Highlights of 2006

Well the end of another year and it has brought it's fair share of ups & downs.

I have embarked upon a new career in a completely different field to what I have been used to, as a result of my volunteering efforts in the last two years. I went for one job and got another! Got a place at University of Birmingham and yet another job working at a college where I was a student over 20 years ago. Surprisingly there are a still a few members of staff there that remember me (which isn't necessarily a good thing!). I then got another job working with young people in need of confidence building and motivation. And yet another job working with young people with learning difficulties. And yes you guessed it, got another job fitting hand controls onto cars. So now I am starting to fulfill one of my dreams, where I have several jobs and I am also self employed.

Fortunately there have been few lows this years however the biggest low was losing my lifelong best friend at the age of 39. We shared loads of experiences throughout life and even if he can't experience the future physically, he will always be there with me.

2007 marks a landmark birthday for me, its the big 40 . Apparently this is when life begins, so looking forward to that mid life crisis, sports car, and embarassingly dressing too young for my advanced years. Needless to say I won't be courting the camera as I hope it's going to be a time that I'll want to forget.

Thought You'd Love This !!

Reaching 40!

Well not quite! but its looming too fast and for me it is a milestone that I thought I wouldn't reach, as many of my oppo's haven't. This is a bit scary for me as I've not made any long term plans or any structure for my future!

But here is a quick list of my wishes for the coming years, that I haven't quite achieved yet! Not necessarily in this order:

1. Visit the other continents I haven't already been to... At last count I think I only have 3 left!
2. Become a father
3. Graduate
4. Write a book
5. Spend New Year in Edinburgh
6. Go to Rio Carnival
7. Finish all my D.I.Y projects in the house/Garden!
8. Do a parachute jump
9. Own my own business/ be self employed
10. Have less impact on the environment
11. Own a trike
12. Balloon ride over the Serengeti
13. Go on Safari

I'm sure there are more things I would like to do and will add them as and when I think of them. There are also some more serious things but that would tell you more about my psychi than I care to divulge in this cyberworld ! Anyway if you can think of any others please let me know.... Just don't add the obvious things like Bungee Jumping (been there, done that!) and yes I have visited the Arctic Circle and skied there!( Don't ask, just accept that I have!)

Lib Dem Conference 2006

Our first ever political conference was a double edged experience that left us both wanting more and not wanting to experience it ever again!

What am I talking about...Well we got to the Registration Point fairly easily, but trying to extract useful basic information for newbies to conference from the yellow shirted stewards was probably just as easy as it is to try to communicate with those stewards that walk around a variety of events in flourescent yellow jackets!! As you may tell I am getting a phobia about the colour yellow (so why am I a Lib Dem!)
Following that, we were able to have a nice relaxing evening before the hullaballoo of Sunday.
Sunday was again a mixture of grapling around for answers and just following the crowd. Eventually we worked out where to go and what was going on, before being faced with the welcoming face of disabilty unaware stewards, who spent the whole time talking to my wife (who by the way is not my carer and never has been!!) Come the evening we spent it at another splendid night at one of the prestigous social gatherings of Mr C who it appears can arrange spectacular gatherings whether it be in Wolverhampton or anywhere else you care to mention. Then back on to further fringe meetings this time at the Bloggers Reception, where we had the chance to spend time sunbathing in the rays of that great blue blogger Iain Dale!!! (A photo would show our tongues firmly in cheek whilst meeting him!!)

One tip when trying to drive back late at night from Conference, don't start conversations with people you don't know, otherwise you might end up getting home after sunrise the following day.

All in all it was a good weekend and we didn't want to leave. Highlight of the weekend: Meeting all our friends socially and actually having a bit time to be able to talk to them, going out for a meal at Terre a Terre, opening a door and coming face to face with Ming! Low point: Yellow shirted stewards!

What price democracy?

I heard on Radio 4 this morning that door to door canvassers in Iraq had been kidnapped, arrested and one had even been beheaded! I think in light of this and other atrocities that get little media attention, we all have a responsibility to take our democracy a little more seriously. We all whine and moan about the sad lives we have but forget that there are millions of people worldwide risking their lives for just a small percentage of what we have.

Bank holiday fun

This bank holiday was one of our busiet and best weekends for a long time, starting with visiting friends in their new house, getting jealous not only of their house and location but also their musical talents !! I guess I'll have to brush up on my air guitar skills before I get an electric guitar!
Followed by a bbq at one of the top society events in Wolverhampton where only the cream (not necessarily the rich and famous) of West Midlands society get invited to, so I guess now we've been invited we're now included in this list !!
The weekend culminated in a family outing to Notting Hill Carnival, having been there before I knew what to expect...crowds lots of dancing, drinking, police, imaginative costumes and great music. The only thing is that you forget how loud it is, at one point I thought my ears would bleed and physically being pushed backwards as the floats went past blasting out music from speakers that filled the back of an arctic lorry!! The only thing that spoilt it was the 3 mile walk back to the car (tip: if going to Carnival, let the train take the strain, cars not welcome in area!)
All in all it was a great weekend spent with good friends and family.

Places I've visited (mainly playing basketball!)

I thought I would join with the craze.

I am amazed how many places I have been to.



create your own visited country map

My biggest problem is...

Keeping the momentum going, you know the sort of thing, go to the gym, eat healthy, keep up to date with the bills and other household chores as well as doing your best to assist your partner and help her to free up their time.

I ask myself the same thing on a daily basis, I also feel guilty on a daily basis that I haven't done these things. So what do you do to change it? You read all the self help, personal development books you can get your hands on and then one day you come across THE book. The one that has that simple sentence that changes the way you think, the way you look at things and how you approach all you different tasks that you want to achieve. Ans what is that book called? "How To Change Your Life In 7 Steps" by John Bird ( the founder of the Big Issue).

And what was that sentence "Remember, you only have to start with 3%." He goes on to say that "It doesn't matter if you move slowly. As long as you are not standing completely still". These simple words have given me the impotus to make those small scary steps to be get to where I want to be. Let's see where I end up!

Where can we get our news from, if we don't want to get a bias slant on it?

It used to be that the BBC could be relied upon to provide accurate, reasonable honest unopinionated information. Sadly this is no longer true, they seem to have decided to take the dumbed down "shock jock" route of commercial media stations. It's no wonder that joe public has such strong opinions if all they are fed is one sided information full of emotional adjectives.

The state of reporting is such that I am now looking elsewhere to get my current affairs information and will take with a pinch of salt any reports that I choose to listen to. I would hazard a guess that as our Government has taken us to a state of war that the only that will be broadcast will be propoganda!

Has anyone got any suggestions where I could go for evenly balanced current affairs?

Terrorist attack or spin away from Israel/Lebannon

No surprise that they have released a major terror scare story for the world's popular media and shock jocks to wring their hands over. Any self respecting fairly intelligent person would ask why did "terrorists" want to do this at this time? But it's a great story to take away the fuel from the fire over the Israel/Lebannon crisis that Blair is once again yapping around Bush's ankles over. Meanwhile he is dragging this country further into turmoil and possibly heightening the public's interest in the views of Far Right parties. Or is this what he wants as he hasn't got the bottle to make the decisions that he needs to in order to gain back control of immigration and to stop further the madness's of political correctness.

Any one who lives in a multi cultural society or in a multi cultural relationship knows that to live with people from differing cultures takes more than changing the lyrics of nursery rhymes, it takes talking and laughing with each other, sharing life's experiences, understanding and respecting each other's cultural and religous beliefs. Above all else, respecting that we may all be different skin colours, abilities and sexes but we have the same needs and aspirations as each other and that we ALL need to have an equal chance to succeed in whatever we do.

Just one last point, we shouldn't poke fun at any religion and we shouldn't hate Muslims for the passion that they show for their religion, instead why don't we become as proud of our religions as they are. Then we can push for respect to be shown to all religions in this land. Or is that Utopia?

Motivation

This week's been a revolution for me, I have spent the week, teaching wheelchair skills to young disabled children, the youngest being 2 and half years old. This was no ordinary boring teaching course, it was teaching children through play and games. Not wanting to sound condescending or patronising but it was really motivating to see these children gain in confidence and skills.

The course was organised and run by a charity called Whizz-Kidz, a national charity that raises funds for mobility equipment for disabled children. See my links for more information.

More from the mad world

Is it only me that sees the world going madder by the day....The UN are trying to curb the bombing of Lebannon and urging a ceasefire, meanwhile the great USA who are on the Security Council of the UN are providing arms to Israel whilst using UK airports to refuel !!!!

How on earth can the USA and UK governments have permanent seats on the Security Council, whilst they are acting as arms traders to Israel. How much longer do we stand for Poodle Blair to sit up and beg to Bush's commands?

Yet more proof of this mad Western Society that we call civilised, and that educated people live in, we are sending our children to "Fat Camp" and in an interview on TV children were heard to say ! I don't know why I'm so fat and unhealthy!". The answere is you do know, and if you don't your parents damn well know, its because you fill yourself full of crap and your parents let you sit there and play stupid mind numbing computer games.

Mad World

This is a mad world, Israel and Lebannnon fighting over a small piece of land,and blowing each other to kingdom come and risking the involvement of the rest of the world. I read somewhere that Nostradamus envisaged that the end of the world would start in the Middle East That's a scary thought !!

Talking about mad has anyone seen the new series of Tribe with Bruce Parry? That man is mad, great but mad ! I would love to be on his crew or be able to go with him on his journeys. We're all worried about where we buy our next Burberry cap or handbag or blowing the crap out of our neighbour just because they are there and these tribes are worried about their next meal ! where is the sense in this world?

Some of my interests

Just thought I'd share some of my interests with you, pleas follow links if you want to find out more:

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk
http://http://www.scouts.org.uk
http://http://www.libdems.org.uk

Mad rambler grows up

I have many interests but have never really got passionate about any of them.Today I've decided that after almost 40 years on this strange planet where being honest, hardworking and legitimate is frowned upon and where those that have plenty are not as happy as those that have very little, it is now time for me to stick to what I believe in and what I want to pursue in my life, love, and career aspirations.

I am making this phrase the cornerstone of my belief:
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change; the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference".

Those that know me will know what this is about, those that don't, well you've missed a better and more hair-raising life story than some of these so called celebs that we hang on every word for!!

Watch this space for more stories of my madcap adventures and theories!!

Is it only me that is getting upset with the media for creating a dumbed down society and inciting racial hatred by manipulating statistics and highlighting shock stories filled with absolutely every advdjective word known to man. For example today on my local radio station there was a feature on the 1 in 10 Muslims who support the bombers from the 7th July 2005 being made martyrs....That actually means that 9 out of 10 Muslims were against it!! This type of irresponsible journalism irritates me to the extreme.

And why is it that the BBC News is following the Americanism trends of ITV News. Now it used to be the the BBC was a talisman for responsible, precise news reporting, it seems that we are being dragged kicking and screaming into Americanism whereever we look. I am British and proud of it and I ask any like minded British person to kick this trend into touch and end this love affair with America before this country goes to rack and ruin.