Good shout

Hmmm. Tough. I am writing this week's piece, whilst the true facts of life are standing solid, firm, as I look into the future. 

Ok, scary, but i must twist them to focus on positives(as I always do). This is not the place to discuss troubling issues.

I've always been quite a 'loner', or very picky with friends! At least now I can have an excuse!

The above note obviously sounds contorted, but I feel that it is true. I don't have many close close friends now, as although 'accessibility' has improved everywhere, it still treats 'the disabled' as 'the weird, disruptive minority'. I can meet friends at most places. 'Most', not 'all'. I am just still hurting as I am faced with basic fact that I am disabled.

I am different. I am me.

Hehe, ok, I move on.

I awaited at the local crossroads, earlier in the week...

Toyota...

Renault...

Citroen...

Ford...

buses!...

... 'Marco Pantani?'

'Good shout!'

A couple of cyclists had stopped at the red light. One of which was wearing a yellow coloured jersey. I then rapidly identified the Mercatone Uno jersey (2001, I think!). It was so good to find. If professional jerseys are spotted now, Team Sky (Wiggins, Froome, etc), or Quickstep (Cavendish), monopolise. To find a random foreign team, from 'my era' represented, was a joy!

My late hero died on Valentines day, 2003. RIP Marco.

'Where can you thank for attributing such a balanced outlook?

It pleases me to still find those complimenting my psychology, eight years following my accident.

EEEK! Eight years!

These words were attributed by a physiotherapist. Thank you, appreciated.

OK, I am male, my focus is on Brazil. Not because of hot girls, or coffee, but...

2 weeks to go...!

click on it to view properly.
world cup chart - nb. stated K.O times are relative to GMT, we are BST now (1 hour ahead)

Ok, I am obviously excited. I have studied fixtures, and there are

Crunch openers in every group...

predictions

• England semi finals
• Argentina winners
• Olivier Giroud, golden boot
• Iran first team out
• suggestions?

A trip up to the City part of Central London was made, yesterday. An experiment with conclusion that accessibility is poor. Suits don't have time for 'the disabled'.

Sorry, that was harsh, but valid to some extent...

So i took pics of design classics. On Fleet Street, 'the Telegraph Building'

i practice what i preach...

i practice what i preach

My primary note (above), is basic declaration, that yes, I voted. Of course! After preaching to the wide world, through Facebook, I knew that I wanted to live by my word. Votes are still being counted and I refuse to comment upon results. I want to share my dismal fear of the new successes of .... :(

I often look at myself, and am struck by just how far deep my mind goes.

I must learn to accept that fate rules. There are millions of things that I want (as everyone always does).  But, I have things which, are so good, I didn't even dream for. There are always 'highs' and 'lows' in life, but we cannot be 100% sure of expecting anything.

First win of life 2

Above I refer to the great happiness caused last weekend.  Everyone knows that we (Arsenal fans) have waited a long time for trophy success. It HAS been a long time, for me, a lifetime. Well, I didn't die from my injury, but I have lost so much. Thank you Arsene, for keeping with us and guiding us to victory again. It is a long road, but victory is sweet!

Life is good. Life is tough. We all face troubles. Good things DO happen.

We have to learn what is physically possible, because our free will is infinitely powerful. Only rational limitations can stop one's will power. If we dream of something that is rationally possible, our own will power decides if we reach it.

Coldplay. Ghost stories.

The new album is out. In my opinion, soooooo much better than that previous. I refuse to comment too analytically, as I may be too negative about a group for which I have much respect!

World cup sounds

A couple of tracks to help get us in mood!

orgasmic...

Coffee. It makes me smile.

Truthfully, I heard the following music on the radio, first. I then used Spotify, to hear more. Only then did I come across the following video. Her album is very good (but only 'acoustic' versions are good - in my opinion)! :)

Foxes.

youth

Last weekend was the end of the football season. Every negative means that there is a positive somewhere, to be found. OK, it means that World Cup is getting close, the FA cup final is tomorrow, and MatchOfTheDay has it's 'Goal Of The Season' competition.

Winner. No surprise, personally.

I remember watching, and being so thrilled by the beautiful perfection of Jack Wilshere's completion of this work of art. At the final whistle, I described it on the phone to my parents, as 'orgasmic'.

MOTD goal of the season

Followed by a song that turns my inside, with every chord. Beautiful.

Thank you David Gray.

david-gray-sail-away

When we are saddened by something, we must be able to recognise why we are sad. Therefore we should be able to break it down, finding our sadness to be a result of a series of actions, and realise that every action causes a reaction. Reactions can be viewed negatively, which is important to recognise. However, every 'reaction' can be viewed positively. It is essential that we concentrate on these positives, and build upon them. We can then reflect on the positive things that we have created, and continue building.

moon turned a fire-red

Well, on the night I was born, Lord, I swear the moon turned a fire-red.

You should all recognize the previous sentence. If not, shame on you.

Ok, after quite an aggressive statement, I plead that I am not confrontational.

It seems that I surprise some. People don't expect politeness from a wheelchair!

I know that this is regularly the case. People see a wheelchair, then immediately presume the worst. ‘Oh, urrgh, he cannot walk therefore, he must be stupid, rude and offensive. Aaaah, poor him. Bless!’

Hehe, secretly I laugh inside. Let ‘them’ think whatever they want, fools! People don’t expect politeness.

I may be polite, notice their reaction of surprise, then wish the exact opposite. Doh!

It can be nice to surprise.

Hehe, ‘confrontation’ continues as a subject matter. My next note relates to being annoyed with rude and disrespectful neighbours owning the ‘communal garden’ at the rear of the flat. It was a sunny Bank Holiday. The ridiculous noise, resulted in one winning weapon! J

i am stressed by them, it calls for the Chemical Brothers at a new max volume!

Old? Yes. Quality? Yes.

‘Surrender’ is a quality album.

Tuesday, I spent the day slightly dazed, having gone to physiotherapy, and spending the rest of the day without my glasses or wearing a hat. I felt nude, without wearing anything on my head! It was warm and sunny, but felt very very strange! For the past few years I have lived underneath a hat, then I switched to wearing glasses a couple of months ago (out of choice and comfort). So ‘nudity’ will not happen again!

As regular readers will know, I do spend regular time on the riverside, and at the café.

‘Which café’? you ask…

I type this whilst the opening of the 2014 Giro D’Italia, is underway in Belfast!

So, the end of the football season leads well for me into the world of professional cycling! Happy days!

(skip the advert)

Awesome!

My name is Obel

Na na Naaa na na

Hello, yet again I open a week’s post with slightly confusing music! Sorry, about my lack of talk last week. I gave you ‘a breath of fresh air’, and some scenic pictures. This week, I am back with notes on my phone, compiled over the last two weeks.

Awesome! I want one of those!

Hehe, hmmm. A child’s reaction when discovering my wheelchair. You already begin to know how lucky I feel about everything. My powered-wheelchair is a key part in that. We all currently live in the ‘modern’. We all access what is available to us. I know that ‘powered-wheelchairs’ have never been as commonly used as they are now. I cannot specify a date, but it seems that if we all lived as if 1990, I would be still desperate for a good level of independence.

My wheelchair allows me to get as far as possible, in terms of independence. I am very grateful.

I could go on and on and on, but the next note calls.

I notice myself not smiling. I figure out now I know why smiling is less common amongst the general public. The 'general public' are in paid employment, too.

OK, I have been living, out-of-paid work for the past seven years, I like to live life gratefully, smiling regularly. I realize now though, that I have been lacking a certain focus and ‘lack-of-drive’. Crucially, I always used to pride myself on having a good ‘eye for detail’. Now, I must ensure that I still have such attributes. I may find myself angry, or cross, at lacking such. So I may be found to smile less.

Hehe, now I rant.

Good design is for maximum use. Therefore good design is accessible, to as big an audience as possible.

The note stated above is quite self-explanatory. As a former design student, I had the basic fact, drummed into my head. Both for 2D and 3D design, the best aim is to allow and encourage maximum use of a design. If you cannot do this, you fail. You want to make your design as accessible, to as many people as possible. ‘Design-out’ no-one. This is why, now if I am a ‘potential user’ of a design, I become very critical if I am not allowed because I am in a wheelchair.

Whooo. Deep breath!

Meow.

‘Meow, meow!’

I must look very odd.

Meow

Hehehe. First sign of madness. ‘Talking to your cat’

OK, that was broken at a very young age. ‘Talking to random cats’, hmmm. Yep, I’m definitely ‘mad’.

However, I fear that I may have been seen to take it to another level. This feline was sat underneath a car. No-one but I knew he was there. If anyone spotted, I would haven seen 'meowing' to a hubcap!

My bad!! 

Accessibility on the London Underground is a big, big cause for concern, currently.  Thank you Boris for severe reduction in TFL Staff! Clever, very clever. Yeah right! Pfftttt!!!

where are we?

Another music link. I must own up to not being the first to find these two.  I thank my Dad for catching this pair on ‘Later… With Jools’. Very tight, solid rock. A big sound produced by a drummer, and bassist. Rockin’

Royal Blood.

Recovery, it has been slightly longer than 119.5 seconds, but I do believe, like Guinness

Good things come to those who wait