Pieces of a Man

No shit, Sherlock

2008-08-13T01:04:00.001Z

From: + All staff
Sent: 12 August 2008 16:21
To: + Staff Messages
Subject: Travel advice re. Georgia

TRAVEL TO GEORGIA

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is now advising against all travel to Georgia as conditions are becoming increasingly volatile and are no longer safe for travellers. If you have any plans to travel to Georgia on behalf of the University you need to follow the advice given below.

Essentially the advice is not to travel to Georgia.

Change of travel advice to Georgia (issued 12/08/2008). FCO travel advice can also be obtained on the following telephone number: 0845 850 2829.

Arse artis gratia

2008-08-12T18:14:00.002Z

A giant inflatable dog turd created by the American artist Paul McCarthy was blown from its moorings at a Swiss museum, bringing down a power line and breaking a window before landing in the grounds of a children's home. More...

Isaac Hayes, 1943-2008

2008-08-10T19:07:00.006Z

Isaac Hayes - soul genius, jewellery innovator, baldness icon and chocolate salty ball chef - has died. The obituary in the Guardian says;

"...it was his hit song for the soundtrack of the blaxploitation movie Shaft that made and cemented his reputation. An atmospheric blend of Hayes's lover-man vocals, breathless backing singers and a funk-fuelled wah-wah guitar arrangement, Shaft - the song and the character - became synonymous with black urban cool..." More...

... but I'll always remember him first and foremost for the 12-minute extravaganza of 'Walk on By', the first track on the 1969 album Hot Buttered Soul, which also has one of my favourite albums covers ever...

Man Free!

2008-08-09T16:46:00.009Z

Free at last, free at last
I thank God I'm free at last
Free at last, free at last
I thank God I'm free at last

Way down yonder in the graveyard walk
I thank God I'm free at last
Me and my Jesus going to meet and talk
I thank God I'm free at last

On my knees when the light pass'd by
I thank God I'm free at last
Tho't my soul would rise and fly
I thank God I'm free at last

Some of these mornings, bright and fair
I thank God I'm free at last
Goin' meet King Jesus in the air
I thank God I'm free at last

~ Trad. American Negro Song

Wargames

2008-08-08T20:29:00.004Z

USSR First Strike, US First Strike, NATO/Warsaw Pact, Far East Strategy, US/USSR Escalation, Middle East War, USSR China Attack, India Pakistan War, Mediterranean War, Hong Kong Variant, Seato Decapitating, Cuban Provocation, Atlantic Heavy, Cuban Paramilitary, Nicaraguan Preemptive, Pacific Tutorial, Burmese Theaterwide, Turkish Decoy, NATO Alliance, Argentina Escalation, Iceland Maximum, Arabian Theaterwide, US Subversion, Australian Manoeuvre, Cuban Diversion, NATO Limited, Sudan Surprise, NATO Territorial, Zaire Alliance, Iceland Incident, English Escalation, Zaire Heavy, English Paramilitary, Middle East Heavy, Mexican Takeover, Chad Alert +, Saudi Manoeuvre, African Territorial, Ethiopian Escalation, Canadian Incident, Turkish Heavy, NATO Incursion, US Defense, Cambodian Heavy, Pact Medium, Arctic Minimal, Mexican Domestic, Taiwan Theaterwide, Pacific Manoeuvre, Portugal Revolution, Albanian Decoy, Palestinian Local, Moroccan Minimal, Algerian Diversity, Czech Option, French Alliance, Arabian Clandestine, Gabon Rebellion, Northern Maximum, Siberian Surprise, Turkish Paramilitary, Seato Takeover, Hawaiian Manoeuvre, NATO Containment, Swiss Incident, Cuban Minimal, Chad Alert +, Iceland Escalation, Vietnamese Retaliation, Syrian Provocation, Libyan Local, Gabon Takeover, Romanian War, Middle East Offensive, Denmark Massive, Chile Confrontation, S. African Subversion, USSR Alert, Nicaraguan Thrust, Greenland Domestic, Iceland Heavy, Kenya Option, Pacific Defense, Uganda Maximum, Thai Subversion, Romanian Strike, Pakistan Sovereignty, Afghan Misdirection, Thai Variation, Northern Territorial, Polish Paramilitary, S. African Offensive, Panama Misdirection, Scandinavian Domestic, Jordan Preemptive, English Thrust, Burmese Manoeuvre, Spain Counter, Arabian Offensive, Chad Interdiction, Taiwan Misdirection, Bangladesh Theaterwide, Ethiopian Local, Italian Takeover, Vietnamese Incident, English Preemptive, Denmark Alternative, Thai Confrontation, Taiwan Surprise, Brazilian Strike, Venezuela Sudden, Malaysian Alert, Israel Discretionary, Libyan Action, Palestinian Tactical, NATO Alternative, Cypress Maneuver, Egypt Misdirection, Bangladesh Thrust, Kenya Defense, Bangladesh Containment, Vietnamese Strike, Albanian Containment, Gabon Surprise, Iraq Sovereignty, Vietnamese Sudden, Lebanon Interdiction, Taiwan Domestic, Algerian Sovereignty, Arabian Strike, Atlantic Sudden, Mongolian Thrust, Polish Decoy, Alaskan Discretionary, Canadian Thrust, Arabian Light, S. African Domestic, Tunisian Incident, Malaysian Manoeuvre, Jamaica Decoy, Malaysian Minimal, Russian Sovereignty, Chad Option, Bangladesh War, Burmese Containment, Asian Theaterwide, Bulgarian Clandestine, Greenland Incursion, Egypt Surgical, Czech Heavy, Taiwan Confrontation, Greenland Maximum, Uganda Maximum, Caspian Defense.

Lil Devils

2008-08-07T16:31:00.008Z

Me, Mum and the kids at Old Trafford for the big pre-season friendly against the Grand Old Lady of Turin, Juventus, which ended up 0-0. The biggest fun of the night was the replays of John Terry on his arse during the penalties in Moscow, and the Champion's League trophy was paraded before kick-off, too. More...

Lancashire's Little Lakeland

2008-08-03T16:36:00.008Z

Rolling down the side of a reservoir during our sunday walk around Anglezarke reservoir near Bolton. More...

Alderly Edge

2008-08-02T11:29:00.006Z

Enjoying the post-Cornwall, simple pleasures of Cheshire at Alderley Edge.

The Revenge of Nitty Nora

2008-08-02T11:29:00.005Z

Cornish Camping Disaster

2008-07-31T11:19:00.005Z

Our recent camping trip to Cornwall didn't go well. We had one good day of weather, the campsite was run like a prison camp and Oscar accidentally damaged a pool table and we're waiting for the bill.

We decided to cut our losses on day 3 of 8 when we found out that weather for the rest of the week was forecast to be crap and more crap.

Lessons learned;

Don't travel South for a UK holiday. There's nothing in Cornwall that beats Northumberland.
Don't book into upscale campsites. They're usually inhabited by uptight people who want kids to walk five paces behind and quietly read books in the evening. This especially applies to the owners (although they're happy to take your money and call themselves a 'family site')
Don't book early and gamble on the British weather. Better a sunny field in the middle of nowhere than a wet'n'windy place with all the mod cons.

County v Liverpool

2008-07-26T17:11:00.005Z

We were walking back from the park today and we found a ticket lying in the street for the Stockport v Liverpool friendly - starting in half an hour - so we headed straight down to Edgeley Park for some fun in the sun. And pies. And crisps.

La vecchia signora sta venendo

2008-07-21T20:48:00.000Z

Like the Sultan of Brunei opening his palace to his subjects for three days a year, the time's come around again to pass through the hallowed turnstiles of the Theatre of Dreams. This time we'll be watching not only Juventus but also the presentation of the Premier League and Champions League trophies. Forza gli Rossi!

Gangsta Gangsta

2008-07-19T15:18:00.002Z

Oscar livin' large with his crunk teeth.

Vintage

2008-07-19T13:47:00.004Z

After 9 years waiting for a suitably special occasion, we broke out the 1999 Cuvee St Michel on a whim on Friday night. Maybe it was past its best.

Heaven's Above

2008-07-18T15:15:00.002Z

The synthpop sounds of Sheffield's Heaven 17 will sweep across the rooftops of their home city when they play a unique gig on top of Sheffield Hallam University on Wednesday 30 July.

Sian's Wedding

2008-07-15T04:30:00.002Z

A few pictures from our weekend at a wonderful camping wedding in Middlesborough with teepees, pond swimming, bonfires and much more.

Wet Weekend

2008-07-09T05:29:00.007Z

Here are a few pictures from our wet weekend in the Lakes. We went up to Coniston on Friday night to hook up with the in-laws, who were in their caravan. That evening was great; sunshine, footie, alfresco seafood and playing the woods.

Saturday brought a downpour about midday that looked set for the rest of the day. We chucked everything, dripping, into the back of the car and headed back to civilisation. Shame, but Sunday brought a win for Lewis, a trip to see 'Kung Fu Panda' - great fun - and a bonus day of pottering. Good call.

Fathers' Day

2008-06-15T20:03:00.001Z

The first activity from my new book, 'Things to do with Dad', was building a teepee.

Campioni, Campioni!!

2008-06-14T19:34:00.005Z

After London, Middlesborough and Norfolk over half term, today was a plain old summer day in the garden tackling the foot-long grass to the sides of the penalty area dust bowl and clearing a path to the barbecue. And Oscar came home with silverware this morning for his 'stonking' goalkeeping. Happy days.

Gosh, nearly 3 months since the last post. Shocking.

A More Perfect Union

2008-03-25T14:30:00.010Z

On the morning of March 18, 2008, Illinois Senator and 2008 Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama delivered a "major address" on "the larger issue of race in this campaign" at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. The address, entitled "A More Perfect Union," was partly prompted by the controversy surrounding incendiary remarks made by Reverend Dr. Jeremiah Wright Jr., the former pastor of Obama's Chicago Church, Trinity United Church of Christ.

"We have a choice in this country. We can accept a politics that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism... but if we do, I can tell you that in the next election, we'll be talking about some other distraction. And then another one. And then another one. And nothing will change."

Born to Run

2008-03-09T10:32:00.007Z

Louis taking his first steps by the sea in Corfu on 16th October 2007, just three days before his first birthday;

Budapest

2008-03-08T06:50:00.007Z

Our luxury spa break on Margitsziget Island in beautiful Budapest. More...

Xmas Day

2008-02-08T11:50:00.001Z

France Football

2008-02-08T11:48:00.001Z

Nothing Compares

2007-12-09T16:53:00.000Z