Showing posts with label lazy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lazy. Show all posts

Friday, April 4, 2014

Who you going to call? – Ghost Hunters (of Auckland)

My eyebrows litterally moved when I saw this article.

The link is here : Mystery at the asylum

It starts badly for them 'Hunted Auckland"........

"With a rise in reports of paranormal activity across Auckland, stuff goes on a ghost hunt with Hunted Auckland at the abandoned Kingseat psychiatric hospital. "

Ghostly figures in photographs, batteries that die suddenly and slamming doors are just a few of the spooky activities occurring at Asylum Paintball.

Owners Vitaly Miheer and Anton Klimenko were worried enough to get Haunted Auckland in for a look at their business premises in the former Kingseat Hospital.

The paranormal investigation and research group is now making a documentary on its three-part investigation.

Asylum Paintball was set up last November in the former psychiatric hospital's maximum security ward.


ssIt's a creepy place, with a past that plays to your lizard brain, the builsings all brick and imposing, trees. It's deserted, it's a long way from anywhere. It is spooky. In fact there is a theme entertainment there called, oddly, Spookers. They have lots of actors in dress up Zombie clothes, blood make-up, and themed rooms of things like mad old mental women, spiders, surgery rooms etc. Again Lizard brain loves this stuff.

Its two two-storey buildings have 20 rooms and are connected by a steel-caged security tunnel. They were locked up for 20 years before the paintball enthusiasts moved in.


17768916Like I said, middle of nowhere, I belive they used to bring patients in by boat and that it ws there for its remote location. I could be making that up, I might research it more.

Then the science kicks in .........

Haunted Auckland's team members arm themselves with electromagnetic field metres, camera and torches to document the paranormal or allay people's fears by explaining the seemingly inexplicable.


electromagnetic field metres - say what they measure is distance....

They found "energy" in many areas of the maximum security units at Kingseat. The eastern wing and the caged walkways in particular had levels that were unexplainable.

Haunted Auckland founder Mark Wallbank says he was standing outside one of the cell doors and saw a shadow move quickly across the wall.

"It was roughly the shape of a person but I didn't notice any arms or legs moving. It just floated from left to right," he says.


Science again ....

Investigators also recorded something that sounded like a man laughing and a number of other strange sounds.


They don't mention EVP recordings?

So more science ....

"It was everything I could've hoped for in an investigation location - soaked in history, rot and decay, signs of the past everywhere, no power, dark corridors, creepy stairwells," Wallbank says.

He won't go so far as to say there are ghosts in the building "but we know something is out there". "We need to learn more about it to understand and that's why we do these investigations."


17768912So.... historical context, history of abuse, the darker side of human nature, untold horrors meeted out to the patients/inmates... 20 years of decay, darkness and "creepy stairwells"

Got to be wary of "creepy stairwells"

Back to the Science ...

Meanwhile, the strange incidents continue.

"Batteries on our cameras suddenly run out of power. Yet away from the building they last for hours," Miheer says.


Eyebrows doing the full disco tango now, and then a bombshell revelation ...

The pair found a key in an old medical box on the windowsill and discovered it opened every door in both buildings.


They found a key to open the doors, every door, which sounds as dubious as it sounds. It was a lock-down facility, each cell would have the same lock, you then have one key per nurse/guard/doctor it isn't a mystery.

Then there is the nonsense that you have to put in to justify yourself

Miheer says he's also captured a shadow figure in a photograph.

"This place may well have something," he says.

"It certainly has a very special energy. There is some sort of feeling that I just want to stay away."


Lizard brain clicks into gear...

 

 





Enhanced by Zemanta

Friday, March 14, 2014

The less of me - the more I write the less I am

Well.

Today I stood ont he scales. at 88.0kg or 194lbs, or 13 Stone 12lbs, all those things work.

Which is a long way from 105Kg, 231lbs, or 16 1/2 stones, which is where I started at 15 months ago

And so I continue to be on-track at a 1kg a month weight loss. My new goal was only 85kg by June

I've walked / jogged a total of 941 kms, or 585 miles so far.

I set myself only a 5km or 6km walk/run expectation, and 5 would be the minimum or most regular distance.

This year I did really push the boat out


  • Went 8km in one burst,

  • Went 5 minutes 01 seconds for a 1km stretch

  • Went 8 minutes and 55 seconds for a whole mile

  • Went 5km in total for 30 minutes and 10 seconds (my immediate goal is under 30:00



The downside to all this is that shirts are all baggy and ill-fitting.

Upside is joints don't ache, I sleep better, and of course eat better.

Eating better by way of less things like potato and meat. Eating more fruit and vegetables, and of course smaller portion and better portion control.

Does not stop me drinking beer at all, or having indulgences like chocolate and cheese.

Feeling ok about this .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday, January 3, 2014

The Less of Me, December 2012 edition

All the gear

13 runs for exactly 69 kilometres, I have no idea how it got the be an exact number but the OCD in me thinks this is a great success.

Weight did dip below 89kg, but sadly in celebration I had chips. Then of course we had christmas, then of course I have no will power.

I did run on the 24th, 25th took a day off for the 26th then ran 4 days straight, with another day off for NYE.

[caption id="attachment_5913" align="aligncenter" width="474"]The less of me - December 2013 The less of me - December 2013[/caption]

Monday, December 30, 2013

Beach Life – Summer 2013 – #6

Well here we are then. At the beach house. this is the view, well this is the view when you hold the camera up a bit higher than eye-line, but you get it.

The local Fauna are really really noisy. We have Tui, Fantails, and Califonian Quail, Pheasants, the local Kingfisher and sundry other things all chipping in.

DSC00307

This was yesterday afternoon when we arrived. You really can see the beach (in the red rectangle) the trees and bushes are all growing up and the glimpse is getting glimpser.

DSC00303

Annoyingly the automatic lighting thing on the barbecue still works, couple of clicks and it's away. We've had this thing for many years now, and it still keeps going. It doesn't get a lot of use when I'm not here though, the in-laws aren't that fussed on cooking on it, apart from the occasion smoked fish.

Because it's still a bit murky the Gentleman Fishing Club has been put on hold. I'm sure I'll get on this later.

Already had a beer, well last night had a beer. We've also, MrsPdubyah and me, been on a mooch down the end of the beach and back. It was a bit bracing. Saw some of the younger neighbours who'd been partying for at least an hour being clowns, I should go see how they are today.

Had a couple of exercise walks, yesterday afternoon after the drive here, and this morning. Lordy this morning everyone was out jogging/running/cycling/mooching. All adults mind, no teenagers, funny that. It was was however 8am and what do you expect?

Today then, well I've done some exercise, MrsPdubyah was leaving as I got back, and FIL has gone for a meander. MIL is in bed, having been up at 7am putting a load of washing on, probably onto her second, it's her thing.

Suddenly it'll be 10am, I'll have to make some bread, there will be coffee and then the house will settle for an hour before lunch.

It's all go!



Thursday, December 19, 2013

Beach Life - Summer 2013 - #1

I'm lucky enough for there to be a beach house in the family trust that I get to visit frequently. The parents are there a lot, almost permanently in the summer months.

Ringsso this year, again, it’s to the beach house for a couple of weeks more or less.

Rings Beach - Coromandel - North Facing on the East Side of the peninsular.

The bach is about 50 meters from the sand, on the beach side of the road, down a small cut communal path. At the end of the path there is a picnic\bbq table and at one point there used to be a bathtub, might still be there.  You can spot the house in the picture there is a lone white car parked besides it. On the beach you might see a kayak and a RIB.

It's a real community beach, everyone knows everyone, everyone is willing to help everyone and we tend to party as a community with the hosting being shared from house to house on an informal rotation basis. There is always a beer or Gin to be had somewhere.

Rings Beach named after Mr Frank Ring who in the early days owned a sheep farm and who was the son of Charles Ring of Coromandel fame. Gold was first discovered at Driving Creek in Coromandel Town in 1852 by the Ring brothers.

As well as me this year Rings Beach will also be probably home to a pair of  the New Zealand dotterel/tÅ«turiwhatu  -  This endangered bird can be found on a number of beaches on the Coromandel. There are only about 450 New Zealand dotterel on the Coromandel and 1700 nationwide, these birds need all the help they can get. They nest on the sand, mostly above the high tide mark, but weather vagaries, and predators, as well as careless people are all threats to them. Their nest will be roped off, and hopefully they'll hatch their eggs and then there will be 451 :-)

Rings 2Rings Beach is also home to the Gentleman's Fishing Club and the Kontiki device.

And there is a web page! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rings-Beach-Coromandel/172961526108932

I'm kind of hoping to write more about how I'm doing nothing all day, except the bbq for breakfast eggs and bacon, and the evening meal of fresh fish, or exotic meat. How the fishing is going, and how the book reading is coming along.

I'll be trying to exercise, not get sidetracked into too much coffee shop and ice-cream and relax a little.

It is for me summer after all.



Monday, December 2, 2013

The Spin Bike, the Garage and the Knee

Spent a couple of hours rearranging the garage. This so 'we' could install the newly purchased  Spin Bike into a place we can use it.

The garage door has developed an asthmatic wheeze, so I spent an hour on door remedy. That may not have worked. I used a lot of the WD-40, CRC556, and the special garage door lube. It's less asthmatic and creaky on the hinges, I could be forced to google a way to fix this.

I bet it involves Olive Oil.

Broke one of my re-fill bottles, the 750ml junior which I don't think I paid for anyway, disappointing though.

Did find some drinking glasses that I had stowed away for a later date. Couple of 250ml lager glasses, and a taller thinner Pint Glass rom the Bath Ales company who make a fine beer that I've been neglecting.  Beer I was drinking before I started to keep a list, and from the nice people at The Wine Circle in Kumeu, who I've also been neglecting.

Also found a heap of old soccer programs from when I used to go watch the mighty Eagles of Crystal Palace play,  and some newspaper cutting and stuff.  A whole set of posts in itself.

Threw out next to nothing. That could come back and haunt me.

Also reminded that I have an Ice-Cream machine, and a Tortilla press that I need to use again, but after I use the pasta machine, which was hidden behind the Paella pan, propped up by the the pestle and mortar.  I swear the cupboard is like the Tardis.

Also.... reminded but the 7 used field Hockey sticks about (i) how much we invested in Hockey sticks, and (ii) just how good MissPdubyah was at Hockey.

Also, I may have shoe problem, all the shoes on the stack-rack are mine.  3 Pairs running shoes - current, 2 pairs not used for running but I still wear, couple pairs of casual shoes, couple other pairs of casual shoes, and so it goes on. A lot of shoes.

Also, why do we have 3 stereos in the Garage. One of them has a mini-disc player! I should get that out and see how I can plug that back in again to the amp.

Moved things back to the garden shed that belong there, including a scarifying machine for the lawn that I brought, custom built by the last owner, what was I thinking?, and a weedeater, and a thing on a stick that I can't remember what it does, an edging tool thing.

Also, a bag of quick-dri concrete, and a bag of lawn feed.

Oh and a waterblaster.

Found the christmas tree and some 'lost' decorations, might be the last year for that. Should have been last year to be honest.

Found the outside  beanbag, that has gone  back on the patio near the BBQ, for which I found the rotisserie device :-)

But in all this I've managed to twist, wrench, or jar my knee, again, because this has been a long term thing since the 5-a-side football season, lateral pain on a sideways movement.

For which I found the only cure might be a beer :-)

Sunday, November 17, 2013

The World Tour of Taupo - The Romantic Getaway

Surprisingly I've been married 25 years. To celebrate this milestone MrsPdubyah and me took off for a couple of days holiday.

We chose Taupo. More correctly I was told we were going to Taupo. Two nights.

I took some photo's. Admittedly on the iPhone.  I think the one that is most representative of Taupo is the one of Huka Falls.  Not sure the view from out room without the beer is much to look at.

Oh and the frozen margarita, strawberry, was mine. Sometimes you don't need a beer.

2013-11-05 14.37.28 2013-11-05 15.57.31 2013-11-05 16.10.37 2013-11-06 10.44.41 2013-11-06 17.49.16 2013-11-06 17.57.17 2013-11-06 19.15.32 2013-11-06 19.33.49 2013-11-06 19.46.38 2013-11-06 19.46.48 2013-11-06 19.57.09

Monday, May 20, 2013

The Less of me for April

April

The less of me for April - A moth where I had to push on


  • 16 Runs

  • 94.14kms in total

  • 5.8kms average per walk-out

  • Fastest 5km improves all the time 34:44  - remembering back that it was 44:03 in December when I really started to go for it.

  • Weight  dropping slowy - now at 95 kg

  • New shoes - New Balance Minimus



Finished the month off with a niggling injury of hamstrings that took a while to settle down, and it was disappointing not to finish at 100km.

Friday, December 28, 2012

The Gentleman’s Fishing Club Summer 2012

The SeaHorse Kontiki got a work out today.

[caption id="attachment_4063" align="alignright" width="300"]SeaHorse Kontiki SeaHorse Kontiki[/caption]

This is the Electric powered Long Line Setting device.

Allows you to set upto 25 baited hooks from the comfort of the beach.

Has an electric motor that you set, using a magnet, to run for 15, 20 or 25 minutes into the yonder. Left for a while you push the rewind button on the motor winder device and it comes back home, hopefully with the fish.

Today we lost two hooks, and bagged us 4 fish, a Gurnard, two little snappers (legal sized) and an fair decent sized fish of about 3.7kg give or take. Hard to know when you've hidden the weigh scales.

Bit of a result.

[gallery ids="4064,4065,4066,4067,4068,4069,4070,4063"]

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Big Night In!

It's the festive season, when workplace parties begin to kick in, and tonight I find myself with the prospect of being home alone.  MrsPdubyah is off the "Foodstore" down on the viaduct,  for her party, which makes me a bit Jealous to be honest. But I'll man up and get over it.

Daughter will be here, but she's turned into a room dweller, and might even be going out, who knows with kids.

So I have a check-list of things to get or make sure I have;


  1. Beer - Selection of

  2. Ribs

  3. Curley Fries

  4. Camembert

  5. Sundry other



No, it's complete, 5 things are all you need, which is why it's  a 5 point checklist. Salad might sneak in under "Sundry", but only if it's in the coleslaw style. Crackers should come under that as well.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="144"]Up to repeat #3 and it keeps sounding better. ... Up to repeat #3 and it keeps sounding better. #xx #coexist #nofilterneeded #goosebumps #touchingmyself (Photo credit: P. Scott)[/caption]

Music isn't a consumable, except for the ears. Tonight


  • The XX - Coexist - just how enjoyable is this album, if you've got Spotify give this a crack

  • Heart Attack Alley - Living In Hell



and from the musty box in the Garage....



I could get used to this.



Saturday, November 10, 2012

The less of me - revisited

I started with the good intention, in June, the walking, for the weight loss, the general fitness, the sense of wellbeing and accomplishment , and all the good things that that brings.

Well I started, then I broke a toe, then life happened and that. So... some excuses later, and fast forward from June 14 to November 10, and I know you're thinking what-the-hey, thats like 5 months, and you'd be right there.  But life indeed was happening and sometimes that intrudes on your good intentions.

Summer is here and we're off again.

This time though I upgraded from the Nike+ Sportband to the Nike+ GPS watch. Which altogether appeals more to my sense of big brother wathching me.

And full of the enthusiasm I was faster today than the previous efforts, to be fair it is warmer, I'm wearing less clothes and I have new motivation.

Can I keep it up though. Only I can know and only I can let me down.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Chores for Peace....

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="75"]Incandescent Bipin light bulb Incandescent Bipin light bulb (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

I'm on a roll with the chores today, and you know how chores can be the mundane. So in no particular order (but actually the order I did them in);


  1. Change one of the tiny halogen light bulbin the kitchen

    • Find replacement bulb.

    • Take everything out of cupboard

    • Locate bulb

    • Put everything back in cupboard

    • Change bulb



  2. Change a different bulb in the kitchen

    • See step one and repeat





  3. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="75"]English: Advertising postcard, picture side, f... English: Advertising postcard,  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

    "Fix" washing machine

    • Washing machine "overflowed" in the week, it's my job to know why. Apparently.

    • Discuss possible causes, get ridiculed.

    • Decide that it's nothing more than generally blocked and needs a cleaner.

    • Mix cleaner, administer, wait a bit.

    • Discuss why it did not work a bit.

    • Ignore discussion and go for something a bit manual.

    • Get under sink, disassemble pipe "A".

    • Find pipe "A" has water in it, pour into sink.

    • Find towel to mop up under sink where you just poured all the water over yourself and floor

    • disassemble pipe "B"  that us attached to "A". being the "U shaped one.

    • Remove two clothes peg and about half a sock's worth of lint"

    • Do a little happy dance.

    • Ask wifey how a clothes peg in let alone two made it into the sink?

    • get reproachful look.

    • get back under sink.

    • reassemble pipes.





  4. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="75"]Français : Taille-haie Husqvarna 323 HD 60. Ta... Français : Taille-haie Husqvarna 323 HD 60. Taille-haie thermique standard. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

    Trim the garden hedge

    • Try to avoid this one, but whilst I was on chore 3 MrsPdubyah has been on the intertubes and the local hire pool is open

    • Wait for MrsPdubyah to change, since she wants to visit the burley man at the hire place

    • Hire hedge trimmer, industrial sized

    • Trim hedge to required standard and height, width and density.

    • Only nearly cut myself.

    • get sympathy.

    • get told to get on with the hedge.

    • get told to do the hedge at the back.

    • get supervised.

    • get told to do it some more

    • get a drink

    • get back onto the job

    • get told to do it some more

    • apparently "it's not even" is full and complete instruction on how to trim a hedge to a satisfactory standard

    • massacre hedge out of spite

    • get congratulated, how's that happen?

    • take trimmer back, pay the man, have blokey laugh about the peace I've just earned.





  5. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="75"]Coffee cup Coffee cup (Photo credit: @Doug88888)[/caption]

    Get Coffee

    • put petrol in car.

    • order coffee.

    • wait for coffee beans to grow.

    • wait for cow to be born.

    • wait until cow can produce milk.

    • I'm sure Oil is made quicker than this.

    • get home with luke warm coffee.

    • MrsPdubyah abandons gardening in favour of a magazine.

    • instead of music the gently whirl and beep of washing machine in the background





All is at peace in house, and all I have to do is buy some new bulbs and hide them for the next installment of change the bulb....

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

As I get older I get different - #4 -the motivational

I've got a confession. I'm lazy. It's not a medical condition it's just laziness.

I've got another confession. I'm greedy. I wish that was a medical condition then I'd be able to say I'm the weight I am because of a medical condition.

My final confession is that I decided to do something about it. It's no use getting all uppity when looking in a mirror, or feeling bloated and uncomfortable in jeans, or being out of breath from tying shoe laces. Who knew you had to invest time in new ways to put sucks on when your stomach gets in the way?, and who knew you had to invest time in new ways to tie shoe laces.

At least I'm still wearing zip up pants and a belt and not trackies or the elasticated waistband things. And I'm not yet at the level of only being able to wear slip-ons, or typing laces once and then trying to get shoes on and off with the pretence that they're slip-ons, or that they are lace up's and of course I did the laces up.

So, I invested some money in a pedometer. a flash one from Nike, to go with my flash Nike shoes that I just brought. That's all it is a pedometer. You put a sensor in your shoe and a wristband on and it guesses the rest. Oh the Shoes were c/- my employer who had a magnificent push-play allowance that lets me indulge my "the older I get the better I was" sports memories.

Having read the user material  for the Nike+ SportsBand I have no idea how it guesses how far you've gone so I'm going to have to try an work it out somehow, it says it's accurate around 90% the guy in the shop said 97%. For me give or take 10% should be ok. It's probably give 10% you want to keep the customer satisfied.

So from 102Kg as I was this morning I'm going to give it a crack to get to something more manageable by christmas. No stupid targets but I think that I should be ok for around 10Kg if I exercise and I eat goodly. I'm going to be happy with a Kilo a month to be honest.

And it'll be eating better, the same but better. No weird faddish diets based on blood types or what cavemen ate, or just rice, just better at vegetables and fruit eating, essentially the LGI diet - "Less Goes In"

and 102Kg is a lot! and it is just greedy, and it sneaks up on you bit by pit, you eat you plateau and then you eat a bit more and you do nothing and then voila you're as small as a shed! So I've confessed here on the interwebtubes that I'm going to be thinner and happier and healthier and committed. Besides I've spent money on it so I have to get something in return.

Oh and it is nearly my birthday, and as I get older I start to fret more that I'm not quite old enough to give up on life. If I have any energy I might update this, or if it's going badly delete it :-).

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Who you going to call? - Ghostbusters (of Auckland)

There is a new "professional" team of Ghost Hunters in Auckland. They had a live tweeting of an "emergency" investigation on the 5th February, at night of course.

Anyway I was on twitter and I was following their commentary. And of course I asked one question too many, well I asked a couple of questions but mostly I was being wildly critical. The result was they "blocked me"

The emergency was at one of their own team houses, a 16 year old "new" house where Heather from Henderson lives , "She has lived in a haunted house as a child, and now lives in another haunted house; complete with ghost cat and a Shadow Person". So straight off the bat you have someone convinced there is a "ghost" and they are taking part in the investigation.



But that's ok because "She has an analytical mind, which is good for debunking"



So then to the science.



They use an Iphone app iOvilus - which is listed under "Entertainment" on the Itunes Store.  It has a 1000 word dictionary and it listens to the environment and then comes up with a word





"The iOvilus is based on the same method of ITC communications as the highly controversial Ovilus.  The iOvilus produces speech based on changes to sensors in the iPhone or iPod Touch.  Simply, the idea is that an outside force can affect a change that registers a response. Instrumental Trans Communications "ITC" is not new, however, the methods used to try and achieve it are changing greatly."



The Ovilus, or Puck, is an electronic speech-synthesis device which utters words depending on electromagnetic waves in the air, by using an EMF Meter. The device was created by Bill Chappell, a retired electronics engineer interested in the paranormal who creates devices for the field.



Due to the random nature of the replies, many paranormal research groups have stopped using the Ovilus because too much is left to chance. It is posited that a person could pull random words out of a hat and get the same response as what comes out of the Ovilus. Many liken it to an electronic 8 Ball or Ouija Board



They also cracked out the scientific dowsing Rods







To say that I'm less than impressed is to make a huge understatement. To block someone from twitter because they are being contrary to your beliefs isn't professional that's just not engaging in a conversation with you, and that's not science is it?



The Photographs: I'm going to add some of the pictures they posted on twitpic, I'll include the links so you can see for yourself.





I give you the links here : Ghosts Of Auckland presents



#Ghosthunt#Paranormal above Jennifer's head http://twitpic.com/8fzwax



#ghosthunt#Paranormalhttp://twitpic.com/8fzvlc



#Paranormal#Ghosthunt still there... http://twitpic.com/8fzv0b



#Paranormal#Ghosthunt Andrew has a hitchhiker... http://twitpic.com/8fzugt



Big orb #Ghosthunthttp://twitpic.com/8fzdw8



http://twitpic.com/8fzatx - 3 orbs, in a line going across the entry to the closet



#Ghosthunt orb wth ripples? http://twitpic.com/8fzcpn



#Ghosthunt here's a nice orb! http://twitpic.com/8fzatx



So you'll see all the "orbs" are in the same plane and all the same size in all the photos. But they are "orbs" of course. Of course. Not light on the lens, a reflection or anything mundane but proof positive.



I'll leave it there as I'm laughing too much and I'll end with a few snippets of an "investigation" courtesy of the Ghost of Auckland Website



Q. Why mention this? IS it to prove that you are sceptical or analytical  -  "A few EVP sessions were done, to which I don’t know the results as yet. I sat in the corner at one time and felt an icy cold spot to the right of me. I checked around and noticed the window behind me, so I’ve put it down to that."



Q. Really, this happened without corroboration or independent witness, or replication? "On first opening the door to the kitchen during the walkthrough, a shadow was seen darting into the corner. So some of us had quite an interest in this room. Later on I was in this room by myself. As I sat there in the dark, I heard what sounded like running water and a dripping noise. I shone my torch to where the noise was and saw there was a sink there. I checked the sink and there were signs that there never has been running water in it for years. Dry!! I later found that the tap doesn’t work either. This is a possible paranormal event. "



Q. Again the Question is "You've gone here expecting a result" "I was leading a team member to where the next spirit could be and I sensed that the study is where there was one [...] I started to feel energy building at the back of my head, which is a signal that someone wanted me to channel them [...] The chill then backed off. We later left, and I said I got the impression that the spirit was of an older male, taller, had white hair and beard, 60s to 70s. In the base office I saw a photograph of the family and pointed out the picture of the Reverend Lush himself. This picture was the spitting image of the person I sensed"



It beggars belief, and should end with "Which I hadn't seen before or anything, and as I had no expectation of seeing, sensing or having an "event" I can't explain how this happened"



So there you have it, science in action, involving people who want to and firmly belive in ghosts, spirits and the paranormal as seen on TV.

Monday, January 9, 2012

The Gentleman's Fishing Club

What you need, and all you need  is;




  1. Seahorse KonTiki unit, complete with the electric winch.

  2. Some bait

  3. A beach

  4. A couple of hours

  5. Optional Beverage



The idea of one of these pieces of kit is that you launch them from the beach, and they tow your long-line and associated hooks and bait, out into the wide blue yonder.

Cunningly the motor is timer driven so you can set it to chug away for 30 minutes and then it stops, until you winch it in again, with attached fish, if you're in luck.

It's been unusual for us to come home empty-handed, although occasionally we have. Sometimes you lose a hook.

It's all very gentle and orderly and effortless, apart from a bit of lifting and bit of lugging on the sand.

The nice thing is that when you go to retrieve your line you can always sit there with a glass of wine, gin and tonic or a beer or two, since the winch is doing all the work and can take half an hour or so.

BUT.....

the problem this year was that on the recovery the torpedo managed to snag itself on something and became marooned. This occasioned the conniption and much angst as the FIL got himself into a tizzy. Lucky we have access to a Zodiac and was able to launch a rescue mission to retrieve it. I got wet and cold on that day, and so that  goes towards my summer swim in the ocean count.

Oh and that was one of the few fish-less days.

There are now 3 of these things on the beach, one of them comes equipped with a GPS unit, so you can launch it and it will go where you send it, which is a bit fancy, half the challenge is pinging the thing straight into waves and taking into account the tide, wind and current. Each to their own (he says sarcastically) "They're not true Gentleman Fishers"

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

More than my jobsworth

I've always been a fan of encouraging people to know as much about their particular job as possible. Firstly to get them to understand what they are doing, and what effect it has on them and others, Secondly because it makes the job more enjoyable. If you understand what you are doing, why you are doing and why what you do does what it does then you have a better understanding and ability to change things.

So it comes as a disappointment that a long time staff person is really struggling to understand the basics of what they do. They are reaching for a promotion to take on more responsibility and to be a "player" however it's clear they are pretty clueless.

So then for him doing this new stuff means a lot of people who can do this stuff are doing the stuff for him, and that means they are back to pushing a button and waiting for a response. Clueless as to how A gets to B.

And they ask four different people the same question.

And yes this bothers me, because despite the rhetoric and always promoting themselves they are a disappointment to me. Setting themselves aside as not needing any mentoring/training/motivation and talking up their always being early (and yet not doing anything) they are a clock-watcher.

We call then Levi. as in 5:01

What's possibly worse is that they work in a square of "my job" and that anything else is a chore, believing that seniority grants them immunity or respect from criticism.

I'm glad they are not on my team. I'm mifffed that they will want an inordinate amount of my team's time, well heck they will want a lot of time from everyone and I am so looking forward to the day when one of two things happen. Either they have to work late to resolve something, or they find someone else to do the work as part of a core responsibility set. Oh and I know that the demands for equipment are pending "now I'm doing X I need Y"

Bring it.

I also find that this is a bit unlike me, then I justify it by saying that there are doers and sayers. I know what I think I am and I know what I think they are not.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

More than my jobsworth

I've always been a fan of encouraging people to know as much about their particular job as possible. Firstly to get them to understand what they are doing, and what effect it has on them and others, Secondly because it makes the job more enjoyable. If you understand what you are doing, why you are doing and why what you do does what it does then you have a better understanding and ability to change things.


So it comes as a disappointment that a long time staff person is really struggling to understand the basics of what they do. They are reaching for a promotion to take on more responsibility and to be a "player" however it's clear they are pretty clueless.

So then for him doing this new stuff means a lot of people who can do this stuff are doing the stuff for him, and that means they are back to pushing a button and waiting for a response. Clueless as to how A gets to B.

And they ask four different people the same question.

And yes this bothers me, because despite the rhetoric and always promoting themselves they are a disappointment to me. Setting themselves aside as not needing any mentoring/training/motivation and talking up their always being early (and yet not doing anything) they are a clock-watcher.

We call then Levi. as in 5:01

What's possibly worse is that they work in a square of "my job" and that anything else is a chore, believing that seniority grants them immunity or respect from criticism.

I'm glad they are not on my team. I'm mifffed that they will want an inordinate amount of my team's time, well heck they will want a lot of time from everyone and I am so looking forward to the day when one of two things happen. Either they have to work late to resolve something, or they find someone else to do the work as part of a core responsibility set. Oh and I know that the demands for equipment are pending "now I'm doing X I need Y"

Bring it.

I also find that this is a bit unlike me, then I justify it by saying that there are doers and sayers. I know what I think I am and I know what I think they are not.