Author: bravo22c

I read this just now:

London 2012 Olympics: Oscar Pistorius running for South Africa surely epitomises the spirit of the Games.

Now I’m torn between sincere admiration for this man’s indomitable spirit, determination and all-round ‘sod you I’m doing this,’ human resolve and the thought that his blades probably, despite the note in the article about fast-twitch muscle and the disadvantage of lacking an achilles tendon, provide a mechanical advantage over flesh-and-blood lower limbs.

No muscles in the lower legs means that the runner is less susceptible to both cramp and muscular injury – and runners in the sustained sprint of the 400 metres are apparently those most susceptible to injury. I think that I tend more towards the thought that the blades do actually confer an unfair advantage, as compared to other technological advances – better shoes, better materials for sports like the discus, javelin and pole vault that are available to all athletes. I’d be interested in the views of the charioteers on this one.

If there can be such a a thing as a ‘ponder,’ that is. I have mentioned here before a SciFi story series I have been reading – the first book in the series is ‘1632,’ by Eric Flint and you can get a legitimately free copy here.

The series is about the effects that might happen if a small American town were to be transplanted whole, by a cosmic accident, back in time to the middle of the 17th Century, in Germany. One of the story arcs concerns the effect on music (and the arts…,) when 17th century musicians and composers are exposed to, firstly, 21st century instruments, the piano in particular, and secondly, the canon of great works written in the golden age of classical music which, in 1632, had hardly begun. (By the way, the author does not fall into the error of making people, of all walks of life,) in the 17th Century any less smart or talented.)

The thought that came to mind was this – born out of reading the books, but not, I hasten to add, a theme in the stories. As a confirmed atheist, I wonder what might have been the inspiration for many of the great composers, absent the overriding presence and influence of the Church(es) in Europe? Whence the great Bach Oratorios, The Mozart Agnus Dei, and the foundations that led to the glories of the greatest of them all, Mr B himself?

In my more philosophical moments, that is. How can we know whether we see colours in the same way? We can agree that something is red, and we can define the colour ‘red’ as reflected light of a wavelength of so many angstroms, but, since colour perception is not only a matter of physics, but also of interpretation by the brain, so how can we know, even though we both agree that something is ‘red,’ that what you are seeing is the same as what I see?

Now some scientists seem to agree with me 🙂

Here’s an interesting little test.

However, I have been extremely busy – up until the last few weeks during which I suffered from descent into a slough of lethargy, lolling around doing nothing but reading trashy novels and watching old movies.  I was rescued by a request to deliver a weeks training to a company here in London and the effort required to prepare the content seems to have put me back in circulation, as it were, as far as the lethargy attack is concerned, anyway.

So, if anyone might be interested, what have I been up to?  Since I returned from Kazakhstan at Christmas time, I have been working on a book which will be published towards the end of the year – not that you’re going to see it in WH Smith’s, or on Amazon, because it is a manual for business security managers and will be marketed through specialist channels.  Working on the book kept me pretty busy through the day and by the time knocking-off time came around, I was pretty much ‘computered-out.’  I did fit in a couple of short trips to Bucharest and Cairo, and I’m off to Kiev at the end of the month, all to deliver training courses of one kind or another.

I’ve also been into hospital a couple of times, once to get the arteries reamed out, again, and once to fix a bleeder in one of my eyes – the laser surgery in the eye was fascinating, but a most unpleasant experience as I found it very difficult to keep my eye open while someone was shining an incredibly bright light into it so she could see what she was doing.  (As an aside, I found the perfect GP for me – the lady served 12 years in the RAMC so it was very easy to strike up a relationship…I call her Ma’am and she calls me Mr Judge, just like old times 🙂

I learned that I was entitled to a wrinklies pass – though the official name is a ‘Freedom’ pass, which is a very useful thing to have as it gives me free travel throughout the town and well out into the suburbs – getting to Twickenham for rugby matches, for example, is covered.  It is a substantial benefit, but I have to say that I do think it is one of the benefits – like Child Allowance, that should be means tested and properly targetted.  I shall not complain too loudly, however.

My son is recovering well from the depression from which he was suffering, with a new job and a new ‘significant other,’ who has just moved down here from Sheffield.  She is a chef, and was delighted to receive a ‘phone call from the Ivy restaurant a couple of days after she arrived.  She is now working there and loving it. 

So, the Bravo crew is well settled in East Acton, which is not a particularly salubrious part of town, but is also not particularly insalubrious, either.  Lots of non-Wasp neighbours, but, fortunately, no overwhelming concentration of any particular ethnicity, so fairly civilised, except for the BNP hangout just across the road which receives regular attention from HM constabulary, though I did watch the Boks –  England match there on Saturday.  Whenever I go out to the shops, I speak to people in Russian, Romanian or Chinese, depending on which shop I’m going to, and there is an interesting fmaily who run the local hardware store, South-Asian extraction but apart form the patriarch, who has a quite difficult accent, all of them speaking super-strength Jockinese.

On the downside, I lost my owner.  She went one to one with a fox and came a very poor second.  I’m a bit surprised at how much I miss the little bugger.

So, I’m back, with a bit of catching up to do, I see 🙂

Much as it would please me to meet this guy somewhere quiet and have a word in his shell-like, I am forced to agree with the blasted European court in this instance. If there is evidence that this odious individual has committed a crime – and there seems to be plenty, even if it is under the egregious ‘hate-crime’ laws which I also despise – then he should be charged, banged up and then deported.

I believe it is entirely wrong that our political ‘leaders,’ should advocate setting aside the hard-won rights of HM subjects, rather than getting the bar-steward into court and serving him up his just deserts. And, yes, I would agree that this Rshole is as much of a British subject as Deng Xiao Ping, but, for better for worse, he is, blast it, entitled to the protection of the law of this Land as much as I am, one law for all, bugrit again!

There, the other side of the Bravo coin to set against my views in the Assange and Dewani affairs.

Why do footprints in the snow fill up as fresh snow falls?

Say a footprint in the snow is an inch deep, measured from the surface. Now, say another inch of snow falls. The bottom of the footprint will now be an inch higher, that is, at the original level of the surface of the snow. But the snow surface is now also an inch higher…

Belated Christmas Greetings all! Been a bit busy with Grandchildren, since they haven’t seen me for three months 🙂

Just thought I’d share these photos.

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And this is what it’s all about – a case where the value far exceeded the cost, or, as the credit card advert has it, priceless 🙂

A gentle reminder. I’d like to share an experience that I had this weekend regarding drinking and driving. Its obviously very relevant during the forthcoming festive season.

Many of you will know people who have had brushes with the authorities on their way home from the odd social session over the years.

Well, a couple of nights ago, I was out for a few drinks with some friends and had a few too many light ales than maybe I should have had – It happens.

Knowing full well I was very likely over the limit, and knowing I’d had a close call from being pulled over by a traffic cop to take a breathalyser only the week before, I did something I’ve never done before – I took a bus home!

Anyway, I arrived home safely, enjoyed the ride and it was all free of worry about police pulling me over and testing me.

I know we often avoid doing this and take the risk of using the car we came in to go home in, BUT DON’T DO IT! The police will eventually catch you, you will lose your licence and maybe even your livelihood!

I’m sharing this experience with you because the incident was a pleasant surprise to me, particularly since I had never driven a bus before!