Even think of doing one of the history courses!

So,do I take a break and paint,draw,and fancy trying a bit of sculpture.Or do I get of my lazy arse and plough on?It all seemed so easy when we were younger.Wish there was a journalism course,that I do fancy.If only i could stop waffling...

Schrodinger's cat

2008-07-28T14:55:00.002+01:00

A cat is placed in a box. It should be pointed out that this is not a cardboard box, or a lead box. The box is a method of separating the cat from the observers. Placing the cat one light-hour away would perform the same function. Alongside the cat is a vial with a radioactive isotope and a Geiger counter linked via a complex device to a hammer over a vial of cyanide gas.
The isotope has a 50/50 chance of decaying during the course of one hour. If it does, the Geiger counter will go off, the hammer will smash the glass and the cyanide gas will kill the cat. The cat is put in the box for one hour, then the box is opened.
Since the quantum superposition of the isotope says that it is both decayed and not decayed until we look at it, and the box prevents us from knowing whether the isotope has decayed until we open it, it's impossible to know the fate of the cat. So until the box is opened and you look at a bemused Fluffy or the start of an awkward conversation with the wife, you can't tell what you'll find.
This happens because the isotope decay/non-decay creates a quantum probability wave. This is related to Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, which says that the position of any sub-atomic particle cannot be measured precisely, the best one can get is a probability wave function of its position. In other words an approximation to its position. This happens because sub-atomic particles can be in two 'states' at once. This is called superposition. For example, it can be in two locations, or in the same location but can be spinning in opposite directions at the same time. In fact, it can be in many states at the same time. Heisenberg proved that this was true and not a contradiction1. He also showed that the particle falls into one of its possible states only when it is measured, eg looked at. Thus, before measurement, the particle's position cannot be described easily. The solution to this was the probability wave function, which describes every possible location and 'spin' of the particle, along with a probability that the particle will be in that location.
The probability wave function for the isotope says it is decayed and non-decayed, because of the 50/50 chance, and that both waves exist at the same moment, and only when you open the box and look in, does one wave collapse (it is reduced to a probability of zero) and the other becomes established as the result. This means that the cat also has a quantum probability wave (although scientists argue whether it has its own wave or simply shares the isotope's one), which means that the cat exists as a dead cat and a living breathing cat, at the same time.
The problem is that until you look in the box, the isotope is both decayed and not-decayed, and as its fate is linked, the cat is both dead and not-dead. At the same time. This is not the same thing as saying that the cat's fate is unknown, or that the cat is half dead. The cat is dead and non-dead (alive) at the same time.
Science has yet to determine if the cat exists in both states or if two 'pseudo'-cats exists in the box. The theory raised a lot of eyebrows, particularly in the clergy, because it suggests that not even God can know the fate of the cat until the box is opened (assuming you ban him from using time travel).

How freaky is that?

What kind of mind can think that up?

Am I as dumb as a box of rocks?

Duality of man

2008-07-23T13:49:00.003+01:00

Yesterday was a good day.I fired my new gun for the first time.It's a Remington 1858NMA .44.Ok,that means bugger all to anybody.Huge boom,heavy calibre,and a two foot flame out of the end!Strangely this is somewhat therapeutic and soothing.

Earlier I was studying Medea and reading poetry.Just shows what complexities we all have.Or maybe I am a person of extremes?

Unless of course I am showing the first signs of schizophrenia...

Good day-Bad day

2008-07-09T15:43:00.001+01:00

Today is fundamentally a good day I think. Got my shiny new dictaphone and dragonfly voice recognition software, which is really rather cool. Have got a feeling that this post may sound slightly robotic. I am certainly speaking in a slow and robotic manner. Hope this doesn't make my essays sound artificial and strange. But look everybody no hands! Ally I know you did not go for the dragonfly option but it's free and quite a lot of fun. Remember your status is "live" so you can order it at any time.

Heard from a friend on Crete today which was both good and bad. Great to hear from them but am somewhat envious of her lifestyle at the moment. Having said that been there and done that. She is working 12 hours a day seven days a week which is somewhat tough. Would still change places with her though at least it's not chucking it down with rain like here. Think I'd definitely suffer from seasonal affected disorder, and many other things no doubt.

Anyway time to study (about bloody time) and to continue to talk robotically.

Ennui

2008-07-08T12:18:00.002+01:00

Well thought it was about time I wrote something and came to the conclusion that I have bugger all of interest happening at the moment.Touch wood my health seems to have stabilised after going through a bout of "yuppy flu" which kept me in bed for three weeks!

This weather and this country is getting right up my nose.Whatever happened to seasons?Snow on Chrimbo day?Glorious long summers playing in the the fields without a care.The beauty of spring and autumn landscapes.What do I see now?Grey,grim,grimy England.A place where you play snap with the pavement and the sky!Longing for Crete,those long,hot balmy summers and the smell of bourganvillia.A place of hope and laughter.

At least my cyborg me describes me perfectly( Thanks Ally)

Think maybe I need to write my novel "my life in Crete"

Island of tears

2008-05-13T10:32:00.005+01:00

The tiny island lies just off the northern coast of Crete and at the mouth of Elounda's bay, which is created by the Spinalonga peninsula. Famously, the ruins of the Venetian fortress dominate any approach to the island. the Venetians acquired Crete, from the Byzantine Empire, after the successful sacking of Constantinople during the 4th Crusade in the very early 1200s. The Venetians created a commercial power-base on Crete which endured for 4 centuries, despite more than a dozen major uprisings against their rule. The threat of invasion, from an increasingly strong Ottoman Empire, prompted the Venetians to construct the defensive fortresses which can still be seen today. Spinalonga's, one of the strongest on Crete, was built to protect the entrance to the Gulf and datesfrom 1579. It couldn't save Crete itself, which finally fell to the invading Turkish troops of the Ottoman Empire in 1669, but the fortress of Spinalonga remained in Venetian hands, as a haven for Christians fleeing before the invading Turks, until 1715 but in that year it was handed over to the Turks who remained there until 1903 when they, in their turn, were forced to leave the island.
The virtually abandoned island of Spinalonga entered upon the next phase of her sad history when it was chosen as the location for a leper colony ............ a place to which the sick and maimed were transported and left to fend for themselves with little if any hope of again leaving the island - ever. It remained, as such, for the first half of the century until the last leper left in 1957, and it was left with the dubious distinction of being the last leper colony in Europe.At the turn of the century leprosy was a dreaded disease in Crete and the government of the time decided that the tiny, deserted island, was the ideal spot for a colony .......... not too far for supplies to be ferried across but far enough to prevent the spread of the disease on Crete. Once on the island the sufferers were expected to accommodate themselves as best they could in the old buildings that had been abandoned when the Turks were ejected. The lepers were expected to make their lives as best they could, in their island isolation, with little help from anyone else. Family and visits were not allowed, for fear of contagion. As the years passed things did begin to improve, a little, as a small number of doctors, priests and nuns arrived on the island to try to alleviate the suffering of the inhabitants. The years of German occupation of Crete during the Second World War were years of deprivation, starvation and lack of medical supplies ......... the lepers of Spinalonga were largely ignored and left to barely subsist
It is now possible to visit the island, by boat, from Elounda, Plaka or Agios Nikolaos. When the boat docks the visitor enters the ruined village through a long, narrow tunnel. One can go directly into the village or follow the path around the island and past the now ruined, but still formidable, fortress and into the remains of the village itself. Doors hang from broken hinges; roofs are lost and dwellings open to the elements. But the layout of the village, the homes, the streets, the church, the burial place etc., are all still there to be discovered. It is an island of despair and unhappiness but also of stoicism and fortitude.

Three weeks till I go to my spiratual home,two weeks of relaxation and seeing old friends.Holiday reading this year will probably include Pygmalian and Medea.

The Island by Victoria Hislop.Not an important book but a nice easy holiday read.

Drinking the sea at Gaza,Amira Hass

Mustn't grumble

2008-05-05T16:21:00.002+01:00

Well tma04 back already,amazed only sent it on Thursday.Got 78% and I got to be happy with that.Found it quite tough and difficult to write.Good comments from my tutor who said this was a difficult assignment and he was uber pleased with my analysis.Just need to get into the habit of mirroring my intro and conclusion a bit better.Still not got my head around tma05,no idea,at all,what I will write for Q3.One and two I think I will get there-eventually.

Damm you Microsoft

2008-05-01T13:06:00.003+01:00

Well don't they take the bloody biscuit.Bought my new computer 60 days ago and got virus software and office2007 on a free trial.It flagged me and said that Word 2007 would disable some functions after the trial was over.Fine I just need basic word processing.Ha just tried to type my biblioography for tma04.Disable SOME functions the b******s,it disables all of it.

So now it's off to spend £100 on Microsofts office so I can finish tma and get it in for tomorrow.

Cheers Bill as if I am not skint enough!!!

Food porn

2008-05-01T11:51:00.009+01:00

1. What food do you consider the best “date” food? In other words, what meal or food item do you think is sexiest to eat in the company of someone you would like to look sexy around?
Date? Date,the only date I kmow grows on trees in Tunisia!Suppose the obvious one is oysters,but if the unlikely event I had a date it would be light food and a fine wine.
2. What well-known person would you like to share a meal with?
Too many but...Richard E Grant(funny),Terry Waite(strength of his convictions),Germaine Greer and Janet Street-Porter(never a dull moment and like strong opionionated people)Kurt Cobain,Hope Sandoval(from Mazzy Star)Pablo Picasso,Egon Schiele.
3. What does your perfect breakfast-in-bed look like? Can't be bothered,too messy and probably end up with indigestion!
4. What do you consider the best application of whipped cream to be?
Increasing the portfolio of your cardiologist.
5. Oh-God-No, Biff, the yacht is sinking! You are sent to the galley to retrieve the food. What luxury food items do you snatch first? The champagne? The caviar? Smoked Salmon? Truffles? Chocolate? Or something else
The spice cabinet.So when I catch local fish on the beach I can make a delicate broth with lemon grass,coriander and coconut off the tree.Oh and plenty of fine wine.

Impressions from a quiet mind

General Caemembert!

2008-04-25T14:34:00.003+01:00

Well i think I have done it. Or at least a full draft of tma04.Sort of enjoyed the learning process on this one.However have really struggled to write it all coherently.Think my mark maybe significantly lower this time but if I can get 70% that will have to do.Feel surprisingly empty and I am not sure why.Recovering ok from the op,managed a walk today,going for a pint tonight but ...

What a grumpy owd bugger- Off with his head!!

Emotional Rollercoaster

2008-04-19T12:47:00.002+01:00

Maybe I am getting old.This studying lark is bloody hard work,not the volume of work or the the pure logistics of it.No the toll it takes on your emotions.One minute I am up and chuffed the next my mind goes blank and I feel the biggest dumb-ass on the planet.Did any of us feel like that when we were younger.I remember my mates doing their degrees and there seemed very little angst with regards to work.My memories of it were girls,smoking dope,and drinking as much as possible which was nice!Now it seems a totally different ball game.Have the stakes changed? Have my perceptions changed?Is it more important for me to get good marks now then it was then and why?It could be argued that it is less important in terms of career etc.Maybe I just need to prove to myself,and the world I can do this.Perhaps I just want people to see me in a certain light?Does that make me a snob? Hmm,strange thoughts in my head today.

Pain

2008-04-18T13:20:00.002+01:00

So that's it.Operation seemed to go ok.Not so nice being awake while they cut your chest open,but hopefully worth it.Driving licience revoked for a minimum of a month-bummer.Bored already!

On the plus side tma03 came back at 81% which I am pleased with.Short but sweet atm as I can't move my left side and one handed typing is a pain.

Perspective

2008-04-15T13:25:00.002+01:00

Today is a very sad day.My friend Andrew went to support a mate who was running in the marathon.While he was there his wife called saying their young son Ethan had taken ill.He immediatley left for home but Ethan died before he arrived.It goes without saying what a terrible tragedy this is and makes you wonder why the world is such a cruel place.

Sort of puts our moans and groans and daily whining into perspective eh!

I ask you all to support the Meningitus trust and spare a thought for families everywhere who have experienced a similar tragedy.

This blog is dedicated is to Ethan Firman(11/10/06-13/04/08)

May you sleep gently

Today is rant day.

2008-04-11T10:28:00.004+01:00

Right i have really got up on the wrong side of the bed today!
So,I look after my 93yr old gran who is bed bound.No problem she is family and needs everything doing for her.In fact It feels good to spend as much time as possible with her.

My Aunt I seem to do everything for.I cook every meal fresh(no packets)I do all the household washing.I clean the kitchen,hoover and do all the shopping.

My uncle has coeliac disease and shop for him and do meals on wheels and run him for hospital appointments and anything else he needs.

But so what it's family-true.Do they apprieciate my efforts? Do they f**k!! Excuse my French.

Feel incredibly tired and run down,desperate for a break and normally have two or hospital appointments myself a week.

Oh,and my doctor says I am at risk of sudden death so am having an operation to fit a double life-saving pacemaker next week.Funnily enough am a tad nervous.Ha and when i come out and need to recover will I get any concessions from able bodied members of my family? You have more chance of getting bit by a camel on Matthew street!

ARSE and FECK

Tomorrow will be better

ps.Cant do tma04 either.

Oh Dear Arsene!

2008-04-09T12:29:00.002+01:00

A partisan crowd helped the mighty Reds to a classic victory over the miserable one and his diving team.Rafa the magician has done it again.Poor Arsene looks like he has had a dodgy frogs leg!

How the mighty have fallen!

2008-04-08T15:38:00.002+01:00

Ha,here i am brimming with confidence after TMA02 results came in.Went to a tutorial last night and was chatting to a girl who was unsure of her results.I am a nice bloke methinks I will see if I can offer any guidence and advice.Yeh she says " I only got 86%" Bloody Hell,now my confidence has plummeted again.Arse.Just what you need when you are starting the most boring thing ever! And they are French!!

Old Man 1, Gladiators 0

2008-04-03T14:41:00.002+01:00

Ha ,you damm pesky gladiators.I knew I would have satisfaction either in this life or the next! 960 words done.His nose has been blooded and sent away with his tail between his legs.Like when Rocky beat Apollo Creed or the mighty Reds holding off those London types with their miserable French manager.Roll on Anfield!Now off to find a virgin bride so i may dip a spear into a bloody gladiators corpse.

My quiet mind-or maybe just empty!

2008-03-28T13:28:00.002+00:00

These bloody,sodding Gladiators!! Feel like asking one outside for a fight.600 words and I am stuck!!Sorry 600 badly organised words.Bugger

Bloody Hell

2008-03-25T11:47:00.002+00:00

How nervous am I when I realise TMA02 results are back.Was fairly sure I would pass but was expecting 50 maybe 60% mark.Thought if I could get into the 70's with practice that would inline with my expectations.Bugger me it came at 76%,think there must be a mistake maybe it's 7.6%.Today is a good day.If only I could do the tma03.

Love the colosseum-hate gladiators!

2008-03-18T14:53:00.002+00:00

Woo hoo,whipped through the first part of tma03 this morning,colosseum done and dusted.Wish it could have been 900 words,could have wrote all day on it.Now the tough bit,the gladiators.Think I may struggle to get past the 500 word mark without doing some external research.But no-one said it would be easy!

Altruism-a great thing

2008-03-10T15:19:00.002+00:00

Got a friend she is a single parent back at college,struggling to make ends meet and just moved house.I sent her a portrait I had done and she "is overwhelmed..." It really brightened her day and her feel she is not alone(her words not mine)The crazy thing is however good it made her feel it made me feel even better!!!Think we should promote a national altruism day.