Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Why Working Is A Drag

Monday, March 8th, 2010

The number of men applying for teacher training has risen sharply because of the recession, says the body responsible for training teachers.  There was an over 50% rise in the number of men applying to be primary school teachers; see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8550506.stm for the story. I have to ask myself whether the ...

Does Identity Matter?

Friday, March 5th, 2010

'I'm Not Black, I'm Coloured - Identity Crisis at the Cape', an "historical documentary film to explore the legacy of Apartheid through the viewpoint of the Cape Coloured community"  came to my notice recently via a Facebook page collating Zimbabwean mixed race history mainly through photographs.  Channel 4’s recent documentary ...

Gain without Pain

Friday, March 5th, 2010

This morning, my son gave me one of those school photograph packs from school.  You know the ones I mean?  Where the schools get the photographer in and then encourage us, the gullible parents, to pay over the odds for the photographs? I do understand that school get a cut ...

Lie Down and Die.

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

It struck me very strongly this week that in the week that Auschwitz survivors mark Holocaust Memorial Day (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8482760.stm), I happen to be reading Viktor E Frankel's "Man's Search for Meaning", Dr. Frankel was an Auschwitz survivor.  In the same week, news coming out of the disaster in Haiti cumulated ...

Where to from here?

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

I have finally called time on the last 10 years of my life.  Somehow I knew it would come to this with the recent years' frustrations ensuring that to stay would not be possible.  Can I say that I am disappointed?  Well yes, I can because my expectations were, maybe ...

Decisions and December.

Sunday, December 6th, 2009

No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life are made. Destiny is made known silently. - Agnes de Mille (1909 - 1993) December seems to be a month when things happen to me.  I don't know if the stars are in sort of alignment before December, if I believed ...

More Calories Required.

Saturday, October 24th, 2009

I am trying to get back in to my walk routine after my unintentional mini break and it has been a mixed bag.  Wednesday was very slow and I did feel a bit woozy on the last lap but I persevered and completed.  Yesterday, I felt so much better that ...

Experts and Vested Interests

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

It is quite amazing just how many people take expert advice at face value, even the Government does it. When I mention that I was walking as exercise, people look at me like I have lost it. And yet, walking is good exercise and a few keep fit sites do ...

In the autumn of our lives

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

After a 12 day break from walking in the morning, I returned to experience the full colours of Autumn in the trees and on the grounds.  I may not like the cold and wet but I do find the colours so much richer and I love it. With my foot feeling ...

Who’s fight is it anyway?

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

A monologue from an ex-alcoholic. It is worth watching because for once a 'famous' person tells it straight. Do you wonder if what he says at the end makes sense?  Some of us seem to be able to drink, some of us do not.    A study has shown that having a ...

Physician, Heal thyself…with a little help

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

Another way to break bad habits, dependencies and addictions is with a little help from your friends. Whereas alcohol dependency is likely to be hidden, nicotine addiction is usually more open and people around you are more willing to accept its very addictive nature. I stopped smoking just over 2 ...

Walking – the double Whammy

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

I have also up walking in the morning -except having missed 10 or so days now due to injured leg and the cold/flu.  Walking replaced the gym with a few weeks of inactivity in the middle.  The gym had to go on two counts, firstly I did not enjoy the ...

Nobody Knows My Fight

Monday, October 19th, 2009

I just sort of naturally settled down to 4 to 6 drinks a day (night) and I usually have the higher number if I stay up later - now usually a Thursday night and a Sunday night which is when a number of TV programs I enjoy.  The other nights ...

Kick in the Pants Too

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

During the following period, I have taken up exercising again, walking to work and on some days walking back, rewarding myself with a pint or two at the local pub when accomplished prior to arrival home.  In the early part of the period, I tried to reinforce my talk and motivate ...

Talking to Myself

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

One Sunday morning after a particular heavy Friday and a light, by my standards Saturday, I got up and went to 'work', hung-over.  That's where my family though I was going and I did go to the office, to get away from everything.  I took with me a dictation machine, ...