Fabrice Muamba lives on aided by CPR

Like most people in this country, I find it absolutely astonishing that Fabrice Muamba is still alive and on the long road to recovery after being effectively dead for 78 minutes.  Is it right to say that it is almost unbelieveable?

I could sit here and re-iterate the comments made in the media about the hard work of both clubs doctors and the hosptial staff, but that would be pointless.  My point is about the CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) that was administered by those professional in the immediate time after the Bolton player collapsed.  It is clear that having those people present meant all the difference to whether he lived or passed away.  What would have happened if there wasn't anybody close by who hasn't received that training nearby is unthinkable (very unlikely given where it happened, but please bear with me on this).  That is why I consider CPR and First Aid a vital life skill.  As I said in the First Aid post, it can probably be one of the most important training courses I have ever been on and will definitely encourage anybody to do it.  It isn't a hard course to do and is very worthwhile.  My thinking is that we can never have too many First Aiders in this world.  You never when you might be needed.

As part of my last refresher course I was shown how to use a Defibrillator.  They are becoming more and more available in public places such as railway stations, shopping centres and the likes.  Again, these aren't anything to be frightened of as they are programmed to talk you through the whole process.  Don't worry, you don't have control of those big electric pads that you see on Casualty and Holby City!  It is all done from a small carry case with all the equipment in.

As I say, it really isn't anything to be frightened of.  If just one of you who may come across this blog post become persuaded to look into First Aid training, I think it may just have done what I intended it to.

'Take on an Empty Stomach'



Take on an Empty Stomach or an hour before food - a statement which appears on a number of medications.  I had never been able to find a definitive answer as to how long it takes for a human stomach to digest a meal.  So when I was prescribed a course of Antibiotics last Friday, I was confused and annoyed all over again.

The Internet seems to have numerous theories about this subject, some being way different than others.  Previously a Doctor at our surgery told me that an hour after a meal would be fine.  However, some sites claimed that you should go four hours without food.  I was also confused about the consumption of hot drinks as they contain milk and will start the digestive system off.  Another Doctor claimed that this was taking it too far.  This was creating one great big head scratching moment for me.  All I wanted a defnite answer as to when I could enjoy a brew and my lunch.

In the end I've gone with the official NHS Direct guideline of waiting two hours after eating/drinking (water is OK as it doesn't start the digestive system unless there's something in it I think) and an hour before food.  I've now been following this for nearly seven days now.  I do want the medication to work at it's best so I'm best taking the tablets as suggested.

The food aspect isn't so much a problem, in fact it would probably be a help (well you don't earn the nickname of the Human Dustbin by not eating much do you?!).  The prospect of only drinking Tea and Coffee at certain times of the day has been driving me nuts though.  I don't seem to have a set time when I make a drink, just when I fancy one (which is numerous times during the day).  So when that is curtailed, it is so hard not to flick the kettle on!

Thank heavens for 17:00 tomorrow then, an hour after my final tablet.  I can back to drinking numerous cups of Tea per day and feeding my face when I want.

Incidentally though, abstaining from booze over the last seven days has been no where near as problematic.  Perhaps the patchy headache and nausea I had at the start of the treatment has got something to do with it.

Dear Mr. Murdoch

I love the fact that Roger Taylor is re-issuing his song 'Dear Mr. Murdoch'.  It's probably the only positive thing to come out of all this phone hacking mess which the general public has been a spectator of for the last few weeks.

As he says, I think you'll find that the updated lyrics speak for themselves.

Enjoy:

True Faith and Other Cover Songs

So, True Faith by New Order has been covered by George Michael then.  I'm purposely trying to avoid it as most people have had negative views on it and I do not want to spoil my views on the original.  Yes it intentions are to raise money for Comic Relief, even though as fatmancunian states, it is a serious cover, rather than a comical one.  Matthew Rudd raises a valid point about actually being allowed to dislike it, even though it is a charity single.  We have been trained to think that we should buy them, even though they aren't musically brilliant.

The negative views towards this track got me thinking about other cover songs in near and distant past.  Were there many that were actually any good?  As I was struggling to come up with many, I put the question out to Twitter.  Surprisingly, I was wrong.

There are a number of good covers out there including I Second That Emotion by Japan, Burning Down The House by Nillson and Crying In The Rain by A-Ha.  Some of the tracks mentioned I mistakingly took them for original tracks, Wherever I Lay My Hat and Love of The Common People by Paul Young for example.  I put my lack of knowledge down to not being old enough to remember the originals.

There are a plethora of bad covers too and it isn't hard to think of them.  How's about Love Is All Around by Wet Wet Wet, Here's Where the Story Ends by Tin Tin Out, Srawberry Fields Forever by Candy Flip an Baker Street by Undercover?

What is it that makes or breaks a cover song then?

The most iconic covers tend to be complete reworkings of the original tracks, think Jeff Buckleys version of Hallelujah.  In covering Leonard Cohens original, he has actually managed to switch the song into a different genre, and not done a bad job of it neither.

The other key factor to note is making the correct choice in a song to cover.  Should this track be covered or not is the question that needs asking every time.

To be frank there are a number of tracks that shouldn't be covered.  Some of these have actually been recorded.  True Faith falls into this category.  God knows what possessed Depeche Mode to allow The Saturdays to cover Just Can't Get Enough.  This being the latest in cover songs from the past that have switched genres but for me aren't even a patch on the original.  Did The Saturdays actually think it was a good idea to folow in the footsteps of Girls Aloud, who covered a staggering four tracks?!

To finish off, I'd thought I'd leave you with one of my favourite covers.  This in fact switched genres and proved to be sucessful.  Also, it is an excellent track performed live as I saw here.

If you wish to add to this list of good and bad covers, please feel free.

'Yes, this fear's got a hold on me' #6

Last nights White Lies gig at The O2 Academy in Leeds was the latest to pop up on my radar.  Having seen them 5 times previously, I had an idea that this would be too good a concert to miss when the tickets went on sale back in mid November.  Yes it meant sacrificing other bands I haven't seen yet (finances dictate only a handful of gigs these days), but after hearing their single from the 'Ritual' album I had an idea it wasn't going to disappoint.

Once I had carried out my share of 'dad' duties and remembered to pick up the tickets, I set off for Leeds, picking up my fellow gig goer on the way.  The rain and slightly windy conditions made for an interesting journey across the M62, but nevertheless we made it into Leeds for just after 20:15.  Prior to leaving the house, I had checked my Twitter timeline and found that the main support act was on at 20:30 until 21:00, with Harry and co getting on stage at 21:30.  That obviously meant that the 22:30 curfew would be kept right?

We had our customary glance at the merchandise booth en-route to the bar to get a pint of what can only be described as fizzy tasteless lager aka Tuborg before we got in position, just before the main support act 'Crocodiles' came on stage.  Musically they were quite enjoyable but the lead singer however, annoyed me.  He came on stage with a pair of Blues Brothers style sunglasses on, danced around a bit daft on stage whilst holding onto the mic stand and sung in a style that I can only liken to Morrissey.  In my book, that never should be done because you'll never be as good as him!  Towards the end of the set, he picked up a guitar and lost the Morrissey impression.  This was where they turned it round and they went from annoying to being quite enjoyable.  They have been added to the list of acts to try on Spotify.

After they departed and half an hour filled with stage setup, pushing, shoving and getting a bit cramped (well it was a sell out after all), they entered the stage to a theatrical but really simple spot light show.  The set began with 'A Place To Hide' from their first album 'To Lose My Life'.   A good start and a track which the little niggles with the Sound Mix could be ironed out with.  Reasoning with the choice in opener maybe?

'Holy Ghost', the second single from the new album followed, which reaffirmed to me that they really can perform live and are backed by first class Sound Engineers.  All the White Lies performances I have seen have been superbly produced, with the sound being really clear, in a variety of different venues.  At this point I remembered a comment made by a work colleague who attended the Leeds Met gig with me in May 2009.  As one of his favourite venues, he claimed that they were the best produced act he'd seen there, and trust me, he's seen loads of acts at that Students Union.

Anyway back on subject.  The title track from the first album followed which saw the crowd begin bounce and jump around in enjoyment slightly.  The obvious pattern of alternating between an old and a new track was beginning to shine through.  Old favourite E.S.T. was interlaced with new offerings such as Strangers, Peace and Quiet and Streetlights.

From here we got to the livelier part of the set with Farewell To The Fairground, again one of the live favourites amongst the fans.  The first track from Ritual, 'Is Love' came next which I was looking forward to hearing and lived up to my hopes.  The more laid back 'Bad Love' again gave the excitable crowd a bit of respite before the final track of the set was announced.

I had my money on Death being the final track of the encore as I wasn't sure any other track would work.  However, it appeared as the last track of the main set, much to the surprise of the majority of people around me.  Undoubtedly their best track live track had it's desired effect and the whole floor was bouncing up and down.

The 3 track encore consisted of Unfinished Business and the slower paced The Power and The Glory before ending on the current single Bigger Than Us.  Although a great surprised, I think that it worked as an encore, albeit in a different way to Death.  But then the whole second album differs from the first so that doesn't stand stand up as a comparison really does it?

Even though I've seen these 6 times, I still don't get tired of their live performances.  Harry is an excellent lead singer who really lets the music do the talking.  The band aren't about gimmicks or messing about on stage.  They just seem to be pleased that people enjoy there music.  You could see this in the bow they all took at the end of the gig.

Another memory of the evening is how many people older than me were at the gig.  I'm 31 and expected to be one of the oldest there.  However, there were couple who seeemed to be older than me dotted about.  It still makes me smile that one stood close to me decided to check if the liquid she had been sprayed with was lager or not.  Clearly she doesn't attend many gigs!

As for the next gig, I don't have any booked.  There are a few I would like to attend but I'm either working or being dad coupled with cash flow issues.  However, it still doesn't stop me from being envious of others who will go.

White Lies played:

A Place to Hide

Holy Ghost

To Lose My Life

Strangers

E.S.T.

Peace & Quiet

Streetlights

Farewell to the Fairground

Is Love

Bad Love

Death

Unfinished Business

The Power & The Glory

Bigger Than Us

What now for Sky Sports, Keys and Gray?

Unless you've not turned on a Television or Radio over the past week, you will have heard about the whole Richard Keys and Andy Gray sexism saga.  The off-air conversation between the two about Sian Masseys knowledge of the offside rule has been big news for the majority of the week.  I never thought that it would become as bigger story as it has done.  Even my father-in-law who detests football with a passion was asking my opinion on it!

To repeat what Keys said in his interview with TalkSPORT on repeat for most of the hour, what he and Gray said was wrong.  It shouldn't have been said and has possibly tarnished the excellent work made by the various governing bodies in football to involve women in the modern game.  There is no place for it in my opinion.

Judging by what I have seen in the last few years and this blog entry from someone who claims to be an employee or ex-employee of Sky Sports, Keys and Gray have been allowed too much of a free rein and letting them get away with it.  For the past 20 years the pair of them have taken live football to a new level with how the shows they were involved with have been presented and the technology used.  Gray's analysis of the game has proved to be second to none over the years.  In it's early years his own show named 'Andy Gray's Bootroom' with the use of Subbuteo in the middle of a mock dressing room demonstrated his flair as a broadcaster.  As many an armchair football fan like myself know, this went onto become a major feature of Monday Night Football, updated with the light pen on the screen and a stack of video tapes.  This seems a far cry from the latest incarnation with the touch screen and the iPad!  Keys was essential in that he hung on every word that Gray said and made up a formidable partnership.  The trouble is that they knew it, got too complacent and have run the show for a good few years.

If the New Statesmans blog is to be believed, and Keys comments on TalkSPORT about 'dark forces being at work here' along with the release of the anonymous video clips on Youtube, it's obvious to me that someone has wanted them to go from Sky Sports.  They have been presented with the opportunity to put them in a bad light and then added fuel to the situation over the course of the few days that followed.  For this reason, I do think they've been stitched up.  However, they shouldn't have given whoever released these clips cause to release them.

The fact that Keys and Gray will no longer be working for Sky Sports leaves a few questions unanswered in my eyes.  Who will replace them at Sky (that is of course if they need to be replaced)?  How will there football coverage go forward from this?  Finally, what now for Keys and Gray?

The question of replacements and the shape of the output form hereon in is crucial for Sky and how much football coverage they will retain when the contracts are next up for renewal.  Do they try and keep the style and format pioneered by Keys and Gray?  If so, who would be able to carry it off?  I don't think that this can be done as they were unique in what they did.  Anybody who tried to copy it or emulate it, tried and failed.  Remember the dreadful Tactics Truck with Andy Townsend on ITV's The Premiership?

Certainly for the foreseeable future, Sky will revert back to a host and guests/pundit format in a studio at the ground where the live game is being played.  They already have good solid hosts on the books in the form of Dave Jones, Ben Shephard and Jeff Stelling who could make it work.  I saw earlier today that Jeff was the bookies favourite as the permanent replacement.  However, having read Jeff's book, I don't think he'll want to do it long term.  We will unfortunately be stuck with Jamie Redknapp for the time being.  There's plenty of other pundits which they tend to use who can appear also.

I do believe that Sky may have to try and come up with something new and innovative long term though, if they are to be successful in retain the amount of Premier League rights they have.  If they do, will they look outside of Sky for the on screen personnel to implement it?  I see this as a fundamental development, if they are to retain the rights that they currently own.

This leaves the question of filling the co-commentary gap left by Gray.  How best to fill that role?  There aren't that many co-commentators who I consider to be as good as him, or even offer a great deal more to the game we are viewing.  Therefore I think that Sky may struggle here.  Naturally I think that Alan Smith may step up, but I find that he can only work with the right commentator at the side of him.  Otherwise, the voices of both seem to make the broadcast dull and boring. 

Another candidate I see is Davie Provan who has worked on Football First games and Scottish Football.  An articulate co-commentator who talks a good game and isn't too controversial.  Or will they look outside of Sky again for a replacement?

Keys and Gray are now seen as controversial characters and I suspect that many broadcasters will not even entertain the idea of employing either of them.  It is rumoured that they are in negotiations with Al Jazeera to front their coverage.  Won't they tied into a contract with their various hosts they already use such as Gary Lineker and Angus Scott?  Money won't necessarily be an use for the Middle East outfit though will it?

As you can probably tell, I've thought about this alot over the last week.  I've taken an interest how football is broadcast for many years, and this makes the whole story all the more fascinating as the knock on effects of their departures unfold.

First Aid Training

Firstly, let me wish you all a Happy New Year.  I've not posted for a while so I thought I'd best put in an appearance.

I've been a First Aider for most of my 12 years service with my employer and today I completed a two day refresher course.  Provided by our Occupational Health Service, we have to attend for two days every three years and complete an assessment to keep our certification up-to-date (originally gained by attending a four day course).  I think it is by far one of the best courses I have completed as it is such an important skill to have in your life, not just at work.  I'm also lucky in the fact that I've done it through my employer free of charge.

To most people, it seems really frightening to be able to administer first aid and this is why they are reluctant to come forward and volunteer to be a First Aider.  I can assure you that it isn't.  It is really simple and the majority of it is just plain common sense.  Most First Aiders will probably tell you that as you go through the course and refresher courses, you do retain alot of the knowledge.  This was my fourth refresher course on top of the original four day course and the attendees were more or less telling the instructor what was needed in each scenario.

If you are unsure about whether you would like to attend First Aid training, please give it a try.  You never know, it might come in handy one day.

I've included this clip from the British Red Cross about one of the fundamental parts you would come across on any First Aid training.



I'll get down off my Soap Box now.

From a time when only the Newsagents was open on a Sunday.....

Reading and commenting on Five Centres blog post about various old supermarket brands kicked off a bit of reminiscing within me this week.  Of course in the context of the piece, I thought about the different brands I had possibly seen in a little over 25 years.  It also got me thinking about how our family shopped back in those days.

My parents did frequent the Supermarket on a weekly basis, right from the late 70's when they got married.  However, unlike most modern families, this wasn't their only shopping trip of the week.  Many a Saturday morning would be spent picking up the Fruit and Vegetables, Meat, Toiletries and Household Cleaners, Haberdashery and Hardware needed for the following week from the various market stalls and the small independent shops in the town centre.  Don't forget that this was in an age when the only shops that opened on a Sunday were probably the Newsagents, Petrol Station and the odd Convenience Store if you were lucky.  Most supermarkets only had one night a week where they would open late, and even then it would be until 20:00.  Obviously to any younger readers who might stumble across this blog (god I make myself sound old!), this would seem a far cry from the one-stop shops we have now which come in the form of Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco that only close for two days of the year now.  Having your shopping delivered by these shops wasn't even thought of.  If you were lucky, one of the local 'Corner Shops' might drop it off in the van whilst they were out and about but the price of your shopping would be alot more.

These memories date back to a time when the housewife was more common in the average household.  They would have more time at home to carry out the chores and therefore had plenty of free time at weekends to do the shopping and spend with the family.  By this comment I don't wish to come across as sexist.  In fact I would go as far as to say that they should be celebrated for the way they kept all the family together and how their homes were run efficiently.  No mean feat in my eyes.

As times have changed, so have people and families.  There are alot more families where both parents go out to work to keep a good standard of living.  This is clearly where the one-stop shop comes into its own.  A couple of hours can be spent in one place picking up all the items you need.  For the sake of a small charge, you can even do it from the comfort of your armchair and have it delivered to your door.  Some believe this is a small price to pay for the time and stress it saves, particularly if ill-behaved children really get on your nerves!

In our house, we still do a weekly shop to the supermarket.  Mrs. S does this most weeks at the moment as she is still on maternity leave from work.  This is interspersed with the odd visit to Costco for bulk buying of certain items and some meat.  The main meat purchases are made through our local butcher.  These are a dying breed on our local High Streets unfortunately as people look no further than the supermarket.  Our local family run butcher produces first class quality meat.  I hope to enjoy his meat for many years to come.

What I hoped to achieve with this post was to illustrate the changes in our shopping habits due to how peoples lifestyle have altered.  From where we currently are with our lifestyles and habits, I wonder how they will change next.

Me Me Me

Nicked from Queen Margot and the Supper Club, I thought I'd have a go a these answers.  Like Suzy Norman said in her post, please feel free to have a go at this yourself:

1. What was the last thing you put in your mouth?

It was the last piece of a Mars Bar. An evening snack which I nearly always say I will not give into temptation but end up doing so.

2. Where was your profile picture taken?

That reminds me, I must get one sorted.  Hopefully one that doesn't make the reader click the cross in the top right hand corner.

3. Can you play Guitar Hero?

No.

4. Name someone who made you laugh today?

Seen as I've been at home due to the snow, the person who has made me laugh will be little Miss S., our 7 month old.

5. How late did you stay up last night and why?

I was in bed by about 10:50 last night.  This is the latest we had both been in bed for a while.  It isn't really feasible to stay up late too often with a youngster in the house who chooses to get up anytime after 6am.  I had contemplated staying up to watch some of the Cricket which wouldn't have been a bad idea judging by the first days play!

6. If you could move somewhere else, would you?

We're happy where we are at the moment in our Semi Detached house.  I dream of having my own detached property with a bit of land but I can't see that happening in this lifetime.

7. Ever been kissed under fireworks?

I think so but I can't be sure.

8. Which of your friends lives closest to you?

I have a mate who lives about a mile and a half away.  He's always good for a pot of tea and a natter about nothing important, just how blokes should be!  He has a taste for the odd Real Ale aswell.

9. Do you believe exes can be friends?

Not really.  In my opinion you need to make a clean break and not have the ex lingering in the background whilst you are trying to get your new relationship off the ground.  In my case I should have tried harder to make the splits less acrimonious.  Splitting is hard enough without things getting nasty.  Also, I would like to think that if I bumped into any of my ex's that it wouldn't be terribly uncomfortable (I know it's probably naive of me!).

10. How do you feel about Dr.Pepper?

One of the soft drinks I do enjoy.

11. When was the last time you cried really hard?

I'll pass on that one.

12. Who took your profile picture?

See question 2.

13. Who was the last person you took a picture of?

Intentionally Little Miss S.  Unintentionally a man walking his dog in the snow yesterday whilst I was out grabbing pictures of the tress in the local park covered in snow.
14. Was yesterday better than today?

Probably as I ended up having the day off from work as I couldn't get the car out of the street due to the snow.  An unexpected day at home is always welcome, even if it did mean I missed work.  I will have to work the day missed back at some stage, but that will come when the weather improves.

15. Can you live a day without TV?

I'm ashamed to say that probably not.  We enjoy a fair bit of TV and also make use of our Sky+ box to watch the desired programmes when we like.
16. Are you upset about anything?

Not today, apart from the fact that we're cut off from the main roads due to the amount of snow in our cul-de-sac.  Also, I am worried about when we will next get some milk and bread as jo public are panic buying these at the moment.

17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it?

I would say yes.  I'm blessed with having a wonderful wife who is a great mother too.  Our relationship has been really tested over the last 18 months with plenty of bad stuff thrown at us but I think we're getting through it slowly and it is worth sticking with.
18. Are you a bad influence?

I can be I suppose.  I can be lazy at times, again something I shouldn't be proud of.  That then rubs off on the people around me.  I'm also a shopaholic, particularly in music and DVD shops.  I've been trying to cut back but I've not managed it so far.
19. Night out or night in?

It would have to be a Night Out seen as we don't have any of those these days.  I'm equally happy with a night in, the Sky+ remote and good bottle of wine or beer.

20. What items could you not go without during the day?

Mrs. S has just answered this as my iPhone.  It never really leaves my side.  One of my favourite purchases of the year.
21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?

Mrs. S in May this year, just after the birth of little Miss. S.

22. What does the last text message in your inbox say?

It's from Tom Smith out of Editors.  The message is a mailshot, telling fans what the band have been up to recently.

23. How do you feel about your life right now?

That is a question I hadn't considered until I started writing this blog entry.  Overall I'd say reasonably happy.  I have wonderful family and I'm trying to make the most of little Miss S before she grows up.  Other than a bad back I'm in good health.  I have a job with a steady income.  The picture at work has a gloomy outlook at the moment my department is under review and reorganisation at the moment.  Hopefully we'll come through that still having a job.
24. Do you hate anyone?

I would say not.  I don't have the time to be bitter about anything or anyone.  I'd say I get annoyed by certain people from time to time, but no hatred.
25. If we were to look in your facebook inbox, what would we find?

I have a facebook account but to be honest I only use it for nosing at other people and what they are up to.  My inbox hardly gets used.

26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?
Providing a drugs test didn't include alcohol, I'd be fine.

27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before?

No one is that daft, not even Mrs S.

28. What song is stuck in your head?

True Faith by New Order.  I've been listening to the Substance album this morning and this was the last track I heard.
29. Someone knocks on your door at 2:00am, who do you want it to be?

I wouldn't want anyone knocking on my door at 2am, unless they really needed me.

30. Wanna have grandkids by the time you're 50?


It would be nice as I would get to appreciate the grandchildren whilst I'm still young enough to do things with.  However, I wouldn't wish for little Miss S to have children at an early age!


31. Name something you have to do tomorrow.

Clear the road outside of snow so that I may be able to get the car out of the street.
32. Do you think too much or too little?

I think far too much and more often than not, it makes things worse.
33. Do you smile a lot?

I would say not as I'm a natural worrier about things.  I don't find it easy to put a brave face on things neither

The Element of Surprise

As it's coming to the Festive Season, I've been doing a bit of online shopping for my presents for Mrs. S.  As with previous years, I've had them delivered to either my work address or to the mother-in-laws as she's retired and home most days.

Earlier this week, Mrs. S mum telephoned me whilst I was at home to inform me that the latest delivery had been received.  Straight away when she called I went into another room so that I could talk to her without Mrs. S eavesdropping.  When I returned to the lounge after the conversation, Mrs. S tried to find out what I had ordered.  Naturally I gave nothing away and told her she had to wait.

Here's the thing.  She tries this every year and cannot resist trying to find out what I've bought her.  Each year, I don't offer any information.  You would have thought by now that she would have learnt not to ask me daft questions like that!  Myself as an adult who doesn't find Christmas as exciting as when he was a child (although that will hopefully change over the coming years with having little Miss S around), doesn't want to know what people of bought him.  I still like the idea of opening a present up on Christmas Day with that element of surprise.  Also, I really cannot understand these people who try to find out what they've been bought.

Conversely when buying gifts for family and friends, I try to be discrete in finding out.  Again, I like the present to be a surprise to them.  I will never forget visiting a friends house many years ago, a couple of days before Christmas.  All their presents were wrapped and under the tree.  His mum picked up one of the gifts and asked "Is that the hairdryer you asked me if I wanted?".  This I just didn't understand.  Why ask your mum exactly what they want for Christmas? More to the point, if she knows what it is, why bother wrapping it?

The surprise of what a Christmas present might be is an important part of the spirit for me.  Essentially this is what the day is all about.  Yes there is the big lunch and quaffing of alcohol but the whole idea of getting together is to share the gifts.  If these aren't made to be special, then what hope do you have for getting in the Christmas spirit?

Adjusting to Parenting

Our little daughter is just over six months old now.  It only feels like yesterday that I brought her home with Mrs. S from Scunthorpe Hospital to settle in.  They have been filled with joy, laughter, worry, tears and intense learning.

Before little Miss S was born who is our first child, we were told by numerous people on various occasions that our lives would change and how difficult things would be.  It got to the point where I was getting sick of the doom and gloom that we were told by everyone.  We both knew we were heading into a new chapter of our lives which would be completely life changing, but as most new parents will say, you just cannot comprehend how much.  This was made worse by the horror stories relating to sleeping, mum and dad not eating proper meals for months and not getting much done round the house.  We just didn't know which way to turn.

However, I can safely say as I sit here at 28 weeks, that it hasn't been as bad as first thought.  I don't think I'll ever get over how fast things change when you first have a baby, and not just small changes neither!  From that point of view, the doom and gloomers were right.  We don't seem to have had problems to the extent that other people have had though.  We're lucky that she seems to sleep through most nights.  There have been a couple of times where Mrs. S has been up with her through the night, usually when she's not very well.  We've also managed to get proper meals, nearly all the time.

Where we have found it challenging is keeping on top of the household general running jobs like cleaning, washing, ironing, remembering important things like paying bills and peoples birthdays (well OK, I have, not Mrs. S).  We seem to go through phases of doing well with it which are swiftly followed by stuff piling up again.  Don't get me wrong, we haven't been without clean clothes, a meal on the table or not paid the credit card bill.  We just seemed to be up against it at times.

I'll admit here that I've found it more challenging than Mrs. S.  She has taken to motherhood like a natural, has managed to keep the house going and keep me in check at the same time!  I've struggled to juggle my home life with going to work, where things seem to be getting busier and busier.

Selfishly, I'm missing having the time for my hobbies such as listening to my music, listening to radio and my reading.  I do get a bit of listening in when I travel to and from work, but sadly little Miss S seems to prefer nursery rhymes to The Libertines or BBC 6 Music.  I will keep trying though as I would like her to get her music tastes from me.

I have also been worried about how we are coping financially and how we will cope over the next few years.  So far I'm happy to say that we've managed to stay in the black.  We are both natural savers who haven't previously had huge debts to deal with.  This has put us on the correct footing right from the start.  I just hope that we can keep it up through the next few years.  This might prove a challenge in the current financial climate.  Only time will tell.

The experiences I've shared above are undoubtedly nothing out of the ordinary for parents to new born children.  It probably has done me some good to sit, think about this blog entry and put it all into perspective.  Overall we've gone through a steep learning curve this last six months and managed to get through it.  I'd best buckle up though, as the ride from hereon in will no doubt be just has hectic, head scratching and fun.

Thoughts of Lily

It was announced yesterday that Lily Allen has unfortunately suffered a miscarriage.  What's worse is that this is the second one she has experienced.  

Mrs. S and myself are in the position of understanding what Lily will be going through at the moment.  When we were trying for our little Miss S, my good lady miscarried at five weeks gone.  We had all the excitement of actually getting pregnant, especially as we really wanted to start a family, and then it was snatched away from us.  All we felt was despair, the not believing that you are meant to be parents.  Also, no one could say or do anything to make you both feel better.  We were lucky that we had the support of both of our families.  It was really needed, especially as our marriage and relationship was really tested and completely changed over the coming months.  Sometimes I really wonder how we managed to get through it and get to where we are now.  Lily and Sam will no doubt feel some or all of these and will be seriously questioning whether it is worth trying again.  

We do hope that they ride the storm and come through this terrible time.  They need to believe that it will happen for them and one day they will be parents.  We are now blessed with a gorgeous little girl who Mrs. S fell pregnant with about eight months after we lost the first pregnancy. Hopefully Lily and Sam will experience the same somewhere in the not too distant future.

All the best Lily, we're all thinking of you.

RIP Norman

As a child, I grew up watching films like A Stitch In Time, On The Beat, Press For Time and The Early Bird.  I can remember watching both grandfathers and dad at some stage cry with laughter at the antics of Norman Pitkin and Mr. Grimsdale.  They all shared a mutual love for Norman Wisdoms brand of slapstick comedy and it was only a matter of time before it would make an impression on me.

Casting him in that first role in the film Trouble In Store turned out to be an inspired choice, as what followed was a number of classic films which have proved very popular here in the UK and abroad.  Whilst the comedy is simple, it is clean, something that you don't see today.

Fat Mancunian mentioned on Twitter earlier this week that there probably is a whole generation of younger people that don't who Norman Wisdom is or will have never seen his work.  I agree with his comment that it is a sobering thought.  You can only feel that they've missed out on seeing such a talented actor and his films.

The scene where Pitkin is holding onto the runaway lawnmower in The Early Bird is one of my favourite ones.  Unfortunately there isn't a clip of this on Youtube to share with you.

However, here's the opening scenes from The Early Bird, including Norman accidentally tearing wallpaper off the staircase, a personal favourite of Alex Lester as he mentions in this weeks blog.  Another scene that has the ability to tickle me is the Council Meeting Scene in Pressed For Time.  If you haven't viewed these scenes before (highly unlikely I hope), I've included them below:

Rest In Peace Norman.  Many thanks for all the laughter.

"It's Not Even the End of September!"

I hate to admit this but it appears that Christmas is only a couple of months away.  Every year I usually complain that we as a family get organised far too early and that it dominates our thoughts until it arrives.  All I want to do is say "all this hassle for one bloody day!".  Needless to say that protests fall on deaf ears.

Take our visit to Costco last weekend for instance.  In true Cash and Carry style, their huge section in the middle that usually has garden tools, climbing frames and barbecues had been transformed to show their latest festive stock.  It wasn't even the end of September for heavens sake!  In fact, all retailers seem to get their Christmas stock on sale earlier and earlier.

I don't think I'm alone in these thoughts though either.  I know a few other friends and colleagues who get sick of seeing decorations and various must have presents whenever they have to go shopping.  Also, the playing of Christmas songs way before the time is a definite way to put people off.

Although I do protest about how early we start shopping (usually before Bonfire Night), it does feel good when we have all the presents bought before the beginning of December.  It then makes the build-up to Christmas all the more enjoyable.  (Yes, this is me admitting that Mrs S is right, AGAIN!)

On the whole I do enjoy Christmas....once we get to the week before.  That for me is when the present shopping is out of the way and we get to the good bit of buying the food and doing all the prep for Christmas at home (more on this nearer the time).  It promises to be more enjoyable than before as it's our daughters first Christmas.  Admittedly, she'll not know a great deal about it.  It still doesn't stop everyone spoiling her though.  For those reasons, I'm aiming to curb my moaning and try to get into the spirit, something which I've done for a number of years and is very habitual.  Wish me luck

Not Being Paid

Chris Moyles non-payment of wages rant has been the subject of much debate on Twitter and a few blog posts. Andy Bells entry is in support of him.  I must admit I originally didn't have much of an opinion on the subject.  However, last night I read The Urban Woos take on it and this provoked me into changing my opinion.

Firstly I can appreciate where the guy is coming from.  It really would annoy me if I haven't been paid for a couple of months and I consider myself very fortunate to have not been put in that position.  He still has bills to pay and needs to live, irrespective of whether there's any money coming in or not.  He may be on a huge salary but like most other people in this world, he will live to his means.  There's no point in earning money and not making use of it (well that is my philosophy anyway).

I don't think he was right to bring it up on the show though.  He should have discussed it in private with the Management Team at Radio 1.  Then he would have avoided all this media coverage and the backlash from the public, calling him insensitive.  The quote The Urban Woo uses in her post from the Guardian is very apt which was posted by a member of the Ambulance Service.  He does get paid far more than he is worth and does think that he works hard.  However, it is nowhere near as hard as the Ambulance man, and he doesn't have to see the awful sites of the public being hurt on a daily basis.

Therefore, my final word to Chris Moyles is think before you put your mouth into gear, then it not get all blown out of proportion as you claim it has, avoiding the subject of you being over payed being brought up again!  Next time you need to air your views, make sure you do it in private with the relevant people and not on your show.

The Dating Game



This week I've been pointed in the direction of this blog.  As you can see there are some quite wonderful and witty responses to messages received by the author whilst they have been Internet Dating.  Firstly, it is definitely worth having a read.

Why do some people think it's fine to chastise others that admit to doing the Internet Dating thing?  It is seen as a method of finding that special special someone for 'no-hopers' and people who have previously failed.  I guess it is these reasons that those who try it prefer to keep it a secret.

My thoughts are that anyone who goes down this route isn't anything but a brave individual.  It takes alot of courage to write a profile of yourself which will be scrutinised, pulled apart and then be discarded by others looking for that potential date.  That's before you've received any replies and arranged any dates.  Then there's the actual date and all the anticipation, fear and expectation to handle.  Like I say, only the brave and courageous will succeed.

It's probably a good job that I was introduced to Mrs. S by some friends as I don't think I could pluck up the required courage to try Internet Dating.  Knowing me I would bottle it at the last minute and wimp out!

So, next time you hear of a friend, family member or colleague giving Internet dating a go, think twice about taking the piss eh?

Encourage Your Kids to Read



Simon Says blog from last Friday touches on the subject of the lack of parents encouraging a group of primary school boys to pick up a book and read.  As he says, it is deemed by both the parents and the boys that reading is boring.  How can these 'responsible adults' declare an important life skill and what may turn out to be a hobby so uninteresting?  It is vital for your childs education and later on in their working lives.

Ever since my junior school years, I have most of the time enjoyed reading.  I've nearly always got a book on the go.  Admittedly it may take me a few months to read, depending on how much the book grips me and what other commitments take my time up.  I've always had the encouragement from home, even though there is a mixed feeling towards books within it.

My mum is an avid reader but my dad has never picked up a book and read it.  For years he has resisted various peoples attempts to get his interest in the written word, apart from newspapers.  Even when he was laid on a sunbed by the pool in Rhodes with mum and some friends next to him, all with books in their hands, he wasn't interested.  To his credit however, he has never stood in the way of mine and my brothers desire of literature and books.  He has asked me about some of the autobiographies that I've read, to see if a particular subject was mentioned, but he's never gone that one step further and borrowed my book to find out for himself.  However, he has never been short of encouragement when it came to following one of mums pastimes.  Again, he understood how important it was for our education.

Like Simon mentioned, I did embrace television and computers (the industry which I am currently employed in), but I have fitted in books at some stage.  I like to think that I've managed to get the right balance between these forms of entertainment.

My earliest memories of reading were making my way through the Roald Dahls books and the Diaries of Adrian Mole.  I currently read autobiographies and 'historical overivews', most of which centre round football (another huge pastime of mine).  I'm not a real big reader of fiction unfortunately.  I have read the odd story but it has to be a real good one.  Now Mrs S. reads fiction all the time.  Before you ask, she's not a Mills and Boon woman, very much a gangland murder type story a la Martina Cole.  I don't share her interest in this genre.  I've always struggled to 'get into' it.

I don't think it is a new opinion that reading is boring.  Take my office at work which is made up of people predominantly older than 30 (my age).  Out of ten of us I only know of one other colleague besides me who reads.  Admittedly a couple of others maybe read when they are on holiday.  They claim that they don't have time to do so.  Maybe this is another reason for not encouraging your kids to read?  They also claim they don't have an interest in books (back to the boring argument again).

For those of us who do enjoy reading, I'd thought I'd share this piece of advice I was given.  It from an ex-girlfriend, someone else who loved her books.  We were in WHSmiths and I wasn't sure about a book I was deliberating on buying.  She told me to pick the book up off the shelf and thumb your way through to a random page in the book.  Now read that page and see if the story grips you.  If does, you buy the book, if it doesn't, put it back as it will be a waste of money.  This method seems to have worked more often than not, probably the only decent peice of advice she gave me.  I don't know however how you would be able to do that in this day in age though with a high proportion of book sales made on the Internet.

I'll round this blog entry off with a note to myself for the future, and to all those parents with young children in the early tages of school education.  The theory that reading is boring is completely wrong.  Make sure you encourage our son or daughter to read as much as they can.  Not only is it important for their education , you may just get them interested in what is probably one of the best past times ever invented that doesn't involve staring at a television or a computer screen.

An Afternoon at Nostell Priory

Whilst I was on Annual Leave from work last week, we visited Nostell Priory near Wakefield for an afternoon out.  Fresh air, a walk on the estate and the opportunity to play with my new camera was too good an opportunity to miss.

Now I'm getting the hang of this camera (the move from a point and shoot to a 'hybrid' type), I feel like I want to show my photos.  Here are the images:



Enjoy

"They Will Not Control Us"

When Muse announced their Stadium Tour at the back end of last year, I started to get excited about seeing a rumoured 'awesome live act'.  I haven't attended that many large gigs in the past due to cost, so for me to make an exception for the Old Trafford leg of the tour meant that I really wanted the 'Muse experience'.  The BBC produced and broadcast a documentary about their homecoming gig in Devon around the time that their latest album 'The Resistance' had been released.  From this you could see what would be in-store on the 4th of September and had really whetted the appetite.

It had been a long time since I had been to any gig, mainly due to Mrs. S giving birth to our baby daughter.  As you can imagine, I was looking forward to the afternoon and evening out of live music.  I wasn't entirely keen on the idea of sitting in traffic going to and from Old Trafford, as well as being stood on your feet for five or six hours.  Add into the mix of being cramped and other concert related activities which the paying public partake in and you know why I was being apprehensive.  These weren't big enough drawbacks to put me and my mate off though.

We made the executive decision to park at Manchester Piccadilly and get the Tram to Old Trafford, in the hope that this would beat the traffic and save on costs.  Some websites were quoting parking as being £15 per car!  That's expensive, even for an event of this magnitude in my opinion.  This proved to be an inspired decision, even though it was absolutely packed on the Tram. 

We managed to get into the ground just after 16:50, just as Pulled Apart By Horses, the support act were on stage.  Most of their set was spent doing important things like checking out the official merchandise and getting a drink.  From what I heard their material was OK, if a little heavy.  I guess with a little more listening I would probably like their music.  They are on the list of bands to listen to again.

Having got into position just before the end of their set, we then enjoyed excellent sets from Band of Skulls and Editors.  Both successfully warmed the crowd up, in particular Tom of Editors with his unconventional movement whilst providing the vocals.  Their set included the favourites such as Bones, Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors, Bullets (my favourite of their live tracks), The Racing Rats before finishing on Papillon.  Now I do like Papillon but I must say that I was disappointed with this as a live track.  They used a backing track at the beginning which was identical to the album version which to me seemed like they were cheating.  Chris the keyboard player could have easily played this content as he wasn't playing the guitar at the time.  This was however, the only fault I could see in the show.

Towards the end of Editors set, it started to get busy in the area we were in.  The space that we originally had was becoming alot less.  By the time the lights went down for Muse to come on stage it was pretty tight.  At this point I was worrying whether I would have a sore back the following day or not.  Also, my feet were really aching by being stood in the same position for the previous three hours.  Then Matt, Dom and Chris entered the stage and began with Uprising.  All of a sudden we were thrown forward by the surge of the crowd wanting to get close to the action.  I wasn't worrying about my feet anymore!  A soaking of a paper cup full of what I wouldn't like to think about followed.  I was in full on gig mode now, just going with the flow of the crowd.

Matt was wearing a Silver Suit, Chris a Black and White striped one and Dom was in what can only be described as a diving suit with reflective panels on it.  This was the backdrop of an unbelievable stage show using tonnes of lights.  There was a catwalk in the centre which led to a podium.  This would become more relevant later.  Each of the panels on the sides facing the crowd (behind the mounted speakers) lit up and at times provided a screen.  With these and the riffs between certain tracks the influence of Queen was there for all to see, something which shone through on listening to their latest album The Resistance.

They played a mixture of material from all of their albums, all of which were very polished performances.  The highlight for me were Undisclosed Desires which was played on the earlier mentioned podium.  At the start of the track, it manoeuvred out and upwards on hydraulics.  Once in position it then started to rotate.  This to me one of the most extravagant 'in-crowd' performances I had seen.  I thought to myself that it would be a weird feeling, playing whilst your stage rotated.  It must have taken some practice to keep their concentration whilst being up there!

Shortly after this, the more famous live tracks started coming out, beginning with Starlight and Time is Running Out.  Unnatural Selection was played before the boys went off stage.  It was only 21:30, only an hour and a quarter into the performance.  This turned out to the first of two encores with Exogenesis: Symphony Part I (Overture), Stockholm Syndrome and a couple of riffs making up this one before they went off again.

When they returned a third time, Matt was wearing a suit made of multi-coloured LED Lights and glasses which lit up aswell.  He made his way to the podium and the band launched into Take A Bow.  The podium again came up and outwards but didn't revolve this time.  This was the prelude for the final two tracks which proved to be a brilliant finale, Plug In Baby and Knights of Cydonia.

Making our way out, both of us grateful that we were moving and that our feet felt better for it, we discussed the highlights, which no doubt for us were Undisclosed Desires  and the two tracks played in the final encore. A good evening was had by all.  Not even the thirst, the cramped tram ride back into Manchester and the closure of part of the M62 on the way home could dampen our mood.  It was truly a spectacular gig (how I described it on Twitter).

If you are lucky enough to have tickets for the Wembley gigs this weekend coming up, you are in for one hell of a show!

Set List from the Official Muse Website

(The first image used was taken by myself, the second ones have been taken from crowd shots that were uploaded to the Official Muse site by the concert attendees)

Diana's Death and the Week that Followed

Today it is 13 years since Diana, Princess of Wales died.  I hadn't realised this until I was reminded on Twitter about it.  As with most significant events, I can remember the day and the week that followed as clear as day.

I got up on the Sunday morning and wandered into the living room where my parents were sat watching a rolling broadcast from BBC News.  This was unusual in itself as mum and dad never really watched the television this early on any morning, never mind a Sunday.  Dad had turned the radio on when he woke up and when he found out they immediately went into the living room to watch the rolling bulletin.  This was our family transfixed for the next couple of hours.  I think we even had breakfast in the front room which was unheard of.  Nanna called up at about 9:30 as was the usual Sunday ritual.  She obviously didn't know anything so we pointed her in the direction of Ceefax (the News programming must have stopped or had a break at this point).  I can still hear her say that "Oh" now.

This was a rare Sunday where I wasn't at work.  It was the back end of the summer holidays from college so there was no homework to speak of.  I therefore spent most of the morning flicking between the television channels and various radio stations I could pick up.  All normal programming had been replaced with more sombre and appropriate content.  This reaction was to last  the whole week leading up to the funeral.  Never before in my 17 years had I seen this happen.  It was really quite interesting watching the various media outlets react to the situation.  I actually spent most of the day taking this all in.  Even when we ventured out in the afternoon for a bit of shopping, I made sure that the radio was on in dads car.  Every shop we went in had the radio on.  I was also a little surprised to find that the UK Top 40 wasn't broadcast as this was always on at 4pm on a Sunday, a usual programme which I listened to at the time.  Mark Goodier instead kept up the theme of playing ballads and such like.  I think that this was the only time in its history that the charts had been pulled from its schedule.

As the week went the funeral details were announced for the following Saturday morning.  Notices were put up on the buses I used to travel on to my part-time job, saying that they would stand still for 2 minutes at 11am on the day as a mark of respect.  I later found that the supermarket I worked for wasn't actually going to open until 2pm, after the funeral was over.  Again this was such a surprise to me as it made an exception to the "open all hours" policy that was in place at the time.  This also made the offering of the bus company seem inadequate.  As virtually all shops and outlet closed until after the ceremony that Saturday, I like to think that those buses ran empty for that morning.

The death of Diana, Princess of Wales was the first time I can remember books of Condolence been made and huge crowds of people wanting to leave messages in them.  I know that we had one and a fair number of people contributed.

On the day I watched the ceremony with mum and dad.  In effect it was a state funeral and again it was the first time I had witnessed one.  I watched all of it until they left church and then I had to leave for work.  That bus journey has got to have been the most solemn journey I've ever made.  It was just so quiet everywhere.  No traffic anywhere or people going about their daily lives.  When I got to work we had be let in by the Duty Manager as the doors were locked, at 1:40pm in the afternoon!  I was lucky in that I was due to do a full days work and I only had to do 3 hours.  Some people who were due to finish before the 2pm opening didn't even have to go in.  Some other people that were on a different bus route to me had to be picked by the Duty Manager as the local family firm providing their service had decided not  to run any buses to their small village.  The afternoon flew by as we were busier than normal for a Saturday afternoon for obvious reasons.

When I returned home I remember my mum complaining that dad had watched the funeral precession all the way up to Althorp where Diana was buried and that he wouldn't get on and do something else.  I think that by this time she was fed up with how much coverage there had been over the week and how much the public had got involved.

I can't really recall anything past that evening, probably because the public went back to leading their lives.

I wonder whether we will see anything like it again.  It certainly was a memorable week and one which will stick with me forever.

Going back to the media reaction on that Sunday, Matthew Rudd describes in detail  here what he had to do as a radio presenter who was on-air in Sheffield at the time of the announcement.  Give it a read, it's very interesting.