What makes ME happy......
I've been "tagged" by Lauren and here are the rules:
1. Mention and link back to the person that tagged you.
2. List 6 little things that make you happy!
3. Tag 6 other bloggers and let them know "They're it".
I loved this idea! Now firstly, I'm going to say that my own little family make me very happy, so I'm not going to include them on this list. And I'm not going to include my friends either. Instead I'll tell you about the other things that add to my happiness.
1. Cooking makes me happy. This week I went to a Spanish Tapas cooking course. I'm going to a Mexican one next month. If I am in need of a quick happy fix I usually click here and see possibly the most mouthwatering food ever. This was the chef at this week's course btw, his name was Sunny. His food looked good too!
2. Running makes me happy. I have recently discovered the phenomenon called runners high, and my new skins make me happy too. Those are NOT my legs btw. I wish!
3. Alone time makes me happy. Juggling my little family, my work and the multitude of other things I have to do every day, I value my solitude. What's rare is precious.
4. Reading makes me happy. I'm obsessed with historical biographies at the moment. I'm reading this one at the moment. 
5. Like many of you, I like to look nice. My conversion to MAC has been made complete. Having some of their makeup brushes would make me very happy!
6. The wedding of my cousin is fast approaching and that makes me very happy. I can't wait to get together with all my family and celebrate.
I'm tagging these people to find out what makes them happy....
1. Kenna
2. Mrs Spit
3. OM
4. Nancy
5. Monica
This is a terrific part of the world and we had a wonderful house up high with spectacular views to the coast about 20 kilometres away.
Long rides and walks have taken place here. Yesterday Gwenyth led me on a tour of Jugendstil architecture around Vienna and we had lunch at Kahlenberg - which is the highest point around Wien and has spectacular views.
Melissa arrives today so we will focus on cemeteries but tomorrow Cate has the desire to go to Schönbrunn Palace – which we have still not seen despite now being here for nearly one year.
I am really looking forward to this because you know how much I like palaces – and with any sort of luck there will be a church which I can go into to pray for deliverance from having to visit any more churches. I have a feeling this prayer is not going to be answered.
There are still marginal improvements taking place in the Cat Department and Muffin is not quite as cross as she was – although still hisses and Moni and Sissi.
As it’s news day I provide a report from the Austrian Times:
“Violent hail storms in Salzburg’s Flachgau have left thousands of wild animals dead and many more severely injured, local hunters have claimed.They say tours of the areas hit by storms last week have revealed the scale of the damage.They said they had found thousands of dead rabbits, deer and birds.Hunter Harald Holzer from Lamprechtshausen said: "There is nothing enjoyable about it. The stench is almost unbearable, and it is sad to see how many animals the hail killed. It would be better if they were still alive”
Good so far – but then he goes on to say “We won’t have much to hunt in the autumn."
Great – we are sad that they died because now we can’t blow them to pieces later in the year.
“Police are investigating after a fire ripped through a Vienna tram.The driver of a line 67 tram evacuated the tram at the intersection of Laxenburger Straße and Troststraße at 4:41pm and called firemen after passengers said they could smell smoke.No one was injured but firemen said the blaze which then broke out caused extensive damage to the tram.Police said the fire had probably been caused by an electronic defect”
I could have been a exploding Igel but if I were the police I would stick with the electrical fault hypothesis for the time being until they find the spines.
Merisi has introduced me to a delightful new German word ‘Ferkelgrippe’. (this is of course for the mild version of the complaint).
Cate and Gwenyth go sailing in Denmark on Sunday so Melissa and I will be left you our own devices. There will not be any churches involved but there may be cemeteries, medical museums and autopsies.
Dad spent 6 years in the Army. Most of his time was spent over in Germany. He was honorable discharge. He kept most of has military pictures, there are some great ones that I will post....
One of many projects collected in the first issue of P.E.A.R., released last month, is the Bat Spiral by London designers friend and company. 
Serving as further evidence that architecture is not solely built for humans – after all, other species build architecture, respond to architecture, and colonize architecture quite readily – the Bat Spiral offers an elevated habitat for seventeen species of British bat.
From the architects:
- Twenty-four different types of timber roosts are positioned within the concrete spiral as if they were the spokes of a wheel. Each roost position is determined by the orientation of the sun, shade and prevailing winds. The roosts are painted black externally to maximize heat gain from the sun...
More images of the project are available in P.E.A.R..
I'm led to wonder, however, what non-human future might await something like Aranda\Lasch's 10 Mile Spiral if it were to be constructed – and later abandoned – amidst an ecosystem for bats...
Perhaps we are inadvertently building the future infrastructure of an animal world.
Illustratie voor een tijdschrift voor chauffeurs en andere mensen die werken in het wegvervoer. Aanvankelijk startte deze job als pure infographic, maar nu is het steeds meer een semi-grappige plaat. Ik doe ook de opmaak. Da's leuk, want dan kan ik een lekkere solide spread maken, met bijvoorbeeld - zoals hier - de titel verwerkt in de tekening.
Ik leef nog hoor. Ben net een paar maanden in Suriname geweest. Geen blog of whatever. We zijn onder meer bezig geweest met dit project: http://www.good50x70.org.
Momenteel ben ik me erg aan het bezighouden met mijn fontjes (www.shamfonts.com). Daarover meer in een volgende post.
We went to Dalmatia (the restaurant) again and on the way home through Stadtpark saw our very first Igel. At least we think it was an Igel. It was prickly and plump and very slow moving. (It could have been Alexander Downer).
This is very exciting as we did not expect to see one in the city.
I showed Gwenyth the bike paths along the Donaukanal and Donauinsel and we have had a couple of long rides. Neither of us has much energy after these so we join the cats in an all afternoon slumber party.
Apart from this we are in such a torpor here that I just don’t have the energy to Blog. I am apparently suffering from post-vacation blog-ennui and there is no known cure.
However, I have booked Fabios for our knees up on Friday night. Baur (of course) is closed for the holidays but Fabios is a very good substitute. http://www.fabios.at/
At the bottom of the menu they say ‘WE TAKE THE LIBERTY OF ADDING A COVER CHARGE OF 3 EUROS’.
No mention of why they take this liberty – except that they want to. Good for them I say.
Now – I can’t be sure about this – but I am not too sure that any of my Blog readers will be going. (I am pretty sure that I will be left behind). But – if you think you will be one who is – you can let us know where you are through this subscription service.
Although it would be nice if you could make a few calls before you left. It’s a bit impersonal to just send an email saying you are wherever you are with whoever. Why not call your mum and tell her. ‘Mum - the Rapture is taking place and I am going’
‘What dear?’
‘The Rapture Mum – it’s happening now and I am going’
‘OK Dear, have a nice time - I hope they are as good as AC/DC’.
There is another service which is free and the message on the home page is
"The rapture: When all the believers in Jesus Christ, who have been born again, aretaken up to heaven.After the rapture, there will be a lot of speculation as to why millions of people havejust disappeared. Unfortunately, after the rapture, only non believers will be left to come up with answers. You probably have family and friends that you have witnessed to and they just won't listen. After the rapture they probably will, but who will tell them?We have written a computer program to do just that. It will send an Electronic Message (e-mail) to whomever you want after the rapture has taken place, and you and I have been taken to heaven.
How is this accomplished, you might ask. It's a dead man switch that will automatically send the emails when it is not reset.If you wish to do something now that will help your unbelieving friends and family after the rapture, you need to add those persons email address to our database. Their names will be stored indefinitely and a letter will be sent out to each of them on the first Friday after the rapture. Then they will receive another letter every Friday after that.This rapture letter service is FREE and will hopefully gain the person you send it to an eternity in heaven.If you would like to see one of the letters which will be sent after the rapture, click here. This is a personal ministry, if you have any questions or comments please address them to: info@raptureletters.comThank you and God Bless You!"
I am not sure that a free service can be relied upon. I think you should pay up.
And what happens if the people running the service aren’t Raptured. Aren’t they going to get the shits and delete all the emails. I certainly would! (Another reason I won’t be Raptured!).
Anyone who appreciated my earlier post on Global Warming's Magic Number may be interested in debate it spurred over at reddit. Lots of energy going on there.
Stylized 2D vector drawing of a weird machine with bells and whistles for an article about abundance.
More at Sevensheaven.nl
An article posted today on New Scientist suggests that, over the course of a 150-minute film, audience members will miss an incredible fifteen minutes simply through the act of blinking – but also that people watching a film tend to blink at the same time.
It's called "synchronized blinking," and it means that "we subconsciously control the timing of blinks to make sure we don't miss anything important" – with the addendum that, "because we tend to watch films in a similar way, moviegoers often blink in unison." That is, they blink during "non-critical" moments of plot or action, creating a kind of perceptual cutting-room floor.
On the one hand, then, I'm curious if this means that clever editors, like something out of Fight Club, might be able to insert strange things into those predicted moments of cinematic calm – moments deemed safe for blinking – simply to see if anyone notices, but I'm also left wondering if there is an architectural equivalent to this: a spatial moment inside a building in which it seems safest for us to blink.
In other words, do people not blink when they first walk into a space like Rome's Pantheon or into Grand Central Station – or is that exactly when they do blink, as if visually marking for themselves a transition from exterior to interior?
It would seem, then, that if film has moments of synchronized blinking, then so might architecture – but when do we choose to blink when experiencing architectural space, and do those moments tend to occur for all of us at the same time?
How could we test this? 
Further, if there is, in fact, a moment inside a building somewhere where almost literally everyone blinks– say, in the lobby of the Museum of Modern Art, or in a bathroom corridor in the history building at your own university – could we say that that space is somehow yet to be fully seen?
It is the spatial equivalent of those fifteen minutes of a film that no one realized they missed.
After all, perhaps there's a detail in your own house that you've never actually seen before – and it's because you tend to blink as you walk past it. Your own body assumes, outside conscious awareness, that this must be a safe space for blinking; it's near a window, or the colors are very dull. Perhaps that's how spiderwebs build up: you literally don't see them.
On a much larger scale, meanwhile, are there stretches of highway somewhere outside town where the scenery gets a bit boring – and so everyone starts to blink, more or less at the same time, thus visually removing from collective cultural awareness that McDonald's, or that abandoned house, tucked away over there beside the trees?
And could you locate that exact moment of blindness – could you find blinkspots throughout the urban fabric – and start to build things there? Architecture becomes a three-dimensional test landscape for the neurology of blinking. 
For instance, if people driving 65 mph travel, say, five feet with every blink, then what spatial and architectural possibilities exist within that five feet?
What are the spatial possibilities of the blink?
I'm reminded of certain zoning laws in which you need to consider the exact amount of shadow your building will cast on the neighborhood around it before beginning construction.
But what about zoning for blinks? Can you zone a building for maximum blinks?
Or perhaps the opposite: a new genre of architecture, specially designed for Halloween fun houses, in which it's too stressful to close your eyes even for a micro-second...
(Spotted via @jimrossignol).
Dan Turk put a message up on the Fort Collins Trail Runners listserv late last week about a planned run up Pikes Peak. The email came soon after I found out that I was in for the Pikes Ascent, so I quickly responded to Dan - a nine time Pikes vet - that I was up for the trip down to Manitou Springs, and we made plans for a 5am meet, with Alex May, another local Pikes runner making up our party of three. Alex and I were taking on the full climb and Dan was driving to the top for some quality time at altitude with a 3-2-1 workout (3 miles down to treeline, 3 back up, 2 miles back down, etc).
Having never run the Barr Trail, I was pretty intimated by the imposing sight of Pikes Peak as we made our way down I-25, but figured it would be just like any other big climb: stick your head down and settle in. Aside from knowing next to nothing about the trail, I had also never run a straight 8,000 feet of vertical in one shot (aside from Rainier, is that actually possible anywhere else in the US?), and certainly not up to and above 14,000 feet.
Anyway, Alex and I started out from the race start at the square in Manitou and jogged the mile and half to the trail proper. Once on the trail, I was gratified to find it in perfect running shape, with next to no technical issues to deal with. The opening climb through the 'W's is probably the steepest of the whole run, but because of the quality of the trail I was able to get into an easy but steady rhythm, passing No Name Creek at 45 minutes or so. I picked up the tempo a bit from here and pushed quite hard through the next section, which included some brief moments of down, and much easier grades in general. Went past Barr Camp in 1:18, and just kept plugging at the pace I had settled into, waiting for the fun at treeline to begin.
Hit the three-mile-to-go marker at 1:56, still feeling good with little noticeable impact from the rapidly decreasing supply of oxygen. Although the summit still looked impossibly far away, the sign said three miles, and I kept that in mind rather than spending too much time looking at the peak. By mile two to go, I was definitely beginning to feel the reduced oxygen, so slowed to maintain an equal effort. Went through in 2:12, for an almost 16-minute mile. Went through the penultimate mile in 14 minutes, and the final beast of a mile in 18:30 for a total run time of 2:44:03. I let out a yell - as I'm apt to do - as I rounded the final switchback onto the cog tracks, which was cause for a degree of amusement among some of the assembled tourists.
I ran every step of this climb with the exception of about 100 meters through the cruel section known as the 16 Golden Steps, which comes maybe a half mile from the top. The whole effort felt controlled, and served as a pretty big confidence boost with regards to running a sub 2:30 on race day - a number that will be borderline with respect to cracking the top 10.
Wore the Crosslites for this run and was for the most part happy with how they ran. There's no doubt they were responsive to the pea-sized gravel on the lower Barr Trail, but I'm still not 100% on them on the rocks. Either way, I'll probably run these at the race, although I need to test the Vasque Celerators a little more as they are a similar weight with a little more grip on the rock, I find. Maybe not as responsive as the Crosslites, however.
With a run at Flattop (12,300'), Hallet (12,700') and Taylor (13,150') planned for next weekend and then Longs the following weekend, I'm hoping that come race day I'll be able to push through some of the burn I felt at 13,000'+ today.
cross posted at Ecojustice
In a victory for homeowners and natural gardeners alike, Ottawa residents Henry and Vera Jones are celebrating the city's decision to rescind the violation notice they issued over the couple's natural, pesticide free garden.
Ecojustice lawyer Will Amos represented the couple in their fight against City Hall, but thanks to this decision by Ottawa officials, all parties can now work together and avoid a legal battle.
"There's a recognition that the times have changed and that natural gardening is already and will continue to become even more a socially acceptable use of people's gardens," said Amos.
The decision has widespread relevance for Ontario’s municipalities since the provincial ban on cosmetic pesticide use went into effect in April. That law offers greater protection to people’s health by banning the cosmetic use of 2,4-D and other pesticides that have been associated with neurological and reproductive disorders, as well as cancer.
Looking ahead, the case represents a huge step forward for healthy gardening and the rights of people who want an alternative to chemically treated lawns and yards.
Read the media release for more.
Gosh it’s good to be back in Wien. We were so pleased to be back that we went to one of our favourite restaurants on Friday night so that the locals could blow smoke all over us.
We missed this – after a fashion. There was no country we went to on our travels where smoking is permitted in restaurants. So it will take some getting used to again and it will no doubt make us very unhappy until we get the hang of it. Even Turkey is banning smoking in Restaurants. Turkey!
We surprised ourselves and made all our connections on the way back and enjoyed some more sensational food on Austrian Airlines. The beds are a bit wobbly because they are not completely flat but it is possible to get some sleep on them.
We experienced every conceivable variation of airport security during our travels. Some make you take off your shoes, belts and watches – and some don’t. Some want your laptop out of the bag – some don’t. Some want you to surrender your water bottle but in one place Cate dropped hers in the security area and the guard picked it up and gave it back to her. Some have started asking if you have ‘Umbrellas or Parasols’ but when you get on the Austrian Airlines flight you get steel knives and forks.
The whole thing is weird, stupid and inconsistent – and this is what drives travellers crazy. Add to this the Kafkaesque check in procedures by some airlines and it turns what should be a merely unpleasant trip into a truly ghastly experience.
The cats were – how shall we say it – ambivalent about our return. There was certainly no excitement and flag waving – but then no one bit us which is probably a good sign.
They were clearly more than happy with Gretchen who stayed with them and took them to the vet to get their second round of vaccinations.
There were still three kitty litter trays and – to Cate’s great horror – still one in her toilet. I have now taken the extra ones away and we are down to one (large) one in (where else) my bathroom.
Muffin is still sleeping on the ledge at the head of the bed and Moni and Sissi sleep on the bed with us. There is still some hissing and carrying on but it is not nearly as bad as it was. I have reasonable hopes that another month or so will enable us to achieve a détente although a complete rapprochement is probably out of the question.
I was – finally – able to watch the Tour de France and saw the last two stages – Mt Ventoux and the ride into Paris. This was most satisfying but does not make up for the immense deprivation I have suffered over the last few weeks.
I had never understood the July/August Europe holiday thingy. I had heard and read that people leave the cities in these months and go on holidays but I had never understood what it meant. Now I do.
Wien is deserted. Restaurants are closed or nearly empty. At lunchtime on Friday there were fewer than 10 people inside Café Schwarzenburg – and only one waiter on duty. Most of the ‘beach’ Bars on the Donaukanal are closed, the streets are deserted, the Prater is empty.
Where do the people go. Why isn’t the city full of tourists? Isn’t it tourist season? There must be some places at the moment which are absolutely heaving – so full that it must be unpleasant to be there - so why go there? Why not stay in Wien where it is blissful!
Gwenyth is with us now and I am showing her the many cycling paths on Wien. We are having a knees up for her birthday on Friday night and I have told the local police that there may be some rowdy people in the city. As it is actually her birthday today we are having a practice knees up at one of our favourite restaurants Dalmatia where the spécialité de la maison is salt encrusted fish.
This takes a while but is worth the wait. The waitress brings it to the table and dissects it with the skill of a surgeon – providing you with fillets of delicately flavoured, firm, moist fish. It is sensational and the perfect accompaniment is a bottle (or two) of Jamek Grüner Veltliner from the Wachau Valley.
We had not had Schnitzel for so long that we went to Huth on Saturday night for probably the best Schnitzel in town (well maybe Plachutta is a smidge better but there is not much in it).
One of our plants has turned up its toes. This is a bit disappointing. I didn’t expect it to get through winter but I though that it may hand on to the end of summer. This shows a total lack of commitment and it just shows how poorly young plants are brought up these days.
I haven’t checked with Fox News yet but have no doubt that Barack Obama is to blame for the poor performance of plants globally.
Mon - 8 miles easy (1,650'). 1:16. Horsetooth/Audra. (WCs)
Tue - 4 miles track. 1/2 mile warm up, 1 mile LT (5:32), 4 x 800 w/ 1:20 rest (2:38, 2:37, 2:37, 2:37), half mile cool down. Beginning to feel more comfortable at the track and moving faster than my usual 9 minute training pace. Encouraging workout. (Vas)
Wed - Off. Never found the time or motivation to sneak in a run.
Thurs am - 11 miles (2,000'). 1:36. Horsetooth course + some extra stuff tacked on. Legs really beginning to feel like their old selves. Some hamstring soreness from Tuesday's track session, but otherwise felt great. (CLs)
pm - 6 miles easy on Milner (500'). 45:50 (Vas)
Fri - 5 mile hike to top of Horsetooth Rock (1,600).
pm - 6 miles Milner (500'). 43:48. (Vas)
Sat - 12 miles up Signal Mountain (3,500'). Chad and I were back for some unfinished business on Signal. Got going at 6am for what turned out to be a beautifully rewarding run. The first two miles of trail from the Dunraven TH were horribly torn up by horse traffic, but once past the Doner Pass junction, it was steady up on creek-bed style trail through some silly inclines in places to a small alpine meadow and then to treeline. Once out of the trees, this trail opens up to reveal unbelievable views of the Continental Divide and lower FoCo-area peaks. This has to be one of, if not the, best climbs within striking distance of Fort Collins. The views really are outstanding, and while 3,500 feet of climbing may not be everybody's cup of tea, if you're into running uphill then this is a must do - like, must, must do - run. The peak tops out at 11,200 feet and offers easy access to other nearby peaks. Unfortunately we were under strict orders from our better halves to get home early, so couldn't explore, but this one day will be a killer launching point for an all-dayer in the Mummies. (CLs)
Sun - 0 miles. In Denver during the day watching Rockies game, among other things. Got back quite late and decided to not run because of some lower back pain from Saturday. Bit nervous about running Pikes tomorrow with this back thing (put me out for months and months last year), but I guess I'll take it easy and see how it feels.
Total: 52 miles (9,750').
WCs: 79 miles
CLs: 61 miles
Vas: 50 miles
Not a great week, but some good workouts in there. Going to run by feel from here until Pikes and not worry too much about mileage. I'll have what I have, and I'd rather compromise fitness than push through pain and fatigue, and risk injury. Feels like it's already been a long season.
After almost three years, and 44,014 entries from 5,169 teams in 186 countries, the Netflix Prize competition is now closed. Don't know about the Netflix Prize? Read on.
Jon Sanders here. I'm the engineer in charge of the Netflix ratings database and one of the people overseeing the Netflix Prize, which has been a world-wide competition launched in October 2006 to determine who can improve upon the Netflix recommendations system by ten percent. The contest made available to contestants 100 million anonymous movie ratings ranging from one to five stars, the largest such data set ever released. All personal information identifying individual Netflix members was removed from the prize data, which contained only movie titles, star ratings and dates but no text reviews.
The winning team will take home $1 million and Netflix members will benefit as we will incorporate the winner's technology in our recommendations system to continually improve the movie recommendations we make for you.
We'll announce the winner of the Netflix Prize in a few weeks after the submissions have been validated by a team of senior engineers from Netflix and distinguished researchers from the Machine Learning community. Stay tuned for more information, or check www.netflixprize.com if you want to get into the technical details.
Firstly I'd like to welcome Sass to the Jog Blog team! She has been TTC for five years and is about to start IVF. Please go and offer her some encouragement and support. Good on you Sass!
I've reached the halfway point of my training. This week I ran only four out of the five times but I have a SUPER excuse. Friday found me in a prone position while I spent an hour having saline solution injected into me followed by some radioactive dye for about an hour. Fun times no? I had a HIDA scan.
Remember when I was sick earlier this year? Well the pain returned and my sweet GP scheduled me for this test. Based on my results my GP said if I saw a surgeon they would take my gallbladder out.
So I'm not seeing a surgeon.
Problem solved!
Well not really. But frankly between training for this, returning to work next week AND launching something so wonderful I still can't quite believe it later this week, my gallbladder is just going to have to wait.
I have great meds for the pain and like my wonderful dad, I'm powering through.
So please make sure you visit me later this week because I have something super special to share with you.
Secondly, I went on a MAC makeup course today. Wait, there is a connection to jog blog with this I swear!
I learned how to apply makeup properly, the right skin shades for me, the importance of exfoliant and when it comes to eyeshadow "blend, girls, blend."
They also told me the make-up was sweat proof.
This is me in full MAC makeup before a 12km run. Please note this was intended to be a 9 km run. This is what happens when your husband plans your route and you don't listen carefully when he explains it to you.
This is me afterwards.
Thoughts?
a couple of ps's
1) Thank you for all your comments on my Friendship post. I really enjoyed reading them and have written a response in the comments section.
2) Please keep Michele and Devon in your thoughts and prayers. I can't imagine what they are going though and can only offer my support. Go by and give them a BIG hug. xxxx
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Selection and Mixed By Nat Birchall
Cyril X. Diaz and His Orchestra - Tabu - Downbeat
The Sons Of Negus - Zion We Want To Go - Zion Disc
Count Ossie Mystic Revelation - Bongo Man - Ashanti
Burning Spear - Door Peeper - Bamboo
Cedric 'Im' Brooks and Count Ossie - Right On Rasta - Coxsone
Prince Buster All Stars - Satta A Mas A Gana - Prince Buster
Tommy McCook and Baba Brooks - Dreadnaught - Black Swan
Skatalites - Timothy - Coxsone
Paragons - Play Girl - Supreme
Wailers - Fire Fire - Wail 'M Soul
Tommy McCook - Sidewalk Doctor - Supreme Ruler of Sound
Ebony Sisters - Let Me Tell You Boy - Moodisc
Jah Walton/King Tubby's/Mudie's All Stars - Stay A Yard and Praise God - Moodisc
Augustus Pablo - Islington Rock - Rockers
John Holt - The Clock - Bunny Lee's
Cornell Campbell - Jah Jah Me Horn Yah - Gay Feet
Cornell Campbell - Let The Music Keep On Playing - GG's
Chosen Few - Do Your Thing - Songbird
Leroy Willacy - Far Beyond The Blue - Negusa Nagast
Fabine - Prophecy - Tribes Man
Hugh Mundell as Papa Levi / Junior Reid - Run Come In A Dance - Muni Music
Rockers International Band - Wailer Border Rock - Muni Music
Linval Thompson - Mr Boss Man - Strong Like Sampson
Trevor Ranking and Barnabas - Stop Push Me Around - Strong Like Sampson
Dubkasm - City Walls (ft Ras Addis) - Sufferah's Choice
Nat Birchall - Nica's Dance - Gondwana
Jackie Mittoo and the Soul Vendors - Tropic Island - Coxsone
Judah Eskender Tafari - Always Trying Pt 1 - Studio 1
Eddie Constantine - Tenement Yard - Studio 1
Eddie Constantine - Tenement Yard Dub - Studio 1
This past weekend I took in Respect, an exceptional portrait of Canada's Boreal Forest:
RESPECT takes an innovative and thought-provoking look at Canada's Boreal Forest. Nine Canadian photographers braved weather and time constraints to collectively create a vibrant picture of Canada's North. The sweeping vistas captured digitally convey the fragility as well as the brutality of the Boreal Forest.
Despite being one of the largest intact forests in the world, the Canadian Boreal remains largely invisible to the world's eye. Respect brings the beauty of this remote treasure to the public in an open, accessible, and free of charge outdoor exhibit in the heart of Toronto's Waterfront.
The exhibition will run through October 12th. Stop by if you can, and see a selection of images below.
Your influence and your love will forever be with me. I will miss you, you were a great dad and a great man and I hope that one day I will be a father just like you. I love you....
Much to my surprise, I got an email from Matt Carpenter this afternoon stating that my bid for a competitive entry into this year's Pikes Peak Ascent has been accepted. I put in for it just a few days before the deadline last week, thinking that I'd had a decent first half of the season and may sneak in if there weren't too many others looking to get a spot via the competitive entry process.
Anyway, the upshot of the recent news is that I'm going to have to get serious - quickly - about getting into high-altitude, mountain-running shape. I have exactly 23 days to get ready. I've already arranged with friends from the Fort Collins Trail Runners to head down early Monday morning for a jaunt up the mountain. This will be my first time running the trail up Pikes.
Lucky for me, I have a two-mile, 1,600' climb essentially out my front door in Horsetooth Mountain Park. I'll be doing repeats up Horsetooth at least a couple times a week for the next two weeks. In addition, I'll be running Longs with Ryan B, per a phone call this morning, and looking to do Evans or Greys if I can find the time. Failing that, I'll try to sneak some time up in Rocky Mountain National Park to get up on Flattop. Not much else I can do really with just over three weeks to go. Fortunately, I have a good base to pull from and I think my legs are close to fully recovered from Bighorn.
Goal? Top ten.
Cate is able to sneak away a bit earlier than planned so we are able to get out of Manila on Thursday night. The catch is that there is only a gap of 70 Minutes between the time we land in Bangkok and the time our flight leaves for Vienna. I have been imagining all kinds of scenarios – none of them with happy endings – but we will do our best. I have checked in online and – as usual – we were not seated together. I have been able to fix the flight to Bangkok but on the flight to Vienna we were on opposite sides of the aircraft and the best I can do is to get one row in front of Cate. However, I will give the H1N1 Virus ploy another go and should be able to get someone to move. There is split second timing required for our departure. A hotel car will pick up Cate at her office at 4.30 and she will come back here where I will be waiting ready to go and with the bags packed. She will change clothes and then spend 20 minutes looking for something that she desperately needs on the flight. She won't know where this is so we will need to empty all the bags onto the floor. We will then both have panic attacks and hyperventilate while attempting to shout hoarsely at each other at the same time stuffing all our belongings back into bags way too small for the purpose. (On reflection and with the benefit of hindsight I am sure we did not need to bring the Toaster and the Treadmill). This is why am not too bothered about packing now and am just sort of stuffing it in anywhere. Why Cate has left some of the packing to me I just don't know. It is clearly the triumph of hope over experience as I have form in this area of activity and a distinct lack of common sense and reliability. Last night Cate accused me of using her toothbrush and said she knew this was so because I brushed my teeth hard and left the brush shaggy. I told her I had tough teeth that needed a solid workout and it was not my fault if her teeth were pussies. A Dentist to whom I went when I couldn't see Craig asked me what my aspirations were for my teeth. (Yes this is what he asked me). I said that I would like them all to go to university and have satisfying lives. I hoped that at least one Bicuspid might do Dentistry to give something back. I mention this only because the airlines give you tiny toothbrushes in their little travel bag thingies and these brushes are clearly not for tough teeth. In fact mine laugh out loud when they see these pathetic specimen of brushdom. I do my best but they can hardly wait to get somewhere I can give them a good pummelling with Cate's brush. I have just come back from a swim and a lie in the sun – having decided against the Banana leaf wrapping and Hayahay with Jade on the basis of the enormous number of Woggles involved. I am contemplating the bag of dirty clothes – which by now is the largest component of our baggage. I have a basic knowledge of physics and know that if we took them out of Austria clean we should be able to take them home dirty – I just can't see how at the moment but still have a few hours before zipper time. There was a very large lady beside the pool and I have my eye on her to sit on the bags while I zip them up. I hesitate to ask her because she may take it the wrong way and sit on me instead. Cate and I both have this fear that a bag will burst in transit and appear on the baggage belt as a very large collection of crumpled clothes, dirty underwear, odds, sods and paraphernalia collected from all over the globe. In these circumstances we would take the only possible course of action and leave the whole lot to its fate in Vienna Unclaimed Luggage.
I started this blog primarily as a means of keeping track of my training and racing activities. I decided to put it in the public domain to add an extra element of peer accountability to my running. I've since found that writing full race reports and weekly training summaries has helped me tremendously in reflecting on what I am and am not doing right or wrong in racing and training. Whether or not people read what I write has largely been a secondary concern.
As it happens, however, a few trail-running souls (and supportive family members) have taken to reading my posts from time to time, and I'd like to repay your time with what I think is an unbeatable offer, in the form of an opportunity to pick up a pair of LaSportiva Wildcats cheaper than you'll find anywhere else ... online, in person, or otherwise (if you can actually find a pair at your local running store/outdoor retailer. I couldn't).
Look great, ride even better I'd been eying these shoes long before I was fortunate enough to develop a relationship with the fine folks at Wilderness Running Company (WRC), who asked me to review a pair. The reason I never bit the bullet and bought the Wildcats was because I draw the line on shoe purchases at the three figure mark - no matter how sexy they might look - and these things retail at $100 across the board, with little to no exceptions.
From casual observation at recent trail running events, I can tell you that these shoes are already proving massively popular in their first year of availability. And for good reason. The shoe is remarkably comfortable and agile, while also managing to offer great cushioning and stability, all in a package that weighs in at a light (for trail runners) 12oz. And did I mention that they're an awfully good looking pair of shoes? I know, completely irrelevant to performance, but like good food, visual presentation is half the battle in getting a product sold (or eaten).
I wore these bad boys at the Leadville Marathon the other weekend (a tougher testing ground would be hard to find) and they performed to the max, with just a minor amount of slippage in the heel on really loose and steep descents (pretty much my only beef, and one that is easily remedied with an extra pair of socks or a tighter lace-up on the top two eyelets).
Minor slippage in the heel Other than that, the shoes barely felt like they were there. They were surprisingly cushy, and the bite on the soles was highly aggressive. Given the rockiness of the course at Leadville, I was concerned that the all-mesh upper would take a beating and rip as other mesh shoes of mine have in the past. However, they came through 100% unscathed, despite numerous high-speed (all things being relative) jagged-edged rakes from the rock-strewn jeep tracks around Leadville. So, yes, I'm digging these shoes. Still not enough mileage on them to warrant a full-on review and and a confident thumbs up, but I'm getting close.
The 'paws' grip hard 
Minimalist, but tough, bumper saved my toes a couple of times So what's the deal and where can you find them? The location is Wilderness Running and their price until the end of the month is just $90. You may be able to find one or two other retailers that have begun discounting the shoe, but the $90 price tag is just the beginning. Use coupon code Nick10 at checkout and take an additional 10% off, while also enjoying free shipping and the joy of giving nothing to the government. That's right folks, $81 (out the door) gets you into a pair of these awesome Wildcats. AND THAT'S NOT ALL. Buy in July and you get a pair of the much-touted Drymax running socks thrown in for free ($12 value). AND THAT'S STILL NOT ALL. There's a ton of other stuff at WRC on sale through the end of the month, and the coupon code mentioned above is good on all of it, today, tomorrow and for the foreseeable future.
AND THERE'S STILL MORE. The people at WRC are trail runners like you and me; they have a profound love for the sport, intimate knowledge of their product and a keen desire to please and see others enjoying the great outdoors at a speed faster than a hike. These guys carry nothing ... nothing ... but trail running gear. Check 'em out, they're working hard for your attention in these tough economic times.
Yesterday was my 200th Blog. Thanks to all those who sent messages, cards and emails. We had a great time in Australia and caught up with a few people who I won't name as those who missed out might be disappointed (or relieved). I can only say in mitigation that if we missed you (and in the unlikely event that you feel slighted by this) it is not that you are too boring to contemplate being with (although that may be the case) but that we had very little time. I should mention however that we had dinner with the Drop Dead Gorgeous Llama and Hunk at Manta. Prior to this we had cocktails at the Blue Hotel next door. I had two Cuban Peaches and this enabled me to float above my body and watch myself eat dinner. I am going to email the Bartender and ask him for the recipe. Our main issue with travelling is the enormous amount of luggage we (i.e. Cate) has because the trip is topped and tailed with work and she has to carry both summer and winter clothes. The situation was not helped when she leapt into Neiman Marcus In Vienna VA and bought some new outfits (at massive savings –they were all on sale). I did buy a new jumper and some T Shirts so am not without some responsibility but my weight (and cost) don't amount to a hill of beans compared to Cate's epic load. Anyway –one of our Bags weighs in at 30 kilos so is difficult to lug around. However, on arrival at the airport to leave Bangkok, we were met by a man with a trolley who took us to the check-in where we could sit (Yes SIT) while we checked in on our Thai Airways flight. This would horrify the people from United who would improve productivity by removing the staff and chairs, installing barbed wire and recruiting armed guards with cattle prods. When we arrived in Manila we were greeted by people who took us to this weird lounge just outside the terminal where we were given towels and drinks while we waited for our car. Did I mention I like travelling with Cate? Of course everywhere we go I am treated as the head of the family and this drives Cate crazy (even though I am known by her last name – not my own). However I do of course refer everything to her and always walk a couple of paces behind her when we are being obsequiously ushered about by the hordes of hotel staff. In a hotel lobby in Sydney you could set yourself alight and burn to death before anyone came near you. In Manila you would be covered in wet towels before you could strike the match. To get out of the hotel you have to greet at least a dozen staff and push your way past hordes of porters, door openers, security people and various others of indiscriminate vocation. It is apparently the job of some of them just to stand there and smile. Pause and look thoughtful and you will be immediately surrounded by uniformed people all offering assistance. Ask to go somewhere and they will not direct you – they will take you. News from home is sketchy as we are not getting many reports from Gretchen (well.....none actually) but Rozalin has reported that all the Cats ate together yesterday. We assume that this is in the same room and not from the same bowl but it is indeed progress and we are well pleased. We really do hope that we are going back to a house where there is some degree of harmony and with fewer than three litter trays. It is a very long time since I have been to Manila but there do not appear to have been any road works since my last trip in 1979. I had forgotten about the phenomenon of power poles festooned with hundreds of cables (they have this in other places including Bangkok). I don't know why this is so. It looks like every user runs an extension cord from their house to the Power Station but I am sure this can't be the case. I have just returned from the Chi Centre in the hotel where I had fabulous massage at the hands of Jade. This included aromatherapy, the ringing of cymbals and bells and many different types of oils. It was quite sensational and well worth the enormous number of Woggles it cost. Jade says I look like Bruce Willis but I think she may be short sighted due to all the oils and cymbals. She said that next time I come in she will wrap me in Banana leaves and give me a Hayahay massage.
Stylized 2D vector illustration of the vanity sin from the seven deadly sins.
More at Sevensheaven.nl
BBC News reports that fire fighting crews in Rwanda have contained wildfires that were set off accidentally by a beekeeper, who was smoking bees out of a hive to collect honey. Reports said groups of gorillas had been seen fleeing the flames, but they don't say whether it it was Lowland (probable), or Mountain Gorillas that were affected.
Rwanda's tourism chief Rosette Rugamba said 4,000 people had taken part in the emergency response - including local officials and government ministers.
She said the fires were under control but not completely extinguished.
[...]
"He tried to put it out by himself but he failed. He is the one who broke the news about the fire," she said.
After a desperate struggle with my German speaking computer I have finally managed to get my wireless connection working again. As with so many of my ideas that lose their wheels – buying a PC with a German operating system seemed like a good idea at the time. It was a bad idea that gets progressively worse. However, I am back on the air, albeit at the scrag end of the trip. I have (of course) much to tell you and will commence this task with some zeal shortly. We have just checked in to the Shangri La hotel in Manila and Cate has gone off to do whatever it is that she does in these places. It is a joy to travel with her when she is on business as she gets collected by chauffeurs in limousines and is given her own private check-in on the Executive Floor. Sometimes the hotel rings her when we are on our way in from the airport to see how she is and ask her if she needs anything special (perhaps an Orchid for Ben?) She also gets free access to all the facilities including the special Clubs where they have free food and drinks from 5.30 to 8.30! We have not done this yet as she has to work every day and needs to keep her wits about her. I am on a period of abstinence from alcohol after a punishing workout in Australia – where in fact we mainly drank New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc – which I have to say is better than most Gruner Veltliners. Yesterday we were in Bangkok and near the hotel there were lots of bars with really friendly girls (some of them were more mature). They all wanted me to talk to them and buy them a drink but as I am on a very strict allowance I couldn't afford it. I will ask Cate if I can have some housekeeping money so that I can talk to some girls here. I don't think she will be too keen.
When I was a child and struggling with the spelling of the word "friend," the concept of 'i' before 'e' being the problem, the teacher said gently: "Think of the word 'end' in friend. That's what happens with alot of them they, they end, as in finish." I never forgot how to spell it after that.
In recent months and certainly in the past few weeks I've been thinking about my friendships. One ended recently. I suspect it ended a long time ago, but being me, I'd refused to accept that. It wasn't until I'd received a terse communication from them and for once, I replied in kind. My response was completely devoid of any endearments one would assume would be an integral part of over 20 years of knowing someone. Just like hers was.
I think I spent a good part of last year mourning the loss of what I thought our friendship was, rather than the one sided reality of it.
Afterwards I rang a friend to discuss with her that I'd felt badly and I wondered if I should pursue it further, that I felt like a failure. She replied firmly that it hadn't failed. It had ended.
And just like that, I felt better.
Because the reality is that's what happens sometimes.
I'm not the girl who has had a close group of friends since primary school.
I'm not the girl who has had a close group of friends since High School or since University.
I'm not the girl who is good friends with the neighbours on her street who pop in and out for coffee.
I'm not.
I've wished I was many times.
It's taken me years of agonising and questioning of my self to figure out why I couldn't or didn't sustain those friendships. They were great (mostly) at the time.
But they ended.
Today I have friends and friendships I treasure. These friends range from friends of my family, fellow school mums,work colleagues to friends overseas, living out of state to those I've met online. These are friendships I've "collected" over fifteen years or more.
Sometimes I get surprised though.
During these two weeks where I've been the least available to my own little family, I've been stunned at the kindness of friends I honestly didn't know I had. From the school mums who took my children out to play, to those who cooked meals for us through to my cousin's fiance who dropped EVERYTHING she was doing to virtually live with my children so I could be with my dad, mum and brothers.
These are what I would call "step up" friends. When I needed them they were there for me. I'd do it for them.
And now I know the "end" in friendship is not a bad thing. We all take different paths, and when they converge that's wonderful. It's knowing when to wave good-bye at the diverge points and to be at peace with it.
It feels nice that I have no sting of sadness or bitterness about it.
I suspect shows like "Friends" or "Sex and the City" did a great deal of damage creating unrealistic expectations of what our friendship groups could or should look like.
And mine doesn't.
What about you?
Here's a nice travelogue article by Lee Yu Kit on their visit to the home of the Komodo Dragons, Rinca Island.
Besides the Komodo dragons, a number of other interesting animals inhabit Rinca. One of these is the megapode, a terrestrial bird which constructs large mound nests from vegetation, in which their eggs are hatched from the heat of the decaying organic matter. Megapodes are only found to the east of the Wallace line.
[...]
The ranger, Mansur, was a soft-spoken man who was armed only with a forked wooden staff. He didn’t have any special advice, only to stay a safe distance from the animals and not to wander off the path. Since Komodo dragons can outrun a human being, I wondered what we would do if one decided to make a dash at us.
[...]
I asked Mansur if people hunted the Komodo dragon for food.
He smiled and replied, “Orang tak makan dia, dia makan orang (People don’t eat it, it eats people)”.
