What a year so far......

Well its been quite a hectic year for me so far.................. A fair bit has happened and I seem to have neglected my beloved fan club......

Even though I'm not the most adventerous of people..... so far this year I've visited Weeze (Germany), Tripoli, (Libya), Aberdeen (Scotland), Plymouth (Devon), Barcelona (Spain) and Karachi (Pakistan). Admittedly, the first four were work related - but I managed to see places I hadn't seen before of at least hadn't visited in a long time.

Talking about work - things have been all change there as well. I have a new manager and the department has been change around completely. Everything from the work we do to the new faces in the office. I was offered two new roles at work - one in Libya and one one in Aberdeen. And again - I think everyone has been surprised that boring old me has decided to up sticks and move to Libya - so this means that over the new months there are going to be a lot of changes in both my personal and work lives.... there are going to be a lot of challenges and a lot of adventures...... lets see what the future holds....

Outside of work two friends have gotten married (so congratulations to Mark & Amanda and Stuart and Lorna).

I've taken part in a charity challeng (BG Challenge) which involved three days of intense activities, night orienteering, running, riding, running and riding, games and all with lots of problem solving thrown in. I spent a few weeks training for the event - but I must say thanks to all the guys in the team without whom I couldn't have acheived anywhere near as much as I did!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I started to learn Arabic - but then quit as I didn't have the time to commit!!!!

I watched lots of Doctor Who (who seems to have filled the gap in my life when Buffy the Vampire Slayer went of the air!?!?!?!?)

Through the course of the year I've learnt a lot about me and the people around me..... There have been good time and not so good.... but there are no regrets . as I quoted someone in my last post - the goods times were wonderful.....and the not so good will be put down to experience.

This may not be a lot to many folks.... but for a fat slob like me its plenty.... and there are still three more months to go.... si plent of time for plenty more!!!!!!!

Oh yeah... there is one more peice of news............ but that can wait for a while ;O)

Quotes

Yes I have been struggling to blog for a while.......... but in the absence of a working brain I have decided that I will steal some quotes from others...

here are some that I like

Never regret. If it's good, it's wonderful. If it's bad, it's experience. (Victoria Holt - no idea who she is!!!)

This says to me that nothing we do in life is lost - either we'll enjoy it and it was worth ir or if it wasn't we'll know better next time (the only issue is when you keep repeating the same mistakes and you don't learn from your experience......... in which case you've learnt you have a habit you need to get rid of.......)

If you can solve your problem, then what is the need of worrying? If you cannot solve it, then what is the use of worrying? (Shantideva - again never heard of 'em)

There are things in life you can influence and things you can't. EIther way worrying about things clearly isn't the way to go - worry get you nowhere (unless you're me and you end up bald).

If you can solve you're problem then go ahead and solve it..... if you can't - then learn to accept it. Its going to be around for a while. So think of making the best of what you have.

If you spend toooooooooo much time worrying about what you can't influence then you may miss the diamonds that are staring you in the face!

Anyway, that's all for me ripping of other people's quotes for today!!!!

Ponder and enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Doing something worthwhile.... (Paul Stanton)

For once Facebook has proved useful for something - one of my oldest friends (Paul Stanton) has got in touch with me through Facebook. He's told me his story and all I can say wow - what a story.... here's what he sent wrote:

"I have been very busy. I have just returned from teaching in Hanoi, Vietnam. I am an English teacher now I was in Hanoi for 6 months then did some travelling to Cambodia and Thailand. I have learnt how to speak Vietnamese, Khmer and a little Thai too. I go back to Hanoi in June as I love teaching and living there so much."

Even though its a short paragraph it says so much.... His life sounds really impressive, much more so than mine. But more important than being impressive he's doing something much more valuable and constructive. His giving something back to the world. All I can say is wow, and that I envy him - I wish I had half the courage to do what you he has done and is doing. I wish him all the best in the future.

(Also, now that Paul's an English teacher, I'm absolutely paranoid about him picking out loads of mistakes in my writing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).

My last memory of Paul, was him being an absolutely loony fruitloop of a goalkeeper on the football pitch - almost no one could score past him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leeds United!!!

I'm a big Leeds United, and following their fantastic performance I just wanted to post this summary (I actually found it on the BBC 606 sports forum posted by another Leeds fan - but hey I'm always up up for stealing someone else's ideas).

What a remarkable 12 months it really has been. This time last year Leeds United were plunged into administration and relegation to the 3rd tier of English football.

Pre – season:

Unable to recruit players and waiting waiting waiting for the golden share. Days before the season commenced the share was returned and as a bonus the FL made up a new rule and present Leeds with a 15 point deduction.

Have to wait for the Golden share was a significant penalty in itself. Leeds were unable to recruit players.

The seasons opening games:

Leeds win win win win and carry on winning a total of 8 league games in a row. Then a draw (Gillingham) some more wins another draw (Orient. Ling had factored in the 15 points so decided not to go for the win). Some more wins and finally the first league defeat (Carlisle).

Such was Leeds form that they overcame the 15 points climbed the table with unrelenting velocity crashed into the play off places and then for a couple of hours in December were actually top of the table. This was beyond all our expectations. To have overcome the points deduction over a whole season would have been remarkable to do it in half a season and reach the summit of the league was an absolutely fantastic achievement. Leeds I believe will be the first and last team to achieve such a thing.
So. We’re super Leeds and we’re going up.

Then came 2008. The seasons 2nd half:

Poyet leaves and Basset arrives. Leeds start sliding down the table almost as quickly as they climbed it.
Jonathon Douglas is injured and we all wish Kandol would pick up a knock that would put him on the sidelines.

Then Newcastle came to the rescue. Dennis gone. (What is he actually doing at Newcastle).

Enter Gary Mac and Steve Staunton. Basset gone. Leeds continue to slide and drop to 10th. However very quickly Gary Mac turns things around and Leeds start to climb back up the table.
Gary Mac brings in Dougie Freedman.

The run in:

Things get better and Leeds start to show the kind of form that they started the season with . Only now it’s better the style of football is more cultured hoofball is replaced by pass the ball to feet. It is good to watch.

Leeds are winning and doing it with style. Leeds secure a play off position.

So, from -15 points.
Unable to recruit players.
Change of coach and manager.
Top six finish and a game to spare.
A fantastic achievement. Gary Mac and the Leeds team we salute you.

At the start we were waiting waiting waiting for the golden share.

And now?

We are waiting waiting waiting. The intolerable wait for the arbitration ruling, the result of which could yet see us promoted. It ain't over until the fat lady sings and she is just about to draw breath.

Whatever happens this has been a memorable season. And whether it be with points returned (we only need 7) or via the play offs Leeds without doubt deserve promotion.

Upwards and onwards

"You must dare to disassociate yourself from those who would delay your journey... Leave, depart, if not physically, then mentally. Go your own way, quietly, undramatically, and venture toward trueness at last."

Vernon Howard

I found this quote on the Internet. I'd already decided to do this even before I read it - that is the part that says "disassociate yourself from those who would delay your journey". While that part was hard enough, the next part "go your own way quietly, un-dramatically..." is likely to be much much harder.

Will I be able to do this and more importantly will those around me let me do this.

Only time will tell.

ps. I have absolutely no idea whatsoever, who Vernon Howard is, but I'm gonna go to google right now and look him up.

Enjoy life...............

Some one actually read my blog......... his name is Sway and this is his site (I'd recommend a visit as one of his comments has already made me think).

http://sp989.spaces.live.com/

The line that made me think was

"...I was concentrating more on increasing my level, instead of enjoying the game..."

That statement hit me pretty hard... believe it or not, that is the game we play in life.

Some people concentrates more on gaining success but forgets to enjoy life! While others enjoys life but forgets about gaining success...

And it dawned on me... I have been concentrating on becoming successful and often I lose out on the fun. But if I concentrate on the fun... I might lose out on success...

I think there should be balance... what do you think?

I've heard the bit in inverted comma's many times- but it has always been mentioned in terms of computer games - but Sway's comments that this is how many people approach life, made me think hard about my life.

While I don't think that I am at the extreme end end of things - I do think that I could enjoy life more. No doubt, as things move on and I get caught up as the world rushes by, I will forget this lesson. The trick I need to learn is to remind myself of this regularly.

Well I hope all you sit back and think about the comments and look at whether you have the right balance between getting success and enjoying life. 

Oh dear

Oh dear... Again I haven't blogged in ages. But this time its not because of a lack of material... But this time its from having too much material, I honestly don't know where to start. And as each day goes by while I ponder what to write about (or to be more precise - what to rant about!!!) even more acts of incredibly ridiculous behaviour seem to slap me (and the rest of the ignorant populous) in the face.

Some of the stories that have caught my eye (actually its more like they've stunned me into paralytic submission with an industrial cattle prod) include:

• Internet service providers demanding that the BBC meet some of their costs which have increased due to popularity of the BBC iplayer (and there was me thinking that ISP's had already been paid by the users provide them with access!!!!!!!!!!!!);
• BT deciding to use technology (phorm) which many say amounts to illegal wire tapping;
• Everyone losing the plot in relation to the Beijing Olympics/Free Tibet campaign/Torch relay;
• English cricket chiefs deciding that they'll be the only country not to let their players play in the Indian Premier League (apparently they don't think that anyone is interested in earning half a million pounds for a couple of weeks work).

And these stories are only the tip of the iceberg!!!!

bitesize islam

A friend of mine (Faraz) is currently pursuing Arabic and Islamic Studies in Cairo, Egypt. He has created a fantastic site to share his knowledge of Islam.

I would strongly recommend this site.

It can be found at bitesize islam.

"Bitesize Islam aims to present the Shari’ah...using a simple and easy to follow approach. Commonly used terms will be defined and topics broken down logically in the hope that as the site develops it will go some way in helping both Muslims and non-Muslims understand more about Islam, its aims and objectives and how it goes about achieving them."

Terminal 5, BA and BAA

I am truly amazed at the national and corporate embarrassment that is Terminal 5 and further still to the reactions of those who were involved.

To me it doesn't matter whether the fault lies with BA, BAA, CAA, the builders/suppliers or the Government (or any other group with a vested interest). Each of these groups has a vested interest in ensuring that everything wend smoothly - so by my reckoning everyone all these groups should have been active in making sure that everything ran smoothly.

The fact that things have been messed up in such an enormous scale shows that each and everyone has taken their eye of the ball and failed to ensure that passengers using Terminal 5 are not affected.

Clearly planning, preparation, testing and controls have been more than lacking. In this day and age, of outsourcing multi-million/billion projects to the lowest bidder planning, preparation and testing need to to be spot on to ensure that the failure of the 1p widget (bought instead of the 2p widget) is caught early.

There is also the obsession of those leading huge projects to get them out on time - regardless of the fact that a) it isn't finished or b) it is finished but its a mess. Hitting the deadline is more important than making sure its done properly. Nothing is allowed to get in the way of hitting the deadline - even the risk of humiliation.

This project has been been planned for "20 years" allegedly - I for one would like to know how the word planning is defined by the people involved.

Basic things seem to have been omitted in a bid to save a couple of pennies here and there. Added to the above:

• why weren't staff called in the week before opening and run their paces to ensure that they were "familiar with the computers/systems/locations"?;
• why weren't extra BA/BAA staff in place in the run up to and on the first few days of operations?;
• why did everything have to be all go from day one? why could they not start with a small number of flights and slowly ramp up over time?
• now that things have clearly imploded quite spectacularly - why haven't the disaster recovery procedures swung into operation (flood the place with staff to get things moving, fall back to the "old way")? (or am I being a bit optimistic in thinking that they had actually thought and planned for these eventualities?).

Very little appears to be happening to help the average traveller - a delay of a few hours/days on a short term business trip, a weekend away or a holiday will completely wreck things. If you do get away not having your baggage will likely be the end of the trip.

The reactions of those in charge seems to be incredible - especially the lack of comment/action from the Government. Its all very well investigating and fining the companies involved after the event but what about those people who have had things completely wrecked in the here and now?

There seems to be no will to resolve this quickly. No one seems to care about the loss and suffering of travellers or the national humiliation and the damage that corporate UK will suffer (who will want to come and do business with/in a country that can't get people from A to B). People won't even want to use the airport for transit!!!!

I'm just glad that I'm not flying at the moment - and when I do I will do my utmost to avoid BA/BAA. My heart goes out to those stuck in this misery!

(And we're meant to be organising a major sporting event in a few years - more moving parts, more infrastructure being built, more people involved - I think I'll definitely plan to be out of the country when things hit fever pitch).

I'm going to have another rant later about getting things done in the UK and the infrastructure!!!!!!!

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/27/t5_opening_day/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/28/t5_reconstruction/

Quotes I like

Because I can't think of anything to blog about.... I've decided to use the age old technique of stealing someone else's lines........

Anyway here is a quote I found the other day that I liked:

Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.

Will Rogers (1879 - 1935)