It has been the worst (busiest) busy period I have seen her go through in the (almost) 4 years we have been married. While there are still jobs to be done, I am pleased she has come out of this an look fwd to moving fwd together rather than chasing jobs.
Well done rachel x
This is my little group, varying in age from 40ish to 8yrs. Our ability and levels of fitness varied and although it took a while (over 4 hours) and there were a lot of rests we all made it to the top.
This was my second climb up snowdon. The 1st time I went I took my wife Rachel. It was just 4 weeks earlier (2nd May). I wanted to climb Snodon as a challenge and as a form of exercise. I took my wife with me to learn what I was inviting people to latter in the month and in an effort to be prepared. I had hoped that other would see my vision the the good to come from such an activity. Many were excited to joiin me as I announced my plans. I was a little dissapointed with the number that turned out but do believe that those who came appreciated it and enjoyed the day.
Each time I went up I was surprised,not at the number of other people who were climbing that day, but the variety of people. There were people who were prepared with all the kit and there were people who had turned up in jeans and trainers. No matter what preparation was put in it would seem the vast majority of people made it to the top. What I really enjoyed seeing though was families and elderly people couples and single individuals. There was an obvious difference between those that walk regularly and those that don't and it really impressed me as to how many of these families make this sort of treck regularly.
I want to do that. I want to be the sort of person who can regularly go out and just walk. I need not list the advantages to walking/hiking. Both myself and Rachel felt bad about not discovering this sooner.
I encourage all to take up walking and make it something you do often.
The runner up to Miss USA, Miss California, stripped of title, ultimately for standing up to what is right.
She was asked in the USA competition her opinion on same sex marriage. Her reply something like "no offence to anybody, but I thing marriage should be between a man and a woman, that what I was taught in my family".
As you would expect there were boos and cheers from the audience. However the sort of people the stage these events like this Perez Hilton guy didn't like what he heard because "the wicked take the truth to be hard". Sometimes the truth hurts. He and others claimed to have felt alienated by her comments.
My opinion is 'so what?' she started by saying she meant no offence by her comments and if you going to ask a controversial question what sort of answer do you expect?
What would have happened if she said she supported same sex marriage, someone else would have felt alienated by her comments, in that instance it would have been the good people. And that would have been wrong.
I say congratulations Miss California and shame on you Perez and all that are on his side.
I just cant stand to see those with correct and right values persecuted, by those living sinful lives. It is a very bad and worrying sign of the times.
In my opinion.
If you are of my faith you would no doubt agree with many of these points and even suggest you have known this for years and personally you don't struggle with them. I suspect anybody actively practicing a faith might say the same.
Selflessness, good family principles including love, responsibility to teach our children and respect to parents, a law of health that advises against the use of any addictive substance including tobacco, unperscribed drugs and alcohol, aviodance of gambling and a purpose to life that means a lot more than the accumilation of money and worldly goods are all things that are regularly taught in the faith I belong to.
I know the leaders of my church in the past have passed on some of these principles (which are not just teachings of Christ) to our countries government leaders.
It would be nice to think that this research was not carried out in vain.
Thats not what I wanted to write about this evening though. I want to express my views regarding the BNP gaining power in a local election.
I can't believe it but at the same time I can. I can understand that there are a number of people out there who, because of the bad press all parties, and most MP's, have recieved of late and because of the sudden crumbling of Labour, don't have any faith in our politicians anymore. I can understand how this has been expressed in a lack of desire to vote foor any MP. And that seems to be what has happened.
The BNP did not recieve a significantly higher vote than normal, but the leading parties received a significantly lower vote which has led to the BNP gaining greater authority.
I don't much like the BNP, along with so many other. My reasons are mainly because of the racist undertones that the party seems to be riddled with and because they are so rude and offensive to others. A profesional organisation should control their toung a little more, hence they are branded facist. I do actually think some of there ideas are worth considering though. I may be criticised for saying it but you might agree too, you just don't know you do.
An example is the BNP policy to increase discipline in schools. A recent independant study revealed that many teachers would be in favour of bringing corporal punnishment back into schools. It never did my parents any long term harm or their parents. The youth of today lack this dicipline and consequently respect.
Anyway, a local council now finds itself at the mercy to the BNP. Many people are outraged. So have gone as far as to publicly protest. Others want to collect names on a protition to remove them. Yet the BNP, fairly and legally gained that position.
If people are complaining then they only have themselves to blame. They should have got out there and voted instead of assuming someone else is going to vote for the party of their choice. Because as we have seen this doesn't always happen.
I'm sure this will be a wake up call to all potential voters, not just in the affected council, but up and down the country. Let this be a lesson learned for all of us.
All we can do now is see if they are all talk or if their ideas really do or don't work. The only chance they have of being re-elected is if the implementaion of their policies really does work, and make a difference. But that is not likely, so they had better enjoy thier time while it is theirs.
In future, VOTE.
The headline suggests that an athiest would be able to sue a church for displaying religious symbols because he finds them offensive. This may be an extreme case and like wise could be flipped around where any offensive posters or banners ect could be considered a liable cause for prosecution, by anybody. How do you prove someone is lying about what they find offensive?
While I understand the government wants a safe environment for all of us, it is reaching a point where people are being left feeling angry and frustrated because of the ridiculousness of some of these rules.
What is even more frustrating is that there are numerous cases recorded in the media where the innocent have been left charged as guilty because of these rules.
The woman sueing McDonnalds because her coffee was hot and there was no warning on the cup to indicate this has been hailed as a classic case of how thses rules and laws are getting out of hand. The stupid thing about this story, and many others is that common sense does not prevail and the law stands supreeme and the 'crook' wins.
I heard a story about a church, in need of repair. By law the church is allowed to bill the comunity. I don't know why, but the church focused on a particular household and gave them the repair bill. Even though the family did not attend that church, were of a different faith and did not have the money to pay they were still forced to pay. The result was poverty for the family.
Laws are supposed to protect the public and bussiness alike from unjust behaviour, however we see more and more, the baddies looking for loopholes and abusing the system and more and more laws giving them rights leaving the innocent treated like a criminal.
This is both true for the political realm and 'Health & Safety'.
What is going on?
I loved playing with Lego as a kid, my 1st set was a police station. I got some Technic when I was a bit older too. I'm now an engineer. Surprise!
Lego, isn't what it wased to be. I see the stuff my little nephew has and some of it really isn't recognisable. I love the classic stuff and i'm sure many others do too.
Lego has almost become part of the star wars brand now and as such there is almost a cult following to the play toy. There are lego computer games and even some amazing lego videos on youtube done on both a profesional and amature level.
Lego is great! In my opinion.
So scientists have done a study, they have analized his speach patterns and all that and determined that he did not say 'a man' but simply what we have become familiar with, 'small step for man'.
My 1st reaction is simlly like it matters! 40 years ago, is this knowledge going to make a difference? No it really does not matter.
Is it possible that somebody has managed to fill their time doing a possibly perfectly plausible study which no matter what the outcome is completly inconsequential?
We see it more and more today, because nobody want to take responsibility.
Examples of this,
-: a briefly described items on ebay can not be complained about because the seller does not state either good or bad features.
-: a survey on a house today tends to state the obvious. There are signs of damp here, there is a crack in the wall there. Yet often you will not find it say there is damp in the wall and what appropriate action needs to be taken or the cracks in the wall are caused by subsidance and this needs fixing. If the survey company do then they could be found liable for prompting action that did not need to be dome of the other way round.
-: where I work, even though there are people paid to make decisions very few do
And so it seems to be the workplace and society in general. There are a lot of pepole who are unwilling to make a decision if there is much of a consequence to that decision.
In my opinion.
