The Olympics, can’t wait

Radio 5 Live have managed to totally demoralise me and then inspire me regarding the Olympics this week.

Yesterday morning whilst trapped on the M6 I was treated to the most dour, depressing and anal discussion about whether the Olympics is a waste of money and whether it will leave a worthy legacy. I do care but not enough to be going on about it day after day after day. Come on, the media and the politicians are ruining the Olympics for us with all this wrangling and these doomsday prophecies about a lack of legacy.

People think the Olympics is a waste of money. So what? I think the defence budget is a waste of money but I’m in the minority so I don’t demand to get my way.

The Olympics is about excitement, human achievement, healthy national pride and being inspired. And this is what 5 Live did for me tonight. I caught 45 minutes of a fantastic program about great moments in Olympic history. I heard discussion about Bob Beamon, Michael Johnson and the black power salute. All really inspiring and grippingly interesting. I’ll try and catch the rest on the web.

Dear 5 Live, please, as the Olympics get closer let’s give less platform to the politicians and pessimists and let’s hear more about the great stories of the past and look forward to those of this summer.

Israeli solider assaults Danish protester

This video clip really does not surprise me in the least…

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/16/israeli-soldier-clubs-danish-protester

Will the solider now face criminal proceedings?  And why are Israel tightening their borders to peaceful protesters?  As the victim suggests when interviewed afterwards, the evidence in this video is the tip of the iceberg of Israeli violence against innocents.

Procrastination

Procrastination is bad!

We’re in the season of dissertations and revising.  Millions of us are trying to be productive at work every day.  Countless gardens need tending.  Unlimited letters need writing and emails sending.  All the kids across the country need someone to spend some time with them.

But loads of these tasks don’t get done because of procrastination.  Sometimes we can glorify this with comments on facebook similar to the cartoon above (courtesy of Dave Walker).  However, we really should be overcoming this habit of putting off till tomorrow what should be done today.

I was reading a devotion from Joyce Meyer earlier and she stated that if we can avoid procrastination then we can really enjoy our leisure time so much more.  I totally agree with this!  Cull the distractions, be determined, find some ways to be disciplined, get your work done, and then…..RELAX!

Have a productive and relaxing day!

No winners

I heard today some tragic news about a young man who used to live at the YMCA who took his own life.  I didn’t know him very well, had had a few good conversations with him back when he lived with us but that’s going back a couple of years.  Whenever you saw him he was always very welcoming and friendly, a nice guy who put you at ease.

It is very sad that he is gone.  There are no winners with suicide.  The one who is gone will never be back and the wounds are deep for those that are left.

I pray that the scars that remain will enable those who are hurting to eventually become stronger through the pain they experience now.

Scottish Independence and The Balkans

This is a fascinating article in The Economist comparing Scottish independence to Yugoslavia pre 1990.  The piece does not give any answers but rather raises questions and issues that are intriguing.

I particularly think the point near the end where the article says those in Yugoslavia were told everything would be the same but they would be richer is interesting.  Anecdotally I have been told that, in Montenegro at least, people are now worse off then they were in a united Yugoslavia.

Personally, I speak with absolutely no political bias and am certainly uninformed but I would be very sad to see Scotland leave the UK as they make up a colourful and vital part of our culture and identity.

10 reasons to love Montenegro

1. Mountains.  They climb up to 2500m, they pour down straight into the sea, they deliver spectacular views as you drive through them and even when you’re walking in town everytime you lift you’re eyes they’re there in front of you.

2. Hardly anybody speaks English. This gives such an authentic experience of a country.  If you’re going to make the most of Montenegro you have to get stuck in, make some embarrassing mistakes (one Easter whilst tring to decline an egg I managed to say something along the lines of my balls don’t work!) but it really helps you understand the people and culture.

3. Sexism.  I am prohibited from doing the washing up (due to gender).

4. Children run.  I really think we don’t see enough children running around freely in the UK.  Few things give me more enjoyment than seeing little children run just for fun.  In Montenegro you come across a lot more kids playing in the street and they do a lot more training for competetive sports.  Rada’s niece is only 10 years old and training four or five times a week for basketball.  I went to watch a couple of days ago and some of the lads there can seriously shoot some hoops!

5. Rambo Amadeus. Check this out for a quality Eurovision entry from Rambo Amadeus this year!  Come on UK lets get behind Montenegro when it’s time for the voting later in the year  The lyrics are in English you just have to listen carefully.

6. Wood smoke.  Whenever I catch the aroma of wood smoke in England I can close my eyes and feel like I am taken straight back to Montenegro.  Almost everyone burns wood for heating and cooking and I love the smell as you walk the streets.

7. Strong communities and families.  I am sure there are other countries who have equally strong communities and families but I have never personally experienced it like I do in Montenegro.  I love getting involved in and witnessing the little things – calling cousin to pick us up in his taxi, shovelling dung for the communal vegetable patch, helping Ujak (uncle from mother’s side) unload breeze blocks from the lorry for his house he’s building himself.

8.  Food and drink.  I am fed and watered ridiculously well in Montenegro.  Every visit is accompanied with choice of drink (beer or rakija are the expected options for men) followed by a great spread or main meal.  Montenegrins are so hospitable!

9. Soaps.  The soap operas shown in Montenegro are hilarious.  Usually courtesy of Turkey, Mexico or India each one is guaranteed to have someone in a coma, an over the top wedding, a kidnapping and emotive orchestra music.  I don’t understand most of what goes on but that just makes them even funnier to watch.

10. Finally, a very personal reason – Montenegro is where I met my wife so all over the place I find great memories rekindled of those first weeks together and many memorable visits since then.

Get ready the night before

The only reason that I am able to write this blog this morning is because I got everything ready for today….last night. I packed my bag for work making sure my keys, phone and wallet were found.  I got ready my things for the gym.  I packed my lunch (saving money and making sure it’s healthy).  And I got my work clothes ready to throw on.

This morning when my alarm went off I had the luxury of two snoozes, and behold, once I was awake I had plenty of time to write a blog.  Sadly, this has become a rarity, I just find myself too hectic.

I would thoroughly recommend getting prepped the night before.  It helps your day start off well and I feel very relaxed right now.

Warnock for England!

I have had a genius idea for guaranteed success (to a point) and restored national pride at the European Championships.  It’s not going to be a universally popular way forward but I think we should give it a go

.

Here’s the plan – appoint Neil Warnock as manager and then tell him he’s only allowed to pick players from the Football League Championship.  Warnock is gifted at getting great performances out of weaker players and they would play with infinite passion and not take their presence there for granted.  Of course we could not win the tournament but we’d almost certainly get out of the group and maybe fluke a quarter-final and semi-final win, which is the best we could have hoped for anyway!

I’m not taking my suggestion seriously, but seriously I am convinced it would work.

Also, can we nominate David Bernstein for Sports Personality of the Year!?

Dad

I’m really gutted that Dad hasn’t been selected to be part of the Olympic Torch Relay next year.  I think the organisers have really missed a trick here.  If it comes to ranking people of this nation who are most appropriate and deserving to carry the torch surely Dad should have come somewhere near the top – he has that perfect mix of being a former Olympian and having devoted his life to helping, supporting and encouraging children and young people.

Does a day go by without Dad taking a coaching session, or teaching the kids from church, or running a community group, or spending ALL his spare time planning these things and reading up how to do them better?  No!  And that doesn’t even include the day job.

I think it would have been fitting for Dad to carry the torch but it wasn’t to be so I just thought I’d indulge myself and honour him on my blog instead.

A Very Proud Son.

Plotted downfall of Montenegro

Oh, my beloved Montenegro. I am truly filled with sorrow at your demise. You have fallen at the final hurdle in a campaign that saw you beat Bulgaria, Switzerland and Wales and achieve two draws with the ‘mighty’ England.

I am convinced it is a conspiracy. UEFA don’t want the minnows in thhe tournament so they make sure the likes of Estonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro cannot draw each other in the play-off. But thaat is by the by.

Montenegro you were valiant and punched way way above your weight. But, this year, it is not to be. The Falcons will be back.