Welcome to Nowhere

If you have been reading this blog for a while you may be aware that I am somewhat of a masochist when it comes to cycling, More often I aim big and bite more then I can chew.

And this time it seem is not any different.

There is a Little known cycling event in Europe called “Tour De France”, and this year it starts aptly in Yorkshire, England.

Now there are many charity organizariong that sell a participation to ride the route a day before the event starts when the road is closed, I thought about doing it but it required about £600, and I do not have the time to strat fund raising so I gave that up.

Months past and I thought I was past the urge to do the ride, and then a cycling shop I use frequently posted the option to participate in the ride for a very low price, and low and behold I now posess a ticket for the ride.

Then I saw the details on the event :

Road: 	Yes
Difficulty Rating: 	Hard
Event Date: 	28/06/2014 
Course options: Stage 1 :200km distances are approximate

So now that I have signed and noticed what I put my head on to, I started to understand that I am in way over my depth and need to pick up my training by an order of magnitude. I am strugling with doing a 30km ride with some hills, and this being the TDF, what I now call hills the other riders will call flats.

All I can hope for now is that I will be able to finish the ride and be able to hobble to the massage table (included in the admission price) on my own legs and with my head held high.

Wish me Luck!!

A long time ago I was given a bottle of Chivas Reagal Blended Scotch, which I consider a bad Blend, and to add insult to injury it was in a Plastic bottle, so it was about on the same level as a drain opening fluid – or something you give as a gift to someone I don’t realy like or knows nothing about Whisky. Sadly my social circles to not present the oppertunity to either options, and the house drainage is working fine.
So this bootle was sitting in my Liquor box for quite a while, while i was waiting for an oppertunity to dispose of it and clear the space for a more worthy bottle – of which I have several.

Today my son was in agony over some pains and none of the medications helped, so as a last resort I said to the Mrs. “how about some Grandma remedies?” , she immidiatly picked on my train of thoughts and asked what we can used…. most of the things I have in the house are high value or over cask strength, then I remembered the Chivas and this was the perferct combination.

Don’t get me wrong, I do not wish my son any harm, but in his age his pallte for whisky is far from developped (today was his first venture), so a Chivas is as good as any other. I opened the bottle and dipped my finger in the liquid and smeared it over his gums, I guess he liked it as he bit my finger and was unwilling to let it go. When I removed my finger his expression said he was about to cry again, immidiatly I dipped my finger in the bottle and pushed it to his lips …. Silence, an expression of joy and a hint of the smile was the result.

He seemed to like it well enough and we knew we found some remedy for his sore mouth.

This is by no means something we will use on a daily basis, but sometime it is nice to see that the old ways still work and that the term “medicinal use” for Spirits wasn’t just a fabrication.

oh, and to all those who think this is irrisponsible or bad for the child – Go ask your parents if they did not do that to you, and if you still don’t like it – Get off my Blog !!

I was so upset today that I took a look at the “Devil’s Catalouge” or in it’s real name the Calumet Photography Catalouge, where I saw this: the new Nikon Df and I am In love.
I mean, Just look at it, It looks like a Proper camera, but it is a Full frame DSLR on par with the D4 and it works with all the Nikon lenses, old and new, I mean what more can you ask for ??
Now all I need is to wait 5-6 years so the price will come down to “affordable” and I know what I am asking for my “mid-life Crisis” – still it will be cheaper then the cars ( DB6 or Carver One ) I want , and unlike Crais, I will not need to “ditch the firm, head off to Maui, shack up with the supermodel ..” so what could go wrong ?

שירי אריק איינשטיין

Let me start by saying that I liked “Man of Steel” as a movie, I had a good enough script and the Direcdor did some decent work, but It seems that Mr. Snyder mistook this movie for his earlier works and tried to cram too much CGI to the movie to compansate on other failings in the movie

Now if you have not seen the movie yet, stop reading NOW!! and there might be things that might be considered spoilers.

I think it is time we stop all the pretense and admit the common truth: When you say “Superman” and “Hollywood” the first thing that comes to mind is the only man that has been Superman both on and off stage, Christopher Reeve!
The role that made him a household name, and the role that he hated and was most disappointed that people only knew about his acting career, was also his quite off screen persona, especially after his tragic accident.

Now Henry Cavil is a fine actor and I do not want to diminish his effort in stepping to big shoes, but “Superman”, sadly that he is not.
He portary’s a fine “clark Kent” and in some scenes he gives a good effort to try and step up to the plate, but sadly he is not doing a very good job in this one.
The late Mr Reeve Owned the role in both aspects of it and non of the 3 actors that came after him to don the suit ever measured up, Some of you might try to point out that there are 4 (if you include Smallvile) but Tom Welling did not play Sups, he played CK and as that he did a fine job, Considering that the only interesting and good character on the show was the young Lex.
In my eyes the movie had so much potental that was wasted on the fight scenes, and in those moments the stry was suspended and the acting failed to make the CGI compeling, instead it makes it annouying and tiresome.

So All in all the movie is another “pop corn” movie that will do nice in the Box office , but in my opinion it is not “Superman”.

I must be very late to this particular party but I had to share this with whom ever reads this blog (Thank you, Both of you).
In the night before the Razzies I was looking at the nominations for both the Razzies and the Oscars and looking at upcoming Trailers for movies on YouTubewhen I hit a trailer for the Skyrim V :The Elder Scrolls and the Song stuck with me.
The imagery and the vocals that came along with it just captured me completely and I found myself chanting the song over and over again and replaying it in my head and on my mp3 play lists.

As I am so entranced by this song and the performer I feel obliged to “plug” her Malukah , I believe she is an artist to follow as her career will take off .

Now if you know me,you know that I do not like computer games, and there is no way I will play the Skyrim games just cause of the song, but if some one can tell me in all honesty that the game can capture you and entice the spirit in the game play and soundtrack as that short trailer does in those 2:01 minutes then I will admit that the production company did a wonderful work.

Some times you can be utterly bewildered by the astute observation of a child, and i was caught completely off guard this morning by my daughter.

As we were playing in the morning before I had to leave for work I told her I need to get ready to leave for work she told say,with a blink or hesitation, ” Aba, no Work, Enough” I was stunned for a second and when replied with” True, but I need to go” to which she replied ” Aba, Sleep , Feel better” .

Short, to the point and 100% accurate, if only I could have followed that Zen advise I would have been a very happy man, Sadly I had to disengage myself from the play time and leave for work, with a song that has been popping in to my head every time I think of my kids , Twilight Time by The Platters :

Heavenly shades of night are falling
It’s twilight time
Out of the mist your voice is calling
It’s twilight time
When purple colored curtains
Mark the end of the day
I hear you my dear at twilight time

Deepening shadows gather splendor
As day is done
Fingers of night will soon surrender
The setting sun
I count the moments darling
Till you’re here with me
Together at last at twilight time

Here in the after-glow of day
We keep our rendez-vous beneath the blue
Here in the sweet and same old way
I fall in love again as I did then

Deep in the dark your kiss will thrill me
Like days of old
Lighting the spark of love that fills me
With dreams untold
Each day I pray for evening just
To be with you
Together at last at twilight time

Together at last at twilight time

I know that the song is meant for adult lovers, but I understand the yearning expressed and I feel it also expresses how i feel about the chance to see my kids.

I went to see “SkyFall” last night, expecting to be entertained mildly and have a nice time, and i got more then I was hoping for.
This movie combines the grit that the previous two Daniel Craig movies introduced to Bond with a charm and class that you got from some of the original Connery Bond.
I will not give spoilers, this function at our household is reserved to the Mrs, but I will say that they did a very good job in meshing the old style bond with the new style of action that is dominant in this age’s action movies.

The last 4 Bond movie’s were fluff that once the movie ended you didn’t think of it too much, yet with this movie i found myself thinking about during the 2 hours drive I had the morning after,Time usually spent in replaying “A New hope” in my head while stuck in dead traffic,and for those of you that know me that should tell something if it manage to “knock out” a Star Wars movie …

So it you have a chance to go see it and have not done so yet, and if you are a Bond fan, this one is a must see.
two thumbs up and a “Hell, yes”

First time in 16 years that I am missing Gaelcon and it feel like something is wrong, I have been going through withdrawal symptoms: been sick, headaches and all that jazz.

And to top it all today we had the first snow of winter falling on us in my part of the UK.

This post is gaming related , I think this is the first one that is fully and totally related the Games, this one in particular is a D&D 3rd edition game.
I came up with this concept cause I was tired of the cliché of the thieves guild running the city from the shadow or every player that plays a rouge coming with the “oh ,I stole that” excuse for items he wants.
As this is a magical world, the local police will use magic to rein in the criminal population.
The idea is relatively simple, when ever a new member joins the Thieves guild, he receives a “Mark of Justice” spell cast on him, the Thieves guild has to pay for the cost of the spell,and that also helps reduce the amount of money they can horde.
A rouge unwilling to participate in the ceremony he will be arrested,sedated and have the ceremony cast on him while he is helpless (there for does not get a Saving Throw).
Rouges in this city earn XP as lock smiths , jugglers, Security inspectors and so forth, essentially all the things a thief will do (except pick pockets) but on the legal side and being commissioned for it.

The “Mark of Justice” is a high level spell (5th) that requires a high level cleric to cast it, and it requires very powerful spells to break and dismiss this one.
Of course in order to allow some flexibility in the game you always add the human factor, some clerics will be greedy and will take the money and “fake” the ceremony,or get paid to remove such a mark, but as those cost quite a bundle and the ceremony is supervised by the police , it makes for a more story driven event.